The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-31
TO Vote ON THE
ARMY BILL TODAY
Spirited Debate in the House
All of Yesterday.
Many Amendments 20 the Measur
We're Adopted.
4 Motion VIII he Made Before Final
Action to Recommit the Bill
To the Committee.

were finished when the House adjourned
yesterday, and it seems probable that the
whole bill will be completed when the vote
is taken at 3 O'Clock today.
The fate of the bill is by no means
certain as yet. though all the chances
favor its passage in its amended form.
Despite the charges that the proposed re-
duction in the discretion of the Presi-
dent" is looked upon as a mere subter-
/ fuge, and despite the objection to placing
so great a power in the hands of the
/ President, the change has undoubtedly
greatly strengthened the bill. 1t is now
practically conceded that it would not
have been adopted in its former shape.
Mr.. Marsh of Illinois yesterday dis
closed his proposed line OF reductions. On
| his motion, the President was authorized
to reduce the enlisted force of cavalry
troop from 100 to 60 and that of the in
fantry company from 1tS TO 60, making a
total possible reduction of less than $4,000
in the line OF the army. The staff amend
ments will show a reduction of 312, nearly
half of it in the Medical Department.
Where the rest of the promised reduction
is to come from is not yet clear.
The day passed turbulentiy. Chairman
! Hull was compelled to ask a vote in
order to close debate each section, and
a division was always called for. On
several occasions tellers were demanded.
Both Sides Determined.
The House, on both sides, seemed de-
termined to use up all the time possible
in general debate. and not in discussion
~ tho nroy;sions os tho various sections
| Late in the afternoon Mr.. Lacey of Iowa
protested bitterly in regard to this.
| Late in the day the Republicans grew
w.e defeated several times on committee
amendments Mental examinations were
| nrovidad for staff officers against its
| wishes and rhe age limit in several depart
,nents was lowered
| Tho dav was enIivened bv warm re-
marks in which Representative johnson of
| Indiana and REPRESENTATIVE Lands of the
! e.rno ct.tc came into conflict nv n scoring
/ ,bat Iarrv Sir,nson gave. REPRESENTATIVE
| Nsbon NJ pennsvlvania. and by some re-
! marks by Renresentative Berry of Ken
/ ,uclv
I Tb. hill was taken IN Immediately after
! tho reading Of the journal Yesterday. Rep
| resentative Marsh of Illinois offered his
promised amendment investing ,he fres, :,
.ue NJ WI" I'm ~ ~ e'' ar,,,
Tho evoct form NJ the amendment was as
! follows: Provided The President in his
discretion, may enlist only sixty men In a
troop Of cavalry, or reduce the number of
enlisted men In troop OF cavalry to not
less than sixty, to be organized, so far as
non commissioned officers are concerned,
| under regulations of the War Department"
This will reduce the cavalry about 1000.
Mr.. Hay Of Virginia tried to amend this
SO as to permit the President to increase
the men over sixty only in war time.
Representative Crumpacker of Indiana de-
I ft,n, 81 f,.fI IL, tatt
thorized fifty men to a company and gave
/ the President authority TO increase them
| TO 100 if the exigencies of the service
/ should require. He asked the House to
| defeat Mr. Hays amendment and to give
the President the power that he formerly
had possessed and the House did so.
Debate on section o. which had been
i under discussion was declared closed and
il was adopted
Section was then read It provided fol
q. the organization of the artillery as a corps
of IA batteries of seacoast and q field bat.
teries. abolishipg the ,old regimeutal or.
ganization.
~
|
After the committee amendments nae
been adopted. debate was limited to tel
minutes on each side, and Representativ,
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