To- s Day: FAIR; COLDhR. The News and Observer. vI.V NO. 155. To Sweep All Beso r eHim OTIS' PREPARATIONS FOR AN ON SLAUGHT ALMOST COMPLETE. Disastrous Result to the Natives of an At tempt Made by Them to ( "apture the Water Wo ks. Washington, March 0. —There is sonic reason to expect important news from Manila within tin* next fortnight. It lias developed that General Otis has practically completed his plans for a grand onslaught upon rue insurgents which is expected to deprive them of of fensive power at least. I( is probable that he will form a large part of his force into columns, as soon as his re inforcements are all at hand, and will push these in parallel lines through the jungles, clearing out the insurgents in every direction as the troops go forward. The American troops are getting rest less and nervous under the petty but annoying sharpshooting of the Filipinos and are so anxious to put a stop to this that General Otis has yielded to their desire. Forty-one thousand officers and men of the army and navy forces comprise the approximate total of American strength now at, on route and under orders for service at the Philippine is lands. No further reinforcements are now in contemplation. The forces of the two services already stationed in and about the archipelago consist of twenty regiments of infantry, one engi ne.!' battalion seven troops of cavalry and eleven batteries of art ill ry, an aggregate of about 24.599 men. Nineteen vessels with an aggregate of 297 officers. 2,1)90 men and 253 marines make up the naval contingent. This is exclusive of the hospital ship Solace, with 102 officers and men all told, which is constantly passing back and forth from Manila. There are about 4.SIM) army reinforcements on the way to Ma nila, making as rapid progress ns possi ble, and there are, roughly 7..100 men in the force under orders to proceed to the Philippines. The following vessels are now at Ma nila or Hong Kong under the command of Admiral Dewey: Baltimore, Bennington, Boston, Buf falo, Callao, Charleston. Concord. Cul goa. Don .Tuan do Austria. Helena. Isla do Luzon, Isla do Cuba. Manila. Monad nock, Monocney, Monterey, Olympia, Petrel and Yorktown. Those vessels carry 297 officers. 2.990 sailors and 213 marines. The Solace does not remain at Manila. The Cnstine and Princeton are now on their way through the Red Sea to join Admiral Dewey, and the Ore gon and her attendant vessel, the Iria, are travelling through the Pacific to the same destination. These vess Is will add t<» the naval force at Manila 19 officers, 739 men mid 84 marines. The captured ships Don .Tuan do Austria, Isla do Luzon and Isla do Cuba are not available for immediate service as they are in need of repairs. The Solace has taken out a number of recruits and the Isla de Luzon will be manned. The Wheeling wil join the Manila fleet, but is not to be counted on as being available in the immediate future. The regular troops now in the Phil ippine Islands under command of Major General Otis, consist of the folowing: The Fourteenth United States, Infan try. Eighteenth United States infantry. Twentieth United States infantry /which has but recently arrived there, consisting of 41 officers and 1.218 mem. Twenty- Second United Spates infantry andTwen ty-Third United States infantry, a batta lion of United States engineers. Com panies C. E. I, K. L., of the Fourth United States cavalry. Batteries G. 11, K and L, of the Third United States artillery, and Batteries D and G Sixth United States artillery. Most of the volunteer forces already in the field, and most or whom have borne the brunt of the engagements with both the Spanish army on the islands, and more recently the Filipinos, haw been there since the beginning of the American occupancy <*f the islands. They comprise fifteen regiments of in fantry, ony troop of cavalry, and five batteries of artillery, as follows: The First California. First Colorado. First Idaho. Fifty-First lowa. Twentieth Kansas. Thirteenth Minnesota, First Montana. First North Dakota, First Nebraska, Second Oregon. Tenth Penn sylvania, First South Dakota, First Tennessee, hirst Washington, First Wyoming, First Troop of the Nevada cavalry. Battery A and Battery I>. Utah light artillery. Battery A and Battery D. of the California artillery, the First Wyoming light battery and the