The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-11

S673, 3,65S, 400 showing an apparent reduction
of S2la,573 214 below the appropriations of
the preceding session. Mr.. Cannon attrib-
utes this reduction to the extraordinary
war expenses of the preceding session. OF
the total appropriations for congress he
says that the sum of $4S4, ,562, ,OS3 is directly
chargeable to the war with SPAIN He
thus shows that the ordinary expenditures
for the two years exceeds the total appro-
priations of the Fifty-fourth congress by
s39. .746,65s.
Causes of the Excess
This excess is accounted for as follows:
For payment of pensions, 1855, 2Oo for the
postal service to meet increased demands
of commerce, $16,619, 5S1; for river and harbor
improvements, $3401.128; for constructing
new ships, $6,0S0 03S; for beginning the work
of the twelfth census, 100000; for the
Paris exposition, 81. 10000; for new public
buildings, 100000; for payment of judg-
ments against the government under the
Bowman act and for the French spoiations,
$3,1Oo,76s. Total, s4O,2S7,516.
Mr.. Caanon congratulates congress and
the country upon this showing, and also up
on the fact that, notwithstanding the war.
close attention was given to the ordinary
expenditures of the government which he
thinks is unusual. He cites the defeat of
the provision, construction of the Nicara-
qua canal, which the senate attempted to
get through in connection with the sundry
civil appropriation bill, an instance of
success of this watchfulness on the part of
the house.
'If," he says on this point, 1.-THE senate
bill or any measure proposed had been
enacted the United States would have paid
100000 for a worthless concession, and
would have committed by law to the
construction of canal along the Nicaragua
route and under such conditions it would
have been compelled, before we threw a
spade full Of earth or in any way began
actual construction, to have acquired by
treaty from Nicaragua and Costa Rica the
territory whereon to construct the canal
and the right to construct it,
Legislation Concerning canal
To this remark he adds the following:
such legislation would have delayed and
embarrassed the construction of an 18TH
mian canal. Tho United States cannot af-
ford to enter upon this great work until
it has acquired by treaty a zone of terri
tory whereon to construct the same. For
tunately the house of representatives
sisted the enactment of the proposed legis-
lation and the contest between the senate
and house resulted finally in the only prac-
tical provision possible, namely. the appro-
priation of a million dollars to enable the
president to make full and complete inves-
tigation of the isthmus with view to the
future construction of canal across the
same, particularly the Panama and Nicara-
guam routes and to report to congress the
result with his recommendations in the
proxies"
Referring in a general way to the legisla-
tion OF congress, Mr.. Cannon says:
During the whole of the four years COW
cred by Mr.. Cleveland's second administra-
u f~~1. til tAy.
of the country was calamtous and its con-
temptation does not bring satisfaction to
any American citizen. But the ffty-ffth
congress-, beginning with the administra-
tion Of William Mckinley and promptly
called in extraordinary session as promptly
enacted legislation which has yielded the
additional revenues needed to pay the or
binary expenses of the government and
has at the same time protected American
labor. With the enactment Of that legisla-
ton hope and confidence struck hands and
the condition of the whole country Inn
proved and has continued to improve from
that time to the present.
Labor Universally Employed
Labor is now universally employed with
Increased wages and with such employment
the means are supplied for increase in the
consumption.
I'm addition, without taking time to dis
cuss in detail the causes that led thereto,
the prompt and decisive successes of the
army and navy upon land and sea have
never been equaled anywhere in history.
The great expenditures rendered necessary
by the war made the enactment of addi-
tional revenue legislation, and that is bring
ing into our treasury an additional $780,
600, 900 per annum.
1.-THE vast navy and a creation of an army
of q quarter of a million, together with the
increase of annexation, have not In any ap-
preciable degree checked our industrial ad-
vance, which began coincidentally with the
incoming Of the present administration and
the Fffty-fifth congress"
In conclusion, Mr.. Cannon declines to en-
ter upon the present discussion of future
legislation, saying:
.I prefer rather to await the logic of
events and the full information that will
doubtlesa coma. IS hope. bstw~an now
and the organization In becSssber next OF
the newly elected congress; but I venture
the assertion and prediction that the United
States could not II It would. and would not