The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-12-06
LOSE THEIR RANK
ny THE WAY THE HOUSE WAS AID
JOURNED.
ARMY OFFICERS REDUCED
WHO HAD BEEN PROMOTED By
THE PRESIDENT.

Gen. Wood and Many other Officers
Must Have Their Names Re-Trans-
nitted Again to the Senate for
Conarmation-Inste of a Major
GeneraI-WOOd VIII BE "A Briga-
dier for the Time Being-MOre
Trouble for Collector Crum.
Washington, Dec. By the manner
of adiourning the House to-day the
extra session of the Fifty-eighth Con-
gress will expire by constitutional linn
itation Monday, when the regular ses-
sion will begin. This eliminates the
possibility Of a recess between the two
sessions, and opportunity for the Pres
ident to renew his civil and military
recess appointments. Such appoint
ments as have not been confirmed by
the Senate during the extra session
must be renewed simply in the form of
nominations, which in effect, are but
recommendations, and do not become
effective in any case until confirmed
by the Senate.
In effect, this action will denote
Gen. Wood from his present rank of
major general. to which the Senate
has not confirmed him, to the rank of
brigadier general, which he held prior
to Aug. 8 last. 1t also will denote, in
like manner, 1877 army officers, who
were promoted respectively to fill va
cancies caused by the promotion of
Gen. Wood.
The Woes of Crum.
The important civil appointments in
cluded William D. Crum, colored, as
collector of customs at Charleston, S.
c.; Charles P. McClelland, as a MEM
Der of the board of general appraisers
of merchandise at New York, and T.
V. McAllister of Vicksburg, Miss, as
receiver of public moneys, all of whom
are serving under recess appointments,
the effect being to vacate their present
positions.
AS Collector Crum's recess appoint
ment has thus been terminated and the
situation in the Senate has been such
that his confirmation is diSpalred OF,
the dictatorship of the port of Charles
ton will remain vacant until the eX-
piration of the next session of Con-
gress. unless the President select some
one else for this place and the nonll-
nation is confirmed by the Senate.
While no official representation has
been made by the Senate to the House,
several informal conferences have been
held between the leading Republican
Senators and Speaker Cannon. In
these conferences, the Speaker has
stated that the House had no constitu-
tional authority over executive APP
pOintments or combinations, and that
if the creation of a recess was neceS-
sary to take care of such matters, the
Senate should have taken official ac-
ton looking to adjournment of the
special session by concurrent resolu-
ton. In the absence of such a move
ment, the Speaker said he should not
interfere in any way in the expiration
of the extra session by constitutional
limitation.
All of the nominations, including
army, navy, and civil appointments,
made by President Roosevelt during
the extra session, and which have not
been confirmed by the Senate, will
have to be renewed at the regular ses-
sion. 1t is expected that these nomi-
nations will be re-transmitted by the
President Monday, next.
officials Not Certain.
At the War Department the officials
are not quite so clear in their minds as
to the exact status of the military Off
GERS, whose nominations have failed of
confirmation. There is a disposition to
take the point of view that between
the expiration of the present session
and the beginning of the regular ses-
sion there will necessarily be an ap-
prec1able but practically infinitesimal
period of time when there is no ses-
sion, and consequently Congress is
technically in recess, and it would be
within the power of the President to
make recess appointments to continue
during the next session, unless other
wise disposed of.