First and Eighteenth companies ofMlu* Uni t d States Signal Corps. In addition to these another company of the Signal Corps has just been formed at Manila, being recruited by transfer from the regular bra noli of tin* army. This means of making up the new company was made necessary by the- lack of time for dispatch of men from the Tinted States. Reinforcements for the Philippines now on the way ag gregate in the neighborhood of (,SOO men, all told. These are made up of three general expeditions as follows: The transport Grant, with General Lawton and staff, with a total of 42 of ficers and 710 men, including one batta lion of the Seventeenth infantry regi ment and four companies of the Fourth infantry. This expedition sailed from N w York January 19th. was ronorted at Singapore on Saturday.and G»0 ml Lawton has cabled Gen. Otis that his "Mis all ilia Carolina imbues i news mo 0110011111= * _____ .. expedition will reach Manila in the early morning of the 10th instant. The transport Sherman, Colonel J. 11. Page, commanding, carrying a total of 31 officers and 1,702 men, including the entire Third infantry regiment and a battalion of the Seventeenth infantry. The Sherman sailed from New York February 3rd. j The transport Sheridan, under com mand of Lieutenant Colonel .T. 11. • Smith, of the Twelfth infantry and a 1 battalion of the S venteenth infantry making a total of 17 officers and 1,79.1 men. Besides these the Roanoke, with j a fair sized detachment of recruits for the various regiments already in the archipelago, lias gotten a good start on the way to Manila, and the transport i Valencia sailed from San Francisco 1 yesterday for Manila via Honolulu with i 119 fount its for the infantry, artillery and. hosjHpil corps and a number of | West Point graduates assigned to duly \ with various companies in the Philip pines. To swell this formidable list of men already on the liehl anti n route, five regiments of infantry and the crack Sixth artillery, 7.190 men in all. are under orders to proceed to Manila at the earliest moment. Thos reinforce ments, which go to the archipelago un der an order issued by the War Depart i ment last week, complete the roll of troops so far as now conternplat d for service in the islands and are as fol lows: The Sixth United States infantry now at San Antonio, the Ninth United States infantry at Madison Barracks and the Thirteenth United States infantry at Fort Crooks and neighboring points and the Twenty-First United Slat’s infan try at Platisl urg. N. Y., and the Sixth United States artillery, now scattered along the Atlantic coast at a number of points. The date of departure has not yet been fixed, but they nr* expected to be at Manila l>y May 11th. If the conditions are satisfactory when they reach Manila, it is likely that a corre sponding numbers of volunteers may be brought home. j NATIVES AGAIN REPULSED. New York. March <».—A dispatch from Manila dated at 10 a. m. today and printed in the Journal reports that rhe Philippines made an attempt today to capture the water works, six miles from Manila. The attack was repulsed with it loss to the rebels of seventeen killed and many wounded. The Second Ore gon and the hirst Nebraska regiment were engaged. Two Americans were I wounded. ! NATIVES PREPARED TO RESIST. Tngals’ Levies of Troops Anger the Neighboring People. Manila. March 0. —4 p. m.—\lm civil members of the United State* Philippine , commission which arrived here on Satur ; day afternoon from Hong Kong on the \ United States cruiser Baltimore landed to-day and are now installed in quarters especially provided for them on tin* Ma . late water front. While awaiting the ar rival of Colonel diaries Denby (former I United States Minister to China) the other civil members of the Commission, will devote their time to sight seeing and j getting familiar with local conditions. l ntil Colonel Denby arrives the eommis ■ sioiiNwill be incomplete and can do noth* ing officially. j The troops which arrived on Saturday lon the Uni fed States transport Senator, : and those that arrived yesterday on the transport Ohio, are disembarking, and ! all the preparations are being made to proceed with an aggressive campaign be fore the wet season sets in. | The rebels, anticipating the American advance, are, throwing up defences in i every direction, and it: