The record-union., 1899-02-13

WASHINGTON, Feb 12-The prom
ised effort on the part of the Commit
tee on Military Affairs to get immedi-
ate consideration of the army reorgani-
zation bill promises to be the most i'm
portant feature of the proceedings OF
the Senate during the present week.
Lines are divided very sharply on
this bill, and the contest over it's con-
sideration will unquestionably both be
fierce and stubborn. The Republicans
of the committee manifest a strong de-
termination to press the bill regardless
OF all other measures and their first
effort will be to secure consent from
the Committee on Appropriations to set
the appropriation bills aside until the
army reorganization bill can be dis
posed of. They argue that it is use
less to proceed with the appropriations,
especially those for the army, until they
know how large the army will be. They
also urge that there is far greater nee
essity for legislation increasing the
size Of the army than for the appropri-
alton Of money to meet the Govern
ment's expenditures. Said Senator
Warren, of the Military Committee, in
discussing this matter: THE present
appropriations hold good until the 1st
Of next July, while the volunteer army
will necessarily be disbanded as soon
as the peace treaty is signed by the
Spanish authorities. We will then be
In ridiculous plight WITH all our new
possessions on our hands and our forces
reduced to such an extent that we will
not be able to even man our guns in
this country, unless we get an increase
Of the army. 1t is absurd to say that
any temporary expedient would answer
the purpose. You cannot find men to
enlist in the regular army at $13
month unless they are sure of steady
employment
The Democrats, not only on the Mil
itary Committee, but throughout the
Senate, will resist any effort to get the
army bill through. They say. how
ever. they will not try to prevent con-
sideration of the bill.
In speaking on this point, Senator
Jones of Arkansas. said: 'If the Re-
publicans want to take the RESPONSE
bilfty of filibustering against the ap-
preparation bills and of throwing them
over to another session of Congress, I,
Tor one, am willing that they should do
So"
Continuing. he said that he did not
believe that the army bill could be
passed if it should receive the exclusive
attention of the Senate for the remain
der of the session.
1t is not absolutely decided that the
Committee on Appropriations would
voluntarily retire in the interest of the
army bill. They may. however. step
aside for a few days in order to give
the promoters of the military measure
an opportunity to test the temper of its
opponents. There are at present only
two appropriation bills before the SEN
ate, so that the time for the expert
ment is not unpropitious. These are
the agricultural and Military Academy
bills. and both can be disposed of in
very short order unless there should
be extraneous opposition IL them
The army bill has not yet been re-
ported to the Senate. but there will be
an aH-day session of the Committee on
Military Affairs on Monday with the
hope of concluding the consideration of
the bill in committee and of having it
ready to report on Monday or Tuesday
The probabilities are, however, that 1t
nesday. The probability of an effort to
force its consideration will. however,
make 1t almost as much a basis of pro-
ceedings as If it We're in the Senate it
self, as everything will be done with
reference to this point SO long as the
purpose of pressing It's consideration is
manifest.
Another question which bids fair to
r@y~nx
that involved in Senator Hawley's no.
tice of a motion for the consideration of
the unanimous consent to Senator
Mason's proposition to vote on the Nc
Emery resolution at 2:30 o'clock Tues
day. Senator Hawley had objected to
the consideration of this question when
1t came up Saturday and he was absent
when the agreement was reached. Sew
eral other Senators who also oppose the
McEnery resolution, including Senator
Platt of Connecticut, were absent and
Senator Hawley's motion for a recon-
sideration was made after consultation
with them. There are very few in
stances on record in which effort has
been made to deviate from an unani
nous agreement, and there is little
doubt that Senator Mason will stren-
The House will have little or no time
during the remaining three weeks OF
the session to devote to anything ex-
cept appropriation bills Yet there are
number Of measures of great impor-
tance, which will press for considera-
tion. Much pressure is being brought
upon the Committee on Rules for an
other day for the passage of the public
buildings bills, to which the House last
week devoted two days in Committee
of the Whole, and the request will prob
ably be acceded to, but hardly during
the coming week. The announcement
OF Chairman Cannon that there was no
time to consider the steamship subsidy
bill and the Nicaragua Canal bill set
ties the fate of the former The friends
OF the latter are to try a flank move
ment by attempting to attach the canal
bill to the sundry civil bill now under
consideration. Time must be given for
the consideration of the bill for the
Government of Hawaii but it also. for
the present, must give way to the ap-
proprfation bills. Five of the great an
nua1 budgets still remain unacted upon
by the House, and as they are the most
important of the appropriation bills. it
will reuuire practically all the remain
der of the session to put them through
and consider the conference reports
upon the other appropriation bills as
they are brought. This will undoubt-
edly prove to- be the case If the oppo-
sition shows disposition to debate the
various propositions as they are brought