The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-14
SENATE.

dSIIlH6 lOu, udTy J.-1 HIOu6h
out it's pen session today the senate
had under consideration the executive,
legislative and judicial appropriation
bill. Fifty-one pages of the pending
bill were disposed Of before the SEN
ate went into executive session for the
remainder of the day.
Senator Allen, of Nebraska, COM
mented upon the paragraph making ap-
propriations for odds and ends of Of
flee needs. Many of them, he thought,
were suspicious. Turning from this
subject, he inquired why there was no
mastering out of major generals, brig
adler generals, %adjutant generals anu
paymasters who had been appointed for
the wal with Spain and who were now
Sitting around Washington, toasting
their feet, eating, drinking and being
merry at the expense of the govern
ment."
Senator Allison, chairman Of the APP
preparations committee, replied: 4 have
no special knowledge of the utility Of
major generals, and other officers to
whom the senator refers, but l take
it they are engaged in the work laid
out for them about a year ago. When
the army OIL Is IGdCLcu Lllch Tic oCh-
ator can make his point. This bill
provides only for the civilian employees
of the government in Washington"
Senator Allen declared that the num-
Der of employees could be largely de-
creased. There are 10, 900 persons in
the employment of the government in
this city who are not rendering an
hours service to the government lin
a year."
Senator Allison: Il do, not hin
there are so many employees in Wash
ington as that
Senate Allen: Il should think there
are about 10000"
Senator Chandler: There are just
about 10000"
Senator Allen continuing his crit
icism, declared that the farmers and
working people of the country were
paying taxes ito support these worth
less creatures
Senator Chandler, in replying to Sen
ator Allen, said there were doubtless
e~xtraVagancies in the government SER
vice, and perhaps, too many employees
but the charge of the Nebraska senator
was altogether too general to have any
effect either in the senate or in the
country. THE senator said Senator
Chandler has been here almost SIX
years and in all that time has not made
a proposition for a single specific econ
omy."
Senator Allen explained that, not hav-
ing had the ear of the appropriations
committee, he had never had the op-
~portunity.
Senator Chandler: Il have heard that
the senator was a modest m a but l
never discovered it except id his own
u~tteranCeS.'
Senator Chandler then declared that
Senate Aliens periodical "diatribes'
had been general in their terms and
not so direct as to be useful.
senator Allen: Il hope the senator
will withdraw that word 'diatribes.'"
Senator Chandler: Il will. And I
will substitute for it the term period
ical admonitions.'" Laughter.)
At the opening of the session the bill
was passed to restore to their original
status as to promotion officers of the
navy and marine corps who lost num-
berS by reason of the Advancement OF
other officers for exceptional and mer1-
torious service during the war with
Spain.
AT 3:15 o'clock, p. m, the senate went
INTO executive session, and at 5:35
O'Clock, p. m, adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Chairman Cannon, of the appropria-
tons committee of the house, in the
course of the general debate on the
sundry civil bill today sounded a note
of warning against eXtravagant appro-
priationS and practically served notice
hat neither the ship subsidy bill MOI
the Nicaragua canal bill could be pass
ed at this session. Although he Specifi-
cally disclaimed speaking for any one
but himself, the statements he made
coming from the chairman of the ap-
preparations committee, caused greaI
interest.
Mr.. Cannon made a general tate
ment of the revenues and expenditures
for the present fiscal year, increasing
Secretary Cages estimate of the def
cheney in the revenues from SIP, 900, 90,
to $3.50, 900, 600, exclusive of the $40, 0O0, 00'
to be paid to Spain under the provisions
of the treaty of Paris.
Messrs. Gosvenor, of Ohio; Hepburn
of Iowa, and w. A. Smith, of Michi.
gan, although they did not enter int
any lengthy discussion, took issue witt
Mr.. Cannon, but he maintained tina
our revenues might be sufficient tt
meet our expenditures for the next tw,
years if no new lines of ~eXpenditur,
were entered upon. He indicated tina
it would be a close margin and tina
new expenditures might mean a boni
issue. The cash balance in the treas
ury February LIST, including the $l00.
900, 900 gold reserve, was $274, 600, 900. Twu
hundred million of that had been pu
into the revenues by the war loan. De
Quoting the monthly estimated deficien
cy for the next five months Their
would, he said, be in the treasury Jul
1st, $20S, 900, 900. This was a conservativ
estimate. There would be, therefore
sos, 900, 900 to meet the ordinary ex
penses of the government on that date
These figures, he continued, took no &C
coun5 of the sinking fund To care fo
it would require $50, 000, 900 additional
The secretary of the treasury est
mated the expenditures for the mex
fiscal year, exclusive of the fund, M
Cannon said, at $641 ,OO0, 900 and the rev
enues at 500, 900, 900, or a deficiency G
$31, 900, 900.
Yet, Mr.. Cannon continued, Secre
tary Gage could not possibly hav
foreseen in his estimates for 1900. tn
changed conditions which followed tn
negotiation of the peace treaty, the ex
p~enditures which necessarily folio
our occupation of the Philippines an
the obligations which we assumed i
the peace treaty to discharge the claim