The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-09

quently legislation gave free admission to
ali military and naval supplies purchased
ABROAD Dy this government; allowed tenn
porary Notifications to be constructed on
the written consent of owners of land so
taken, and prohibited. under executive dis
cretlon, the export of coal or other war ma
Serlal, and three days before the declaration
E war President Mckinley had approved
the volunteer act. Under 1T all the soldiers
maSsed against Spain mustered in the entire
volunteer army have been raised. embracing
10000 men under the first and 5000 under
the second call A month previous legisla-
ton had been enacted reorganizing the line
OF the army, efecting modern tnree-nat-
peace organizations of these regiments with
two battalions of four companies each or
two skeleton or unnamed companies, and
supplied the third battalion in war times
by manning the skeleton company in or
ganizing two additional ones, and made
other important requirements Another law
amended the present administration of JUS
tice in the army, accomplishing reforms in
court-martial methods.
ment OF war-revenue law. Its trainers
expected 1T to produce $50 ,OOOOOO Other
revenue legislation included bill enlarging
in favor Of importers the provisions as to
disposition of abandoned imported mer-
chandise, and extending the outage allow
to six years.
MINOR WAR MEASURES.
Minor war legislation included the follow
ing: Allowing a maximum increase of one
hundred army hospital stewards; providing
for maintenance Of volunteers between their
enrolment and mastering in United States
service; adding two assistant adjutant gen.
erals; organizing a volunteer army signal
corps; organizing volunteer brigade of en-
gineers and an additional 10000 enlisted men
adapted to tropical climate; creating two
additional artillery regiments, adding 1,61O
men; adding five assistant surgeons to the
army permanently, and in emergencies as
many contract surgeons as necessary; Gre
ating United States auxiliary naval force,
not exceeding 1000 enlisted men, and appro-
priating $3O00,000 therefor; organizing
naval hospital corps of twenty-five phar-
macists and many hospital stewards and
apprentices as necessary; organizing
naval battalion of the District of Columbia;
keeping life saving stations on the Atlantic
and gulf coasts open during June and July
appointments of naval officers after April
81; authorizing assistance to Cubans and
providing them with arms and supplies; al
lowing homestead settlers who volunteer to
count their service in homestead require
mentS; resolutions of thanks to Dewey and
his men, the presentation of a sword to him
and medals to his officers. and providing
for increase in the number of inspector gen.
erals, ordnance and other army depart
mentS
GENERAL LEGISLATION.
Other important legislation, aside from
war, included: Prohibiting the killing of
ton of sealskins into this country; prohib-
iting foreign vessels carrying merchandise
directly or indirectly between United States
ports; granting right of way and encour-
aging railroad construction; appropriating
$4,000 for the relief of the Yukon miners
suffering from the fierce winter there; Gre
ating nonpartisan industrial commission
to investigate immigration, labor, manu-
facture and business; appropriating $47315l
TO pay the Boring awards; creating a
commission to allot lands on the Uintah In
dian reservation in Utah; adjusting the old
land dispute between the United States and
the State of Arkansas, the compromise
gaining Tor payment to the latter of $780,
5!2; dispensing with proof of loyalty during
the late war as prerequisite in any
bounty land application where proof other
wise shows title; abolishing the distinction
between offered and unoffered lands; the re-
classification of the patent sys.em; creating
commission to revise the statutes relating
70 patents and trade marks, removing the
disability imposed by Section of the four
teenth amendment to the Constitution here.
totore incurred; allowing $2SS,0O0 for the re-
net OF the book agents of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South for damages dur
ing the war; $3.50 Isl for the heirs of John
Roach, the Philadelphia ship builder for
work on the cruisers Chicago, Boston and
Atlanta; $2S,160 likewise, for the dispatch
boat Dolphin; $69,550 to the Richmond loco
motive and machine works for damages and
losses in the construction of the battle ship
Texas.
Late in the session a general bankruptcy
law was enacted providing for both volun-
tary and involuntary bankruptcy.
Many important measures were agitated
which never passed. These included the
movement to either modify or overthrow the
clVll-service system, which brought out in
designations, numerous conferences and
committee sessions and acrimonious debate
on the floor of both houses, but finally was
lost in the war excitement. The Loud bill
to correct abuses of Second-claSS mail mat
ter was killed in the House in March The
personnel of the navy BILL recognizing the
entire naval service, was reported to the
House, but went over until the next SEES
sion.
Banking and currency legislation, propos-
ing general reform in the existing scheme
was reported from committee, but never
reached consideration in the House. The
Teller resolution, declaring for payment of
the national bonds in silver as we'll as in
gold, was passed by the Senate by vote of
AZ to 81, but was defeated in the House
Statehood bills for New Mexico Arizona
and Oklahoma were killed in committed
An immigration bill requiring ability to read
and write on the part of those sixteen years
Old passed the Senate. but did not reach
a vote in the House. The anti-scalping bill
prohibiting ticket brokerage, in both houses,
went over to the next session. The free
homes amendment to the Indian appropri-
alton bill, giving over 20OO0.O00 acres of pub
lie lands as free homes for settlers was
finally compromised on a two years ex-
tension of payment for such lands.
The failure of Congress to act on the naval
advancement special acts may, after all, be
beneficial as enabling the President 70 ar
range with more elaboration and Justice a
scale of rewards for meritOrious officers.