The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-12-09

4 oerviC9. q
MI. sfcRae OF Arksnsas onersd IN amend
| mcnf providing that 1t Should not be 80
| construed and upon II there was q general
| discussion as TO the advisabiItty Of mus
| terlng the volunteers Qua before the regular
| army was increased Nj. Cannon finally
| accepted tho McRae amendment and that
received the only SHADOW OF opposition to
the bill. A number OF amendments were
adopted upon the Recommendations Of the
Appropriateness committee. whish received
some supplemental estimates after tho bill
was prepared Tho largest u there was an
itfm OF S3.0000J0 for ;tu emergency fund
for the war department ald s51S.00D for the
| ordnance department, increasing the
amount carried by the bill to $69.S95,892.
The conference report upon the bill to
ren'oer the sureties OF consuls. vice consuis
ard consular agents liable for damages in
1 suts at law was adopted
| The house adjourned over until Monday
to give the committees an opportunity to
| work without interruption.
Sir Wllfred Laurler, premier OF Canada ;
Lord Herxchell, Sir Louis Davies and Mr.
James Winter. premier OF Newfoundland
| members Of the high commission, occupied
| seats In the gallery OF the house today, be-
Ing the guesas of Mr.. Dingley, the floor
leader OF the majority, VINO is a member
OF the commission They seemed greatly
interested in the proceedings and proce-
=
celebrities of the house,
On motion OF Chairman Cannon OF the
apjarOff.ltirel3 committee tho house went
into committee or ttl whcle Immediately
after tha reading of the Journal TO con-
siier the urgent deficiency bill, for the
SUPPORT OF the military aud naval establish
! ments Outing the six months beginning
January ! . 1892 IA M M
Mr.. Underwood tDem.. Ala.) inturrogatcd
Mr., Cannon with view TO securing a
statement az TO the disposition to be made
OF the volunteer army.
Mr.. Cannon said the treaty OF peace
might be ratified in January, though 1t
might not BIZ ratified for months. No one
could tell what was In front of lis, We
must zeal with n situation. The volun-
ttsF army might be mustered opt and Its
place taken by the regular army. That
was matter fc1.-the future 10 decide, bit
ha felt confident that the treasury would
be rich enoigh and congress wise enough
TO meet any emergency.
Mr.. Sayers (Dem. Texas), the ranking
minority member OF the appropriations
committee. gave bis UNQUALIFIED indors,e-
mcfet 10 the bill, which he said did not
affect in any way the legislation regarding
the volunteer CT regular army 1t simply
made appropriations to support the present
military and naval establishment.
The bill was passed on the theory that
the volunteers would continue In the SER
vice until July !. 1899.
y they were mustered out the appro-
priatione would be covered back into the
treasury.
Mr.. Livingston tDem. Cal esuresaed the
opinion that the law under which the vol
untesrs were mustered Into service was
slbyiot to double construction as to the
tune when they should he mustered out
ard he believed II the president was dis
posed 10 keep the volunteers In the service
until the regular army had been reor-
gnpfypl IN hill In tr mr.
thntr rpv,rent would strengthen his hands.
Mr.. McRsa tDem., Ark), gave notice.
that at tho proper time he would offer an
amendment declaring that nothing in the
rendfeg bill should construe, extend or
modify section 4, OF the act OF April %,
creating the volunteer army. He said he
would not have pressed this amendment
had II not been for the presidents declara-
ton in his message that he would muster
out the volunteer army rs soon as the
regular enlistment was Increased. 1t WAS
unjust TO the volunteers TO bold them In
the service when congress had given the
solemn pledge that they should bs mus
tered out as soon as the war ended. He4
believed 1t was the purpose OF the president
TO hold the volunteers unttl q large STAND
ing army was proviJed for.
THE army on a peace footing ifl1nDers
but 26.G00," aIterposed Mr. Cannon. Does
the gentleman and his side OF the house
stand ready to support Il bill TO increase
| that army to meet the necessities of the
government in Ms present emergency and
,, those which confront it,"
eve Will meet that question when it
arises" replied Mr.. McRae. I'VE are op-
posed TO large standing army and we are
opposed to holding the volunteers to per-
form the eluty of regulars and be used as A
club To force us TO create large standing
army Let reorganization OF tho army come
In tho regular way
Mr.. Cox (Dem., Tonn.), commended that
under the law the volunteers were entitled
to their discharge tho moment hostil.tics
ceased. He supported the McRae amends
ment, as did Mr.. Bland.
Mr. DeArmona (Dem., MOI, advocated
tho adoption OF the McRae amendment
The president, he said, could not transform
tho volunteers into uniformed party men,
II congress in its wisdom decided other
wisA The whole question was mere
bubble as to whether the universal I'M
derstapdrlg of tho 100000 men who had
enlisted thee they should be discharged
when hostilities ceased was now to be
rbandoned and the volunteers held TO do
police DUTY in different parts Of the world.
General debate upon the bin was then
closed on Mr.. Cannon's motion and the bill
was read for amendment under the Ave-
minute rule.
| Mr.. Cannon offered comns ttee amend
nient Tor an emergency fund OF S3000,00o
loi lhc War department.. He said IL was
impossiDilty to foreeee what emergency
might and probably would arise In the uext
SIN months. An emergency fund OF ST.
OtoOoO was provided for the navy In the
bill. The amendment was adopted.
| Mr Allen tDtm.. Miss) offered an
amendment providing that the money APP
pronriated in tie bill for the payment OF
| the volunteers should not he available less
lapn three months after the ratification
| OF treaty OF peace. II was defeated.
| ON motion OF Mr.. Cannon several COM
mittee amendments were adopted.
| Tho appropriations for the current ex-
Denses sof the ordnance eervice were In
creased from $4,000 to si00, 600; for tho
manufacture or metallic Ammunition
marksmen's medals. insignia. etc, from
100000 to 100000: for the pn1vhase and
manufacture OF ordnance stores from S02.-
900 10 100000; for infantry, cavalry and
ARTILLERY equipment from 100000 TO $780,
900: aud for the manufacture of arms ut
National armonies. etc.. from $4,000 to
sa25,000. These increases. Mr. Cannon cx-
planned. had been recommended by the
chief OF ordnance.
Mr. Cannon then accepted tho McRae