is reported'that | they are levying men and supplies in j every province. As a result great dis satisfaction prevails among tribes or dinarily unfriendly to the Tagals, par ticularly among the Ilocanos, who assert their desire to assist in conquering the Tagal. iff urnished with arms, j The following order has been issued j regarding the movements of transports: "The Arizona will sail for San Fran j cisco, via Hong Kong, with all the sick | on March 9tli; the Newport via Naga saki: Japan, with all the returning offi- I cers and their wives, on March 19th; | the Scandia, tin Nagasaki with dis ' charged soldiers on March 11th. and the Morgan City via Nagasaki on March 12th.” ; FIGHT AT WA TER WORKS. Manila. March 9. —'The rebels have been concentrating in the vicinity of the reservoir. To-day a palrol of Company G, Second Oregon volunteers, was taken in ambush. Two nn n were wounded, hut the* Oregonians held their ground ; under a heavy fire until the remainder | of the company, assisted by two eom : panics of the First Nebraska regiment, j Hanked the enemy, killing thirty and wounding several more. Two battalions of the Twentieth regu lar infantry have reinfonped General . Hale’s brigade. All the native huts have been destroy : 1 ed at Mariquina, and the country there RAI.KIfiH, N.C. TUi Si>AY MOKNINF*. 3IAKCII 7 1*99 |i< pretfty well cleared, but the rebels wen* returning in small bodies at sun down. Apparently they have secured a new I supply of smokeless ammunition reeeiil- I iy, ns there lias been a noticeable differ ence during the last few days. I Tin* Spanish commissioners who are l endeavoring to secure the release of tin* Spanish prisoners in the hands of Agui naldo. have returned to Malolos to oiler 82.(190.(190 for their release. As Agui naldo has been demanding #7.099,000 it is not likely their hussion will be suc cessful. WELCOMED AT NEGROS. Washington, March (*.—A cablegram from General Otis at Manila received in Washington today indicates the satis factory and agreeable reception accord ed to the American troops which recently landed at the Island of Negros. They were sent there by General Miller at Iloilo in command of Colonel Smith to j take possession for the United States, | which he did without trouble. Pre vious to the *time the troops htndod a commission from tin* island visited Gen eral Otis and said they were willing ■to surrender and asked that he take the inhabitants under his protection, i General Otis’ dispatch is as follows: “Following from Iloifo fourth in i stant: j Inhabitants of Negros to Gen eral Miller. We affectionately salute you and congratulate ourselves for the happy arrival of Col : one! Smith and troops under his orders and beg you to send this salute and congratulations to General Otis. Manila, a*-- representative of the Government of tin* United States in the Philippines Laeson.’ (Signed) “OTIS.” NO INTERFERENCE IN CHINA. Given a Free Hand in Trade. Uncle Sam Asks Nothing more. Washington, March o. The United States Government has remained abso lutely passive throughout the execution of the Italian project to secure an “open door” on the Chinese coast through the acquisition of San Mnn Bay and outly ing islands. Some days ago United States Minister Conger, at Pekin, ac quainted the State Department with the fact that Italy had preferred a request upon China for a lease of the spot se lected, but he has made no report since, and it is not known officially whether or not the Italian forces have been landed at San Mnn. One of the highest authorities said today: “The Government of the United States will not take any steps in regard to the Italian demand for the cession of Chinese territory.” In other words our Government, re sisting from motives of broad policy al luring intimations from other powers to the (*ffeet that tin* time is ripe for a raid by the United States on some part of the Chinese coast line has deter ! mined definitely to keep hands off. But j one motive could induce the Government | to change this policy and that would be a desire to protect our enormously val uable commerce with China from the danger of being eonvpletly cut off through the gradual extension of the lease holds of the European nations over Chinese sea coast. So long as our trad** is let alone, or is at least allowed fair i opportunity for development