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;<l any discus
sion of general interest was that intro
duced sometime ago by Mr.,Holman, of
Iredell, appropriating $199,990 to the
public schools of tin* State.
This bill provides "that this lftone.v
shall be distributed n> 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)