The Elbert County tribune., 1899-03-09

prtatlOn DILL carrying <Zl,Vob.uODs was
pissed under suspension Of the rules
without word OF criticism. This is
the last Of the appropriation bills.
The naval appropriation bIII.whIch or
dinnriIy consumes the time OF the SEN
ate for several days, was passed
Wednesday afternoon nfter less than
five hours OF debate. In that time,
however. II was amended radically IN
one respect. The price to be paid by
the government for armor plate was
fixed In the bill at $500 ton, reduc-
lion OF the amount fixed by the House
OF S145 ton. In addition. the secre-
iary OF the navy was authorized. In the
event of the refusal of the armor plate
companies to supply armor at 5000 n
ton, TO proceed to the construction of nm
armor fnctory to cost 100000 and
placing in the secretary's control 81
OO0.O0O with which to operate the gov
ernmcnt plant.
The clause In the naval personnel bill
authorizing the appointment of forty
five cnsigIIs from civil life hns been
modified so that II Is no longer ohjec-
tionnble. but affords the President an
opportunity to reward some of the
young naval reserve men who did such
good service during the late war. No
one Is eligible unless lie Is under twen-
ty-five and saw nt least ninety days OF
active service aboard a ship OF war last
summer He must also pass rigid ex-
animation similar to those required at
the naval academy to show his physical,
mental and moral qualifications. 1t is
understood that most Of the appoint
ments have already been mortgaged.
At least six senator's have SONS who are
eligible and several others have friends
and relatives for whom they expect to
secure commissions.
The secretary OF war has Just or
dered the reinforcement Of General Otis
by six regiments. These are the Sixth
artillery. scattered along the Atlantic
coast; the Sixth infantry Mt San An
tonic. the Ninth infantry Mt Madison
Barracks. Thirteenth infantry In New
York state. Twenty-first infantry at
Plattsburg. New York. and the Six
teenth infantry at Fort Cook and neigh
boring posts In the Middle West. These
regiments have been ordered to make
ready to proceed to San Francisco and
thence to Manila. In answer TO the d.
rect question as to whether these regu-
lar troops are intended TO relieve n cor
responding number of volunteer sol
diers at Manila 1t was said at the War
Department that while this probably
would be the case. II was not possible
yet to make positive statement.
During almost the entire session
Thursday the Senate was engaged in
routine business. Three score or more
Of minor bills We're passed. the calen-
dar being cleared entirely of private
pension bills and the measures correct
Ing military and naval records. Two
measures OF national Importance were
passed, the fortificntions appropriation
bill and the bill providing a code of
criminal laws for the district Of Alas
ka. A provision for the high licensing
of the liquor traffic In the latter meas
ure created considerable discussion and
nm effort was made to incorporate an
absolute prohibition appointment. but II
failed by decisive vote. The fortifica
tions bill passed precisely as II came
from the House. without amendment,
and goes to the President. The confer
ence reports on the census and naval
personnel bills were agreed to and these
measures also go to the President.
The official statement OF Representa-
tive Joseph q. Cannon of Illinois. the
chairman of the House appropriations
committee. summing up the approprin-
tions OF the Fifty-ffth Congress, says:
'''rhe appropriations made mt the ses-
sion of Congress Just closed amount ap-
proximately to S6T3.65S.300, and show
an apparent reduction of S210, 900
under the appropriations made at the
preceding session. this Is attributable
to the large expenses occasioned by the
war with Spain that were provided for
during the preceding session. The en-
tire appropriations made by the Fifty
fifth Congress aggregate S1.566. .S90,-
016.2S. or this sum S4S2, ,562, ,0S3.47 is
directly chargeable to our late war with
Spain. or incident thereto. DeductIng
this charge from the whole amount of
the appropriations. the remainder. ST.
0S4 .32I ,632.Sl. represents the ordinary
or normal appropriations made by the
Forty-ffth Congress. The appropria-
tlons mnde by the preceding Congress.
the Fifty-fourth, amounted to S1.044,
$50, 1s2.S7. In addition to the direct ap-
proprlations made at this session. con-
tracts were authorized, subject to fu-
ture appropriations to be made by Con-
gress, amounting TO about $4,000. 900.
or this amount $44 100000 Is for addi-
tional ships for the navy. So. 500, 900 Is
for the work on rivers and harbors. and
something more than S3,OO0,O00 Is for
public buildings"
Congress adjourned at ~ o'clock on
the 4th. having passed all the regular
appropriation bills, and an extra ses-
sion will not he necessary. 1t was
close call. however, so far as two of the
bills were concerned. The river and
harbor bill and the naval bill We're not
passed until the morning session. The
conference agreement to the river and
harbor bill was stubbornly opposed by
Senator Warren who was fighting TO
have incorporated in 1t an nppropria-
tion for the construction of reservoirs
at the headwaters of the Missouri
river. Mr.. Warren and the Senate
were finally obliged TO yield TO the re-
sistance of the House and the bill
passed without that appropriation.
Following quickly upon this agree
ment another bone of contention was
tossed into the Senate in the form of n
partial report of the naval bill con-
fcrrecs. Mr.. Hale, in charge of the
report. said the conferees had been
unable TO agree upon the Senate
amendment reducing the price of ar
NOR plate TO 5000 ton, and that
authorizing the construction of the
government armor plant in the event
of the refusal of the nrmor companies
to accept the price fixed by the Senate
The Senate was obliged to recede from
this amendment and the bill became n
law. President Mckinley and his entire
Cabinet had come TO the Capitol and
were in the Presidents room back of
the Senate chamber. where the various
bills were hurried for signature. Fin
ally, the last big appropriation bill had
received the Presidents approval. and
everything was ready for the close.
Athens, Tenn. March "a tornado
about seventy yards wide struck por-
ton OF Nadisonvillc last night, killing
fhraa parcans xrnnuIipr t,,, ,, ,....r...