Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-04-23
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, April %.
SENATE.

magnificent structure evidences of grief
and sadness were at every hand.
At noon the Senate was called to
order to pay q tribute of respect 10
Hon. Edward Cary Walthall, late Sena-
tor from Mississippi, who died Thurs
day afternoon at 5:l5.
The remains of Senator Walthall
were conveyed to the Capitol last even
ing and were lying in state in the mar
BILE room of the Senate until nine
o'clock to-day when they were placed
in the Senate chamber in the area in
front of the Presidents desk.
Senator Walthall' 8 desk and chair, on
the main aisle, were draped in black.
The casket was covered with superb
floral offerings, Promptly at noon
Vice President Hobart's gavel fell, call
ing the Senate to order. The Senators
occupied seats on the left side of the
chamber, while members of the House
of Representatives occupied seats on
the right side of the chamber. The
diplomatic corps, headed by Sir Julian
Pauncetote, occupied seats Immediately
in front of the members Of the House of
Representatives The chief Justice and
the associate justices of the Supreme
Court and President Mckinley and six
members of his Enthusiastically
Long and PostmasterGenersl Smith
being unable to be present-were also
attendants at the ceremonies. Occupy
h ing seats in front of the joint committee
of arrangements were the members and
immediate relatives of Senator Wal
thall's family.
After invocation by Rev. ]. H Mil
burD, the blind chaplain of the Senate,
the Vice President announced that busi-
ness would be suspended for the day.
The services were conducted by the
Rev. DR.. McKim, rector of Epiphany
Protestant Episcopal Church of this
city, and Bishop Thompson, of Holly
Springs, Miss.
At the conclusion of the beautiful
funeral service of the Episcopal church
the pail bearers, consisting of members
of the Capitol police force, entered the
chamber and bore out the casket, fol-
lowed by the honorary pail bearers,
the members of the joint committee Of
the two branches of Congress.
The remains of Senator Walthall
were conveyed to the Pennsylvania
station where they were placed on a
special car. The train bearing the
remains, the members of Senator Wal.
thall's family and the joint committee
of the Senate and House of Representa-
tives will leave at O'Clock this even
ing for Holly Springs, Miss, where the
interment will take place.
After the funeral services the Senate
at 1915 p. m. adjourned until Monday
HOUSE.
The House met at 10 o'clock this
morning in order to expedite the pass
aye of the army reorganization bill
which the War Department deems I'M
peratively necessary at the earliest pos
sible moment.
The bill has been modified since il
was recommitted by the House. Ii
provides for the three battalion forms'
ton and gives 81 instead of 100 privates
to each infantry company. 1t author
ICES 25 regiments of infantry to be re
cruited up to total of 81. 500 enlisted
men 10 time of war, the recruitment o.
10 cavalry regiments up to $1,000 mel
and seyen regiments of artillery to a
total of lG, 457 men and the engineer
battalion to 1872 men, making tota
maximum war strength OF 1000 en-
listed men. 1t provides that nothing
in the act shall be construed to author
| ize permanent increase OF the COM
missioned or enlisted force beyond hat
now provided for by law, except as to
| the increase of % majors. The follow
! log important proviso was offered by
the committee as an amendment: Pro-
vided, that in the event of call by the
President for either volunteers or the
militia of the country, the President is
authorized to accept the quotas of troops
of the various States and territories, in
Guiding the District Of Columbia as or.
ganized under the laws of the States
and Territories.
Mr.. Underwood vigorously opposed
the measure which he declared could
not possibly pass save under the stress
of war pressure. 1t did not, he saic,
meet the approval of the American
people. 1t was false pretense. 1t was
in fact bill to increase the standing
army from $4,000 to $1,000. Every
member on the floor, he said, had re
ceived scores of letters from his con-
stituents protesting against the in
crease Of the standing army. Men
were willing to enlist in the service Of
their country, but they wanted TO
serve under volunteer officers, not
West Point martinets.
Mr., Hay, who warmly advocated
the bill, repealed q charge by Mr..
Underwood that Congress was becom.
ing hysterical. The main purpose of
the bill, be said, was to obtain the three
battalion formation. For our soldiers
to confront the Spanish army with our
present formation, he said, meant GER
tain death. The new formation made
the increase in the infantry regiments
necessary. The bill made no increase
in the cavalry resn1ents. He denied
that the purpose OF the bill was to give
West Point officers commands which
they would otherwise not obtain.
Mr.. Bailey said he thought it was
not very high compliment to the army
to be told that the inc hciency of the
army on the eve of war was admitted.
After thirty years of peace it seemed to
him that the plans Of the army to meet
an emergency should have been per
fected. It was strange that an obsolete
formation should have been retained all
these years.
Mr.. Lacey said fighting ability should
be rewarded. not ability to pass exam
inations Mr. I.acav,s statement that