The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-02-24
House Passes Spanish
Appropriation.
HOUSE SUSPENSION DAY
The BILL for Payment OF War Expenses
Incurred by States Passed-House
Refuses TO Legalize the Return Postal
Card and Envelope System-The Sen.
ate Discusses the Postofice Biil-The
Army Reorganization Hill Made TN
finished Business
SENATE.

Army Reorganization Hill Made Tn
finished Business
SENATE.
Washington, February 20.-During al
| most six hours this afternoon the post
office appropriation bill was under dis
cussion in the senate, the time being
largely consumed by Senator Butler,
populist, of North Carolina, n n
| ator Pettigrew in an amendment pro-
| viding that the postal commission
should present its ina report TO con-
| gress by March l, 1900. Failing after
many trials to obtain unanimous con-
| sent for the insertion of the amendment
in the bill, Senator Butler permitted il
to come TO a vote. 1t was defeated
q to 70. An agreement was reached
TO vote on the bill and amendments at
2 o'clock tomorrow.
At ? O'Clock Senator Hawley, chair
man of the military affairs committee,
moved to tax up the army reorgani-
zation bill, unanimous consent having
been refused TO take up the measure
without displacing the unfinished bust
ness-the anti-scalping bill. Senator
Hawley's motion prevailed, this making
| the army bill the unfinished business.
1t is agreed that this action disposes
| finally of the anti-scalping bill for the
| present session.
When the postoffice appropriation bill
was called up senator Butler proposed
an amendment reducing the amount
paid the railroads for the t~ransporta-
ton CT mail from S33, 275, 900 to $50, $780,
1 600 and that the n0Etm4ctpr genera be
directed to reduce the amounts thus
paid to railroads by 10 per cent after
July l, 1899. The amendment was not
acted upon.
Senator Tillman offered an amend
ment providing that star route con-
tractors be required to collect from and
deposit in boxes erected along their
routes mail matter, the boxes TO be
maintained by the people along the
route. The amendment was agreed to.
A senate bill passed providing for
the purchase of a site and the erection
of a public building thereon in Selma,
Ala, at a cost not to exceed 500, 600.
AT 6:15 O'Clock, p. m, the senate
went into executive session and at $50
p. m. adjourned.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
This was suspension day in the house.
Some minor business was transacted by
unanimous consent.
The senate amendemntS to a number
of private pension bills were adopted.
Mr.. Loud, republican, of California,
moved the passage under a suspension
of the rules of the senate bill to extend
the uses of the mail service. The bill
is to legaliZe the use of the return en-
velope and postal cards of the United
States Economic Postage Association.
This bill was defeated-125 to 97-two-
thirds having failed to vote to suspend
the rules.
Mr.. Mahon, republican, of Pennsyl-
vania, moved the passage under sus-
pension of the senate bill to reimburse
governors of states for service in the
war with Spain. He said there were
claims from the various states for this
work a~ggregating over SO, 900. 900. Under
the existing law only $496, 900 of these
claims had been l~iquidated. The pas
sage of this act was necessary for the
settlement of the remainder. The house
amendment, he said, YOU compel the
governors Of the states to produce de-
tailed vouchers and the reimbursement
would be made through the govern
ent' accounting offices.
Mr.. Cooper, democrat, of Texas, urged
that the bill should be amended so as
to provide for the payment of expenses
incurred or paid" pointing out that in
some cases there existed no state au-
thority for the payment of such ex-
penSeS and as a matter of fact these
expenses had not been l~iquidated. Unan-
imous consent was refused for the
adoption Of this amendment and Mr..
Cooper expressed the hope that the
conference on the bill would see that
it was incorporated.
The bill was passed-155 to Is.
Mr.. Cannon, chairman Of the appro-
priations committee, was then recog-
niZed and by the direction Of his COM
mittee, moved the passage under sus-
pension of the rules the bill for the pay
ment Of s20,0 00, 900 to Spain.
Mr.. Dockery, democrat, of Missouri,
asked unanimous consent to offer an
amendment dec1aratory of the policy
of the United States relative to the
Philippines.
Regular order" Regular order
shouted a dozen members on the repub-
lican side.
by direction of the appropriations
committee" said Mr.. Cannon, Il am
directed to decline to accept that
amendment. / could not if / would and
/ would not il / could"
Mr.. Wheeler, democrat, Of Kentucky,
demanded a second, which was ordered
-157 to II.
This permitted twenty minutes fol-
debate on each side. Mr.. Cannon called
attention to the fact that a few days
6 when the appropriation was strick.
en- from the sundry civil bill he had
predicted tina a way would be found
Iii IL IulcS ~ pa ~ - hAS JPN
ion nine-tenths of the members of the
house favored il.
= Mr.. Dockery again asked unanimous
, consent for the consideration OF his
amendment which. he said, was a com.
!. bination Of the McEnery and the Bacon
I resolutions. Again Mr.. Cannon object
2 ed.
MI. Wheeler, democrat, OF Kentucky
a upon whose objection the a%ppropria-
, ton went out Of the sundry civil bill
!, declared he would vote against IL with
i great pleasure. He was opposed to II
because he believed 1t wrong in prin-
/ ciple and infamous in execution. H
I was not afraid OF giving offense to som
, effete and decaying monarchy OF the
!, Old World. He declared that the ad
= ministration was a soldier OF fortune
1t lacked the nerve and pluck to de.
clare it's purpose. Micawber-like. IL wa.
waiting for something to turn up. TIL,
war, begun for humanity. had degener.
ated into a war OF bloody extermina
ton, that would disgrace TIE pages OF
. history. Mr.. Wheeler criticised tht