and is not ■ made the subiect of discrimination, so long will the United States Government refrain from any interference in Chinese affairs. WILD SCENES IN THE CORTES. Silvela in the Senate Reads tin* Decree of Dissolution. Madrid. March 0. —The initial appenr \ ance in the Senate today of Senor Sil | vela as Premier was marked by a s-une ! what stormy session. He attempted to read the decree of dissolution, and Count D’Almeuas tried to talk, but his i voice was drowned with cries of “Con j spiuez, eonspiuez.” The President or tin* House vainly endeavored to qtml! tin* disturbance, but finally Senor Silvela completed rending the decree amid cheers for liberty mingled with cheers for the Queen, the army and the-navy. The session was declared closed amidst an uproar. There were similar scenes.in the Cham ber of Deputies, and shouts of "Down with tin* Jesuits” and cheers for the re public and for liberty. The session was dosed in a general uproar. The ushers had to drive tin* public from the floor and platform of the Chamber. MEMBER OF FIRST STABBED. Private Frank James, of Statesville. He Will Recover. Havana. March 9. During a general fight on Saturday night among the men of Company E. First North Carolina regiment. Private Frank James, of Statesville, N. C\, was badly cut with a knife and stabbed in the back with a bayonet. Private Duckworth has been confined in the regiment guard bouse charged with the stabbing. James will recover. Colonel Tasker 11. Bliss, tin* Secretary here of tin* Treasury Department, has issued statement that ilu* United Statoriconxnlar agents are unable to obtain recognition or protection in for eign ports for the blue and white flag recently designed for Cuban shipping, and In* warns Cuban shipmasters not to proceed to foreign ports flying this flag, REPUBLICAN COMMISSIONERS RESIGN. Winston, N. (’.. March 9.—(Special.)— Tin* three Republican county commis sioners resigned today, lowing the busi ness of the county in tin* bunds of the five Democratic commissioners elected by the Legislature last week. Chairman Vance, of the old board, said they resigned because of the in dignity heaped upon the Republican members of the General Assembly. SWPSMUJ Secretary Long’s Second Let ter Made Public. THE LETTER OF MAY 20TH WRITTEN BY SAMPSON, NOT WITHHELD BY DEPARTMENT. ORL'ERS AS TO CLNFUEGO3 BLOCKADE "hat Captain Sigsbee Said Relative to ’he imreabou's of CerverVs 1 lee Land as to the DifTicul’y of Coaling Off Snn’i'go Washington. March ti. —The Senate Comm it Be on Naval Affairs la-day made public Secretary Long’s see >nd letter in the Sampsou-Schley ,*0:1110- versy, this communication being in re ply to Admiral Schley’s letter. The first matter which the Secretary takes up : s Admiral Schley’s m ntion of Admiral Sampson’s letter of May 29th, whi -h .lie Secretary says seems to have given cer tain Senators the impression ;hat the Department has withheld that letter. On this point, lie says: “First—That this 1 ttor was not, in tin* possession of the Department on February 9th. nor was Its existence known to the Department at that time. “Second—That it was in "the possession of Admiral Schley until the ninth of February, when it was sent to th • De partment, upon its request to f*e furn ished with all official records relating to his duty as commander-in-chief of the flying squadron, and as a flag offi cer in the North Atlantic fleet. “Third-—-That in its instructions va'h regard to maintaining the blockade of CienfuKgos it was not more explicit than the letter of Admiral Samps m of May 19th, which accompanied the communication of the Department of February 9th. and which is published in tin* appendix it) the report of the Bureau of Navigation on page 491. “Fourth —That on May 21st, the day after it was written. Admiral Sampson s nt orders to Commodore Schley, in du plicate, by tin* Hawk and Marblehead, which orders were received by -Commo dore Schley during the early foren ion of the 23rd and 24th respectively, dire-t --ing Commodore Scbl y to proceed with all dispatch, but cautiously, to Santiago if satisfied that the Spanish squadron was not at Cionfiiegos. 