Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-01-20
57th CONGRESS.
CONTINUED from page IL

martial against First Lieut. Francis S.
Davidson. 9th Cavalry, who was dis
missed from the army in 1875, and to
authorize his appointment and retire
ment as a first lieutenant, aroused
some antagonism While the House
was dividing upon the question pho
tographer in the House gallery took a
fash light photograph. The sudden
glare startled some of the members and
Mr., Sulzer of New York. cried out:
"Mr. Speaker, l thought it was q
bomb
| Lawrence. Mass, in supporting the
bill declared that it would be tardy
Z act of Justice to Il deserving officer.
I The bill was passed.
| a Senate bill was passed to appro-
pirate $1.000,000 for the payment of the
/ Hawaiian fire claims and to authorize
/ the territorial government to issue
4 $500. 900 in bonds for the same purpose.
1.-THE Senate amendments to the militia
II bill We're agreed to, which passed the
Il bill.
A The House then went into committee
h of the whole on the diplomatic anc
h consular appropriation bill. Hewitt, in
E charge of the measure. explained that
i it carried 81. OO2, 1926, or $73. 300 more than
El.the current law and $216.300 less than
/ the estimates.
d Mcclellan, N. V, submitted some fig
4 ures to demonstrate that our consular
h service was under paid and over
n manned. He compared our system
Il with other first-class countries systems
showing that our consular and diplo-
1 matte officers received the lowest
Il salaries but that the total cost of the
4 service was increased by the excessive
L number of such officers, in some cases
h double and treble the number main
I tanned by other countries. McClellans
l remarks led to considerable debate.
Il Slayden, Texas, criticised very Sc
1 yercly the character of the consular
offices abroad, especially some of those
II in Mexico. Some of the Mexican con-
i sulates, he said, were made regular
asylums for "invalids and drunkards.'
1T makes an American blush, he
said ITO hear the stories that are told
of some of our official representatives.
Proceeding he narrated how United
States consul at Saltillo, Mexico, with
two companions, last summer, entered
the office of a newspaper editor to as
| sttult him..
Were any charges made to the state
| department against this official?' asked
Adams, Pa.
Charges have been repeatedly
made" replied Slayden. This particu-
lar official left town between night and
morning while l was in the city.
The particular VICE of our represen-
| 1pI
seemed to be drunkenness, and in this
connection hc referred to the case of
the special envoy sent by Democratic
| President some years ago, Who he said,
"got drunk at FL Paso and painted a
broad red streak down to the city of
Mexico. 1000 miles TO the south. He
also told OF a consular official. who. he
said. some years ago pawned the
American flag for 40 cents with which
to buy drink. The concluding chapter
Of his arraignment was the charge that
On American vice consul had been
charged with being implicated in the
theft OF some coal.
| Adams Pa a member of the foreign
/ affairs committee, said he was glad the
question of reforming our consular ser
vice was attracting attention. On
point of order made by Mcclellan the
| provision for secretary of legation to
Switzerland was stricken out.
| Grosvenor, Ohio, denounced some of
the statements made in the days as
ISLANDERS on our consular service. He
declared that they were not justified
and that he was prepared to prove by
the opinions of leading publicists
abroad that the United States had the
best consular service in the world.
The Dill then was passed and the
House took up the District Of Columbia
appropriation bill. 1t carries $1,61S, 449,
beirg $S44.474 less than the appropria-
ton for the current year and $3,253, 923
less than the estimates. Half of the
bin was read and at sos P. NJ, the
House adjourned.