The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-03-11
TEE NATION UNITED
UNFOLDING THE PRESIDENT
IN THE PRESENT CRISIS,
Remarkable Proceeding In the House OF
Represenratives-By Unanimous Vote it
Places at the ~esident Disposal Fifty
Million Dollars for Nat onal Defense
Representatives of ali Parties and of all
Sections Advocate the Measure
SENATE.

Washington, March 8.-TOiay'S SoS-
sion Of the senate was largely devoted
TO the consideration of h District
Of Columbia appropriation bill. After
an extended discussion, the bill, con-
tanning a provision for the reduction 10
about One-haf Of the present rates Of
telephone charges in the district, was
passed. A bill appropriating s2Ss, 600
for the relief of the book agents of the
Methodist Episcopal church, south,
was also passed. AS it has already
passed the house, the goes TO
the president for his signature.
AT $50 p. m. during THE discussion
of the pending bill, a message was re-
ceived from the house conveying 20 the
senate the bill approprfating $50, 1S3, 900
for national defense, just passed by the
house. The bill was laid before the
senate amid on motion Of Senator Al
lison, of Iowa, referred to the commit
tee on appropriations.
The senate at 5:45 o'clock p. m, ad-
journed.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
In a spirit of patriotism, with elo-
quent words ringing in their ears, ev-
tives today responded to the presidents
first call to meet the Spanish situation
by casting his vote for a bill placing
in President McKinley's hands $50, OOO.-
600 to be expended at his discretion for
the national defense. Party lines were
swept away and with an unanimous
voice congress voted it's confidence in
the administration Many members
who were paired with absent colleagues
took the responsibility of breaking their
pains, AN unprecedented thing in legis-
laUive annals, i'm order that they might
go on record in support of this vast
appropriation to maintain the dignity
and honor of their country. Speaker
Reed, who as the presiding officer, sell
dom votes except in case of a tie, had
his name called and voted in his ca
pacity as a representative. The scene
of enthusiasm which greeted the am
nouncement of the NOte-ayes, 81, mays
seldom been paralleled in the
house.
A1 day long h galleries were jamm-
ed with enthusiastic spectators, APP
plauding the patriotism of the words
of eloquence which were uttered by
the members on the floor. The speech
es were all brief. Although four hours
We're allowed for debate, so great was
n pressure for time that no one MEM
Der was given more than five minutes
and most of them llad to content them
selves with a 'beggarly fraction of a
minute. In all, fffty-nlne speeches
were made.
With one acclaim members from the
north t9n6 thn gcJn11th t1on ar ct o,,I +loo
west, the states and the territories,
battlescarred verterans of the union
and the confederate armies, all Joined
in proclaiming their support of the
country's chief magistrate in the face
of a possible foreign war.
In the whole debate there was only
a slight discOrdant note caused by the
speech of General Bingham, of PENN
sylvania, who served with distinction
under Hancock. He spoke too con-
servativeqy for the aroused temper of
the house n when he insisted that
our relations with Spain were as friend
ly as they had been for years many of
the members Missed him. While AL
most every member who spoke depre-
cat6d the possibility of war, a wide
divergence of opinion as to how close
were hostilities manifested itself in the
DE bajte. The general contention by the
majority, among them the leaders on
both sides, was that this appropriation
by preparing for war would prove the
surest guarantee of peace. Other in
sisted that wars and rumors of wars
would soon be heard and Mr.. Mann,
of Illinois, declared that war actually
existed i'm all save name.
The speeches which attracted most
atten tlOn were Those of Messrs. Cam
nOn, Henderson and DOlliver, en- the
republican side, and Messrs. Bailey and
Sayers, ON the democratic side.
Mr.. Cannon, in opening the debate
on the bill said that in the present
critical state of affairs, the committee
had deemed 1T wise to appropriate this
sum, placing its expenditure in the
complete discretion OF the president.
He referred to the fact that the COM
mittee had been unanimous in its ac-
tiCn and had only changed the wording
of the bin he introduced yesterday by
making the approprating available I'M
TIL january I, 1899, instead Of june 80,
1899.
WE HAVE THE MONEY TN THE
TREASURY TO MEET THIS APPRO-
PRIATION IF TT is EXPENDED"
HE CONTINUED, AND THERE
FORE, THERE Is NOT PRESENTED
WITH THIS PROPOSITION ONE TO
BORROW MONEY OR TO INCREASE
TAXATION, TO WHICH ALMOST
n OTHER NATION ON EARTH
WOULD HAVE BEEN OBLIGED TO
RESORT" TREMENDOUS AP-
PLAUSE.l
He insisted that this appropriation
must not be construed into a threat.
Nothing was further from the minds
OF these VIII reported it, he said. This
appropriation was to be placed in the
hands Of a wise and patriotic execu-
tive to make proper preparations to
maintain national honor, nothing more.
TT is not a war appropriation said
he emphatically. i say that in my
Judgment, measuring my words, that
1t Is a peace measure. (Graat ap-
pfause)- The government OF the United
States would not, if it could trench
"a the rights of amy nation on earth"
(RemeWed aUDlauSa.)
Mr.. SayerS. OF Texas, The ranking
member OF the minority, followed Nh.
Cannon. His first statement, to the eff
feet that in the presence of possible
danger this appropriation had met with
the hearty and 1nan6ulpJlS andorSa-