'The set of thou-* orders sent by the Hawk was received on the same day as the letter of tin* 29th. and. bearing the later date. May 21st, of course revoked the Instruct ions to blockade Cienfuegos, contained in the letters of the 19th and 29th. “Fifth—That in obedience to these in structions the flying squadron left Cien fuegos mi ill afternoon of tin* 24th, bur did not reach the immediate vicinity of tin* port of Santiago until the morning of the 29th of May.” The Secretary quotes the Admiral’s reference to the Department’s order re ceived by him on the 27th of May direct ing him to positively ascertain if (Yr vera’s fleet was in Santiago harbor and not to allow him to leave Santiago, if found certainly to b there, “without a decisive action," gives the Admiral’s reply in full and says: “It will be seen that Rear Admiral Schey’s statement to the Senate does not show that he started to return to Key W st. and signalled to the squad ron to that effect, and so informed the Department and it might be inferred that he immediately obeyed that order, and ascertained tin* pres nee of the enemy at Santiago. On the contrary, bis telegram above, dated May 28th. and written May 27ili, shows th.T, though having just received the telegram of the Department and having on band a suf ficient supply of coal to return i Key West, he reported that lie could not obey the order and continued to pro ceed toward Key West. However, it later beanie evident to him that this was nnnacessary, and he resumed be movement towards Santiago. Another point in Admiral Schley’s. let ter is touched upon in the following manner: “Admiral Schley’s mention of tin* sig nal by Admiral Sampson at 8:45 a. in.. July 3rd, ’Disregard movem nts of tin* commander-in-chief toward Siboney,’ is followed by an incorrect inference, to wit: ‘This 1 ft me senior officer pres ent, and necessarily clothed me with ill responsibilities of command.’ The signal above mentioned is one which is frequently made m squadron, and is never held a- in any sense a re of command. It is made where, for any reason, the flagship leans its assigned position in forma tion, as was the ease when the New York left her habitual blockading sta tion the morning of July 3rd. At such time it is made to avoid confusion. Without further signal the responsibility of command would not be shifted until tin* senior officer bad gone out of signal distance.” The statement concludes with the fol lowing: “The Department furnished the fore going statement only to complete the record in compliance with tin* request <> r the Senate of January 23. Desiring to do Admirals Sampson and Schley full justice for service rendered it has, after full consideration of all the circumstan ces. recommended to the President their promotion to the grade of Rear Au- ! miral. and begs to express the hope ! that his recommendations to tin* same i effect; may be confirmed by the Senate.” j Annexed to the letter from the Secre tary is one from Captain Sigsbee in reply to Admiral Schley’s reference to himself as com mender of the scout steamer' St. Paul, quoting him as authority for the opinion that Ccrvern’s fleet was not in San -1 tiago harbor. On this point Sigsbee says: "What. I actually said to the Admiral was that Pilot Nunez bad first expressed a belief that such large vessels as Cer vera’s cruisers could not get into San tiago because of their length, but lie afterward admitted that they might get iin with the aid of tugs. Every officer | on board the Bt. Paul knew that l be- I lieved Cervera to be at Santiago: never theless 1 considered Nunez opinion.” I lie says he first saw tin* fleet in tlie harbor mi May 29th and signalled Ad miral Seldey and adds: “While I had not known, from pre vious observations that (Vrvora’s fleet was in Santiago, I believed that it; was there because' I had been so informed by the Navy Department, amid uring the eight days the St. Paul remained off j Santiago, the different vessels touching j there and communicating with me, had brought no counter report from the Navy Department.” With reference to the statement that be bad eon firmed the difficulty of coaling off Santiago, Captain Sigsbee says: "There had been weather unfavorable i for coaling, but 1 remember no state ment of mine, relative* to coaling, made to the Admiral excepting on tin* morn ing when we jointly discovered the Spnn j isli vessels. The commanding officers were assembled on board of tin* Brook lyn. On that occasion 1 twice informed the Admiral that the weather then pre ! vailing was unusually favorable for j coaling at sea. and I recommended that I advantage be taken of it on tin* ground | that so good an opportunity could not lie i expected often. At the same time I j expressed the belief that Guantanamo Bay should be seized as a base, not* necessarily by Admiral Schley, but as * soon as tin* troops were available to | hold tin* place.” : VETERANS COULDN’T STAND IT. Broke Down AH at Once Under the Bad Beef. Washington. March 6.