The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-01-20
ARMY BILL DEB4rED
COMMISSIONER OF P0RTC RICO MAKES A sPEECHt
Degctau Praises the Atitvde of the United States Toward Hs Island.
 Ne Need for Proyfnciai
 Reglment. i

Washington, Jan. 19.-fhe House or Representatives today completed con sideration of the arms appropriation bill and will vote on che measure to- morrow. During the debate Resident Commissioner Degetau or Porto Rico made his first speech in the House. He praised the United States for its atti- tuie toward his iTland home.' He said he saw no need for the maintenance of the provisional regiment of troops in the island. A vigorous attack was adopted. but tS no avail on the army transport servce by Mir. Humphrey of Washington.
 The House on converting today fixed Friday, Feh r, next, as the date, for holding exercises accepting the statue of Frances E.williard, presented by the State of Illinois. 1.t
 A bill was passed allowing a substi- tute judge to sit as judge in the Dis trict Court of the United States in the territory of Hawaii in case of the tenn porary incapacity of the judge of that court
 A bill was passed authorizing the bridging of the Conecuh River, Ala bama.
 The House nonconcurred in theSenate amendments to the bill transferring Jurisdiction of the forest reserves of the country from the Interior to the Agricultural Department, and the bill was sent to conference.
 The military academy appropriation bill was reported to the House by Chairman Hull of the Military Commit tee.
 At o'clock the House began further consideration of the army appropriation bill. MT. Clark (Mo.) supported the amendment striking out the appropria- tion for the support of the Porto Rican provisional regiment. He read from a report from Elihu Root, when he was Secretary of War in 1901 that this regiment ought to be discontinued and the right extended to Porto Rican citi- zens to enlist in the regular army. He also read from the debate of the House of that same year, in which MT. Slay- den (Texas) stated that if 1t was not for the personal interest of some legis- lators in some of the regiments it would have been disbanded three years previously.
 That condition of affairs is a dis grace to the American Congress" as serted MT. Clark. Re endorsed Speak CT Cannon's "euphonistically putt re- mark in his recent speech to the na- tional board of trade, that he was op- posed to higher taxes and being oppos-
 
 appropriation bills being exchanged as they had been heretofore.
 MT. Hull defended the appropriation for the regiment. He said it would be abolished in three years by operation of law. The appropriation was de- tended by Mir. Stevens (Minn.) and op- posed by MT. Slayden, (Texas.)
 Lack of interest in the proceedings was suddenly dispelled when MT. Hull yielded time to Resident Commissioner Degetau of Porto Rico and that gen. tleman began his first speech in the House. He was surrounded at once by members who gave close attention to his somewhat hesitating delivery, and frequently applauded his declarations of praise for his constituents.
 MT. Degetau took occasion first to refer to the general impression in the House and in this country that he was a delegate and had the rights in Com gress of a delegate. He deprecated the fact that this was not the case. He next voiced the sentiment of corr diality which the people of Porto Rico felt towards the United States for the treatment that has been accorded that island.
 In arguing that the necessity of maintaining the regiment did not exist, he reviewed the history of his country to show that 1t had accomplished many things, such as, for instance, the abo- lition of slavery without disturbance; nor did they need the impression call culated to be created by the military uniform. At the same time Porto Rico was proud of her sons in the regiment. He referred to the charge that Porto Ricans were hot-headed Spaniards. and said the negative was the fact; that if such was the case, the people of this country would not have permitted Porto Ricans to defend that flag" pointing to the flag over the Speakers chair. Applause greeted this utter ance. MT. Regetau in conclusion said:
 We need no American regiment nor any other regiment. We are all Amer jeans who have won our American cit- izenship."
 Hearty applause followed MT. Dege- tau's conclusion.
 The amendment was defeated, s9 to 47.
 A vigorous attack on the army trans port service was made by MT. Humph- rey (Wash. His first move was to eliminate from the bill on a point of order, which was sustained. the pro- vision that NO steamship in the trans