Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-25
Conference Report on Army Bill
Adopted.
SUPPORTED BY Two DEMOCRATS
The Vote Was 1873 in Affirmative
to 100.
INDIAN BILL IN SENATE

When the House met today Mr.. Hull,
chairman Of the committee on military af-
fairs. submitted the conference report upon
the army reorganization bill.
Mr.. Richardson (Tenn), the minority
leader requested that the report be allow
ed to lie over until tomorrow. The report
had not been printed. he said, and men,
bers should have an opportunity to ex-
anime it.
Mr.. Hull would not agree to this. He
said the conference had been full and fair
in the presence of the minority represent
tatives and. while they did not agree to the
principle Of an increase of the standing
army, they had agreed to the result The
army bill, he said, should have been a law
three weeks ago. 1t had been held up.
1T has not been held up here observed
Mr.. Richardson.
mot here" replied Mr.. Hull, "but 1t has
been outrageously delayed in the Congress
of the United States. Thirty-five thousand
volunteers are ready to be shipped home
and they must be replaced before July l
by soldiers of the regular establishment
unless we are willing to do a great injus-
tice to them by holding them there
Concessions Explained.
Proceeding, Mr.. Hull explained in detail
the concessions of the two houses on the
various items. In the course of his state
ment he had a sharp exchange with Mr..
Richardson.
Mr. Hull made strong appeal to both
sides of the House in favor of the provi-
sions designed to retire Gen. Shafter as a
major general and Gems. Lee and Wilson
as brigadier generals. provisions which the
House had stricken out. He paid high
tribute to Gems. Lee and Wilson and pass
ed a glowing eulogy upon Gen. Shafter,
whose Santiago campaign. he declared,
would pass into history as one of the
greatest planned and fought in any age.
Mr.. Hull was closely questioned about
various features of the conference report.
In reply to Mr.. Adams (Pa) he said the
House conferees had made very little eff
fort to retain the House provision for vet
Urinary corps.
Mr.. Adams insisted that the House con-
ferees should have stood by the House pro-
vision.
Mr. Hull declined to yield the floor to Mr..
Adams. but yielded six minutes to Mr.
Richardson CTenn), who desired to obtain
the floor In his own right.
Mr. Richardson said that several ques-
tions upon which the House had solemniy
declared itself had been yielded by the
House conferees. To vote for the report
would now mean to vote to increase the ilst
of officers upon the retired list, TO Whlcn
he was unalterably opposed
IF that provision were out of the bin,
interposed Mr.. Cannon ull) would the
gentleman vote for it!
1.-THE report empowers the President TO
increase the nding army from 5000 to
100000 men," eplied Mr.. Richardson. IF
that provision were out also
That is not a categorical response OBJ
served Mr.. Cannon.
No" replied Mr.. Richardson. 81 would
never vote for the BILL democratic ap-
plause.J
Mr.. Hay Na) resented Indignantly Mr.:
Richardson's statement that the report
civ no 10 ~
crease the army from $1,000 to 100000 men,
and took the minority leader severely to
task for refusing to join in fight for
temporary army when the bill was orig
inally before the House. Had the hight
been made for temporary army, Mr.. Hay
declared that 1t might have been success
full. After the increase of the standing
army was assured he objected to the i'm
putation that he had signed conference
report which would increase the standing
army. .t- .-@g
Mr.. Richardson disclaimed any intention
of conveying this meaning. He had meant,
he said, that ,.ae effect of the adoption Of
the report we'd be the increase of, the
standing army.
Mr.. Hay explained that he had not ia
vored number of provisions agreed to by
down. upon the advice Of a democratic sem
ator who had served twenty years that it
was his duty to do SO, he had signed the
report.
me previous question was then demand
ed, and the roll was called upon the adop-
ton Of the conference report.
Conference Report Adopted.
1t was adopted-133 to 100.
Two democrats. Clayton (N. V and Liv-
ingston (Ga.) voted for the report.
The fortifications appropriation bill was
reported. and the House then went into
committee of the whole and resumed the
consideration Of the naval appropriation
bill.
The pending question was the motion Of
Mr.. Cannon to strike out the appropria-
ton of $4,000 for new buildings at the
naval observatory in this city.
The Bill Passed.
Mr.. Cannons amendment was carried.
81 to 80
The House then passed the bill.