—The War De partin': nt court of inquiry held a very I brief session to-day, the last before their start for the West, where they xv-ill in j speet the packing plants of Chicago. : Omaha and Kansas City. There was but- one witness examined. Lieutenant V rcderick L. Munson. Ninth infantry. He said that during his service in Cuba up to the surrender of Santiago, his command had as a meat component of the ration bacon and canned roast beef in the proportion of about tin days of the former to fifteen days of tie* latter. Until the surrender in* received no complaints of the canned mast beef, but after the sum nder his commissary sergeant reported to him that something was making the men vers stick. They did not know what it was, but thought it was something they had eaten. After (liminating every other factor that they could think of, they concluded it must be tin* canned beef. lie ordered the cooks to try fixiijg up the meat in stews with hard taek and tomatoes, but it seemed to make no difference. Th* men continued sick. The men then dis continued the use of the beef. On the voyage home they still had canned roast beef, but the men did not cat it. He tried to turn it into the commissary at Montauk. lint the commissary would not receive it. Os the refrigerator beef witnesses said th principal objection to it was that it spoiled before tin* men received if. He was obliged to condemn his whole eon signment of refrigerator beef three times. The health of the men remained good till about two we ks before leaving when the command broke down all in a bunch. His command was the head quarters provost guard, made up of old stud picked men. They were not the sort to complain of anything till they had reached tin* very limit of endurance. Their sickness was almost entirely bowel and stomach trouble. This wound up tin* taking of testimony in Washington and the court adjourned to meet in Chicago nn Thursday. i OUR WOMEN’S SACRED TRUST. Daughter’s of Confederacy on Care of Confederate Graves. Savannah, Ga.. March 9. —The local chapter .of the Daughters of tlie Confed eracy, which is the original chapter of the organization, to-day adopted resolu tions strongly protesting against Presi dent McKinley’s suggestion respecting the Federal care of Confederate graves. Tlie resolutions say: "With full appreciation of the impulse expressed in that sentiment we shrink instinctively with hushed and holy sor row, from yielding the slightest assent. 'The graves of the Confederate dead are our pilgrim shrines. From their hal | lowed hearts eternally ascend mute pro : t st against all assaults upon constitu ! tioual liberty. Tin* record these incom i parable heroes made furnishes the brightest pages in American annals. ; wrought out by men of lofty mould. Only 1 reverent bands should lay memorials I over their cons,crated (lust. To the j women of tin* South, this sacred trust j must be reserved through all genera* ! tions.” A COTTON MILL SOLD. Charleston, S. (’., March 9. —The Charleston Cotton Mill was sold by j pblio auction here today under an order i of the United States court for .$199,900. | the upset price fixed. John 11. Mont \ gomery, of Spartanburg, was the pnf ! chaser. Mr. Montgomery said lie rep ! resented a syndicate and the mill would be operated with negro labor. The mil! ; was built in 1882 and has never proven j a success. It has 28.900 spindles, and I owns commodious buildings and consid erable real estate in this city. Closirg Seine of Session —- f A TO-DAY W'LL WITNESS OF ALL LEGISLATION v Tomorrow at Noon Genera! Assembly Will Adjourn—Appropriation of SIOO,- 000 for Public Schools, "Resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate ('(incurring, that, ihe General Assembly adjourn on Wednesday, tic* Mb day oi March, 1*99, at 12 o’clock in., to meet again in the city of Raleigh, on Puesdny after the second Monday of June, 