Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-03-02

Immediately after the reading Of the
journal. the Senate amendments to
the sundry civil bill were non concur
red in and the bill was sent to confer
ence. Cannon. Rep. ILL.,. Moody. Rep,
Mass, and Dockery, Dem, Mo-, were
appointed conferees.
Mahon. chairman of the committee
on the war claims. presented the con-
ference report upon the bill to pay
certain judgments of the court Of
claims upon the Bowman and Tucker
acts. AS it passed the House, the bill
carried $l.1S9,O0O. The Senate placed
upon it what is known as the omnibus
claims bill, including the French spoil
iation claims, increasing it to $1,000,
900.
The conference reduced the total car
ried by the bill to $500, 900 Loud.
Rep. Cal, attacked the conference re-
port and the claims it carried. AS to
the French spoiliation claims, he said,
If there ever existed an equity in them
it had disappeared. No one. he said.
could read the veto message of tina t
great man, Mr.. Cleveland. without
recognizing this as a fact" The men
ton of Mr. Cieveland's name provoked
some jeers from the Democratic side.
Richardson, Dem. Tenn. one of the
conferees. defended the conference re-
port.
Hopkins appealed to his side of the
House to vote the claims down.
Evans, Rep, KY, defended the re-
port.
The conference report upon the naval
personnel bill was also adopted.
Burton, chairman of the river and
harbor committee, then secured recog-
milton and under suspension of the
rules moved to non-concur in the Sem
ate amendments to the river and har-
Dor bill and secure a conference. In
reply to a question Burton said that
the action of his committee was unan-
imous. The motion was carried with
out division. Burton, Rep. Ohio.
Reeves. Rep, ILL.,. and Catchings. Dem
Miss, were appointed conferees The
conference report upon the census bill
was called up by Hopkins and adopted.
me conference report upon the bill to
reimburse the governors of states for
money expended in organizing troops
for service in the late Spanish war was
adopted.
cannon, chairman of the apprOpra-
tions committee, then moved to pass
the general deficiency bill under sus-
pension of the rules. Allen, Dem. Miss,
made characteristic speech on the
bill. He reviewed and reckoned the
war appropriations at $500, O00, 900. and
this he said, did not represent half of
what was yet to come. Our grandchil-
dren would be paying thecost of this
war. AT the rate expenditures were 60
ing on, he predicted in two years the
people would quit licking revenue
stamps and begin licking the Republi-
can party. He had wrestled with the
White mans burden" in the South un-
til he was tired of it and he was op-
posed to coercive liberty and coercive
religion. The bill was then passed
without division.
Hull then moved the passage of the
Senate army reorganization bill under
suspension of the rules. Hull. upon be-
half of the committee on military af-
fairs, explained the relations which in
duced the committee to report the
Senate bill. 1t was needless to say that
eAC udu Ueeil constrained to
report it. 1t was not such a measure
as the committee would recommend to
the House if there We're time ahead
but with this Congress in it's dying
hours, the committee did not feel war;
ranted in taking action that must in
evitably cause an extra session. r..
Bailey questioned Hull closely as to
certain features of the bill. The SEN
ate. he said, had practically stricken
out the age limit for civilian appoint
ment. Bailey asked whether the Ian
guage of the bill meant that in case a
majority of the volunteer COMPARES
who would have the right to be mus
tered out after the ratification of the
treaty of peace should desire to remain
in the service. they could hold the
minority. in other words conscript
them. Hull replied that he does not
think the President would place such a
construction upon the sentence.
Hay. Dem. Va.. the ranking minority
member of the military committee. warm