Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-04
REVENUE CUTTER SERVICE
Bill to Promote Efficiency Of this Depart
ment Passes House.
OPPONENTS ATTEMPT A FlLBUsTER
Hepburn in Closing bat Declares
the Measure f. Not an Opening
Wedge for = Civil PEN
sion List.

WASHINGTON, April 3.-The senate bill
to promote the efficiency Of the revenue
cutter service passed the house today by
a vote OF 1875 to 40. The opponents Of the
measure fought II the last ditch. At the
very end they attempted a flibuster, but
we're swept aside by the overwhelming ma
jority In favor OF the measure.
The bill gives the commanding oficers OF
the revenue service relative rank as fol-
lows: Captains, with majors in the army
and lieutenant commanders in the navy;
hrst lieutenants, with captains in the army
and lieutenants in the navy; second lieu
tenants. with nrst lieutensnts in the army
and lieutenants Uunior grade) In the navy.
and third lieutenants, as second lieutenants
in the army and ensigns in the navy.
1t gives the officers Of the service lon
gevity pay. equivalent to the corresponding
rank in the army. and provides for their
retirement with three-fourths pay for dis
ability or upon reaching the age limit of
Ga years.
Mann Closes for Opposition.
Mr.. Mann Of Illinois closed for the OPP
position debate on the bill. He denied that
the first gun in the Spanish American war
was fred by the revenue cutter service.
He said the frat gun was fred by the
Spaniards at Manila, because through negli-
gence aboard the revenue cutter McCulloch
the burning out of that ships smokestack
gave notice OF the appearance Of the Amer
lean feet.
Mr.. Hepburn Of lows closed the debate
for the friends of the bill. He secuted the
idea that the enactment OF the pending
bill would be the entering wedge for a
civil pension list.
He created a great laugh by his desorip.
tion Of Mr.. Mann, who, he said, wanted
to fight "all the time and everything"
"f there is anything in the theory Of
transmigrstion Of the SOUL" he said, ~
expect that in some future time the gen.
tleman from Illinois will again appear in
the semblRnce of a mule with four legs,
all in active operation at the same time"
An amendment was agreed to which pro-
vided that when naval and revenue cutter
vessels were thrown together the former
mover should be under command of the
commander Of the latter. except by spe-
cifc direction of the president Of the
United States.
ShafrOth Wants to Amend.
MIR. Shafroth OF Colorado moved to amend
the section providing for longevity pay
equivalent to the corresponding rank In the
army so as to provide for longevity pay
equivalent to the corresponding rank in
the navy. He declared that the provision
to make the longevity pay correspond to
the army rank was to avoid the reduction
OF pay given navy officers when on shore
duty. II revenue cutters received the same
pay on shore as at sea, he said that At
the next session naval oficers would be
clamoring for the same equality in their
pay.
The amendment was defeated-76 to 50.
Several other amendments were voted down.
The only amendment adopted was one pro-
viding that no. longevity pay should accrue
after the retirement Of an offcer.
A motion made by Mr.. Mann, to strike
out the enacting clause, was lost-44 to 10s.
The opponents OF the bill then began a
hlibuster. Mr.. Mann moved an adjourn
ment and on the vote-34 to l15-Mr. TN
derwood Of Alabama made the point Of no
quorum, but the speaker counted 1874
quorum. Thereupon Mr.. Mann moved to
recommit the bill, but his motion was lost.
The bill was p~assed-l35 to 4s-and at
$40 the house adjourned.