1999. “Second. That the Secretary or Sta fe deliver to the public printer imme diately niton this adjournment the resolutions of the House and Senate, and all resolutions, private and public laws passed at this session and thai the sun * be published and distributed as U|ion an adjournment sine die. -Resolutions intro duced in tin* House yesterday by tin* Committee on Rules, and passed. Though the curtain will not he rung down, on the General Assembly of 1899 tiil tomorrow at noon, today will see practically the end of all legislation. Tomorrow’s session is only necessary for tin* ratification of bills not yet enroll ed and signed by the Speaker of the House and President of the Senate. Yes terday a t large number of bills were ratified and today many more will be, for a great number of clerks have been employed in the enrolling office and the new laws are being copied with all pos sible speed. Most of the Republicans and several of the Democrats have already gone home. Many others expect to go to day. \v hen the Legislature does adjourn it will, in accordance with the above reso lution. adjourn to meet again on Tues day after the second Monday of June, 1999. A DULL DAY OF THE HOUSE. But it Was a Day of Hard-Honest Labor. It was the dullest of dull days in the House —yesterday was. Such bills as were enacted into law were as a rule of the smallest importance and hence few of them elicited any sort of 'discussion. For the most part the proceedings con sisted of the reading and passage of these left-over bills, the wholesale elec tion and re-election of officers and hoards and the ratification of bills that no man—other than the enrolling clerk — could number. Twice during the day. in order to keep a quorum it was necessary to lesort lo a roll call and lock tin* door. For the most part, however, the members stuck faithfully to their knitting and did a good honest day’s work. And not a day's work only, but a night's work as well, for they did not adjourn until after 11 o’clock. The House will meet again this morn ing at 9 o'clock. TAX ON RAILROAD PROPERTY. A Bill Passed Authorizing Collection of Certain Back Taxes. Mr. Holman, of Iredell, yesterday morning introduced tin* following bill to tax railroad property that' lias hitherto escaped taxation, it was promptly pa ssed. "That where any railroad, telegraph, telephone, canal, steamboat, express, sleeping car, car trust, or other trans portation company has omitted or in any future year shall omit, to return for taxation any property which was or is liable to taxation in this State, it slialr he tin* duty of the Board of Railroad Commissioners to value and assess tlie same for taxation for tho years in which it shall have so escaped taxation, not ex ceeding five years prior to the current years, at the time when they value and assess other railroad property lor tax ation and to certify the law to value, assess and certify other railroad proper ty, to the proper officers, noting thereon the several years for which tin* said property is so assessed, and also noting that it is subject to an additional tax of 21 per centum for each of said years, which additional tax must be compiled and corrected by the* proper officers.” As this bill is against railroads the members of tin* House have little faith in its ever geting through the Senate. FOR BETTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS. The House Has Appropriated $190,000 1 Extra to Them. The only bill that croat; the respective counties of the State per capita as to school population on the first Monday in January of each year, using tile school census of the previous scholastic year as a basis of apportionment.” It came up in connection wjtli tin* bills appropriating 81,900 to tb State Normal College and $7,509 to the State University. During the consideration of tin* latter measure. Mr. Holman opposed it, saying: “Early in the session I Introduced a bill to increase the appropriation to tin* public school fund —for the little chil dren of this land, who will soon !