Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-03-10
Senate Unanimously Passes the
National Defence Bill.
Seventy-Six Senators Vote AYE" and
Not One Answers May"
President Immediately Signs the Bill and II Is
Now Law.
Washington, March 9.-The President,
ut $40 o'clock, signed the measure ap.
prorriating $50, 1S3, 900 for the national
defence and il is now q law.

Washington, March 9-President
Mckinleys hands have been upheld
by both branches of the American Con-
gress. With enthusiasm, fervor and
promptness almost unparalleled in the
Senate in time of peace. that body, to-
day, passed the emergency appropria
ton bill carrying $lS3,00 of deficiencies
and placing at the disposal of the Pres
ident $4,000, 900 for national defence.
The vote by which the measure was
passed was unanimous. Seventy-six
short, sharp and emphatic speeches
were delivered in favor of the bill, each
one being simply ringing Aye" dur
ing the roll call upon the passage of
the measure.
| Not only did every Senator present
register his vote in favor of the bill,
but for every absent member the au-
thoritative announcement was made
tina if he We're present. he would vote aye
From the time the bill was presented
to the Senate by Mr.. Hale of Maine,
until it was passed not an inharmoni-
Gus note was sounded. Party lines
were swept aside In the general out
burst of patriotic feeling pairs were
broken. every senator being anxious to
register his vote on the measure.
1t was just 1913 when Mr.. Hale re-
ported the bill to the Senate and asked
that it be placed on its passage. The
members of the committee on appro-
priations had previously effected an ar
arrangement whereby there would be no
debate on the bill and after it was read
Vice President Hobart placed it imme-
diately on its passage
Twelve minutes after the bill was re-
ported to the Senate. the Vice President
| announced its unanimous passage.
The great work was accomplished so
| quickly that most of the people who
| crowded the galleries scarcely realized
that the measure had become a law, so
far as Congress was concerned. Some
OF the spectators fully grasped the
| meaning of the Senate's action and
| when the announcement of the vote
was made q murmur of applause ran
| through the galleries.
! The members of the Senate. however
maintained a dignified silence, the
| realization among all of them being
keen that a situation which warranted
! the passage of so unusual measure
| was too grave to prompt an outburst
! of applause. Earnestness and deter
mination We're evinced on both sides of
the chamber hut there was not a note
Of levity that would detract from the
seriousness of the work performed
/ In anticipation of discussion of the
S50o00co0 emergency appropriation BILL
| two hours before the Senate convened
| spectators began to appear in the gall
| leries to secure desirable seats and
long before II o'clock, the public and
reserved galleries We're filled In the
corridors outside We're long lines of peo-
| pie anxious to secure admission to wit
ness a session of the Senate that gave
| promise of being momentous. Among
the Specta tors in the galleries were
scores of ladies whose interest in Cuban
matters is quite as keen as that of their
fathers, husbands and brothers
ON the floor of the Senate the attend
ancc was unusually large when the
Vice Presidents gavel fell, calling the
body to order. Nearly all of the MEM
bers of the appropriations COMMITTEES.
including the chairman, Allison, and
OF the foreign relations committee, in
Guiding the chairman, Davis, were in
their seats In addition several mem
bers and officers of the House were in
he chamber.
Among the bills introduced was one
by SeWell, New Jersey establishing
government protection of homng pig
cons
At the conclusion of the morning bus
mess Hale of the appropriations COM
mittee. rose quietly and said:
Il report from the committee on ap-
preparations. without amendment. an
act to supply urgent deficiencies for the
current year and for other purposes.
and | ask that it be placed on it's pas
sage"
The bill, which was the measure ap-
proprating $50 $4,000 of which $50 OOO,-
600 was placed at the disposal Of the
President for the national defence. vas
then. amid an intense silence, read In
full, At the conclusion of the reading.
there being no amendment tb the bill.
it was placed on it's passage.
Hale asked that the yeas and NAYS be
called. Such unanimity the roll call
developed was as unusual as it was sig
nihcant. Pairs We're broken on both sides
OF the chamber in order that all those
present might evince their patriotism and
desire to uphold the hands of the Presi-
dent in this time of emergency. by voting
directly for the measure.
Within % minutes after the Senate had
convened. the roll call had been COM
p'O'sh dh'i lilt wee ffeSluent na0 an
hounced that the bill was passed. 76 sem
ators voting in the affirmative and not one
in the negative.
As the Vice President made his an
nouncement a slight ripple of applause
ran through the galleries but the MEM
beers of the Senate remained calm and
dlSnliled, depressing all enthusiasm
which it was evident from the smiling
faces and intense interest manifested in
every look and gesture Il great majority
of them felt.
During the roll call ii was authori-
tativelv announced for every absent SEN
ator that if he We're present he would
vote aye.
Allen. Neb.. in making the announce
ment for Thurston. Neb.. said: MY col
league is unaVOuably detained from tbs