>, disfranchised unless they are ednfflted. I’m opposed to giving all the State’s money for higher education.” Mr. Bryan, of Gram Hie. thought it about time to quit making these extra appropriations. .The other day we gave THIRD EDITION; PKHLE FIY F ('K\'l * #5,000 to the Soldier's lUnn. This morning $5,000 more went to tin* Stale Normal School. Nun here’s #7,500 more for the University- all to the big institutions, none to the common schools. Mr. Ranson. of Mecklenburg, hop d Mr. Holman's warning wonhl be heed ed. lie thought all the money should not be given to tin* higher insti’utions; Something ought to be left for the |M> o r country children. ! Mr. Johnson (Pop.), of Sampson, fa j vored tin* appropriation. It was. be j said, ;i necessity and without it tin* ’sanitary condition and the health of 'h ! institution would be seriously affected. On tho third reading Mr. Holman called for tin* ayes and nocs on this : bill. The call was sustained and tin* : roll-call showed 59 voting ayes and 23 no. On the announcement of the vote th re was applause, and when it had censed Mr. Ray said the bill had passed with such unanimity that In* now wanted to suggest that the students hereafter be have in a g litlemanly manner, refrain from getting on sprees, knocking out. window lights and otherwise destroying the State’s property, and then coining here and asking for big appropriations. Mr. Holman suggested that the vote showed the House to be a fri ml to edu cation by it big majority; lie therefore thought it a propitious tiiln* to call up his bill for $100,900 appropriation to public schools. / This caused several members In con tract a sudden desire to adjournJ They did adjourn, but when the House re-convened Mr. Holman called up his bill, and advocated it strongly. Mr. Allen, of Columbus, as vigorously opposed it. Mr. Kennett. of Guilford, followed in his tracks. He had himself introduced a bill, which bad passed the House and was now lending in tin* Senate, where by any school district raising as much as from sls to S3O, can get the amount duplicated by th Stan* Treasurer. This bill. In* believed, would pass the Senate and the patrons of the public schools would take advantage of it. And this local taxation must be the ultimate sal vation of the public schools of tin* State. Mr. Leatherwooil. of Swain, favored the appropriation, and Mr. Julian, of Rowan, opposed, using his opposition as a peg on which to hang a speech on the Revenue Act \yhich lie dubbed "the same old Populist measure." Mr. Holman was not aware of Mr. Kennett’s measure. Hi* thought it a good m a sure and one that would go a long way toward helping the schools. He, therefore, asked that action on the bill before the House be postponed mill * the Semite acted on Mr. Kennett’s hi’!. Mr. Craig hoped this course would not be pursued. Hi* thought tin* House was for tin* bill and lie wanted a vote on it at once. Judge Allen, of Wayne . and Mr. Johnson (Pop.), of Sampson, were against the appropriation. Mr. Williams, of Iredell, wanted litber this bill or Mr. Konnett’s bill, but lie didn’t want both. Mr. Clarkson, of Mecklenburg, aim ed ed to appropriate $5,090 instead of #IOO.- 900. He thought mid r Mr. Kennett’-' bill the State Treasury would be called on to appropriate some $50,000 to the solioools. This would make >ut 'he $100.091). On the pasage of the bill Mr. Hol man called the ayes and noes. The call being sustain'd the roll-call r*siP ed: Ayes. 01: noes. 12. Those voting in tin* negative neror Messrs. Allen, of Columbus: Boggs. Bry an, of Granville; Carroll, .lolinson ’Bon.), of Johnston: Julian. Leak. Leigh. I.\ >i. Sugg. Welch, Williams, of Iredell. » Before tlu* vote was announced Mr. Carroll, of Alamance, changed his »’(‘t'“: as did also Messrs. Allen, of Coimnb is; Leigh, of Pasquotank: Welch, of 1 how nn; Julian, of Rowan, and Bryan, of Granville. This left tlu* vote 07 to 0. The following members explained tlu n* votes: Speaker (lon nor, Abbott, Al :, *ii. of Wayne; Boggs, Bryan, of Grauvil!**; Carroll, Council, Craig, Davis, of F auk lin: Davis, of Haywood; Fotishee, John son. of Sampson: Kennett. L.*re\ Leatherwooil. McLean, of Il.iraett; Ransom Rountree. Smith, Snip s, Welch. White, of Halifax: Williams, of Iredell. Speaker Connor —“Ever since I arrived at mv majority I have voted for any measure in the interest of the schools of my State. I have no desire* at this time* of life to change my course." Mr. Boggs—“ln mv section we al ready have more schools than tire taken advantage of. 1 therefore vote no. Mr. Carroll—“l b, lieve it would b a useless expenditure of money under (Continued on Second I’ltgc)