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Show DEBATE ABOUT GENERAL MILES Army Mi Discussed in House, : Treatment of Jefferson Davis by His Captor an Sncident. Senate Amendment Rejected and Measure Sent to Conference for Further Consideration. "WASHINGTON. Jan. 31. Tho treatment by Gen. Nelson A. Miles of Joffovson Davis. President of the Confederacy, during tho time ho was a prisoner at Fortress Monroe, Va., was recalled In the Houso today, when Mr Williams (Mlas.), tho minority leader, tried to Kccuro the adoption of the Senato ninondmont to the House proposition regarding retired officers offi-cers serving with tho State mllltla Messr-i. Hull (In.) and Hay (Va.). both momberB of tho Military Attains committee, com-mittee, indorsed tho liouse provision making It retroactive. The latter declared de-clared It was Democratic doctrine to savo money, and for Hint reason called upon tho Democrats to stand by the cor,- mlttee It was at this juncture that Mr. Williams aroso and wpoko of the action of Gen. Miles In placing flhucklcs on the ankles of Jefferson Davis. He shared, ho said, the opinion of Southern men ai to that, but he did not think It was the tlmo, the place nor the wnv to get c?cn. Mr. Williams's motion to agree lo the Senate amendment, which does not make the law concerning retired ofllcers retroactive, retro-active, was lost. 70 to 171. The bill was then sent to conference. Armor Plate for Battleships. The House today .nlonted a resolution offered by Mr. Fltzsorald (N. Y.), culling on the Secretary of the Navy for mforrra-tlon mforrra-tlon regarding thn Inequality In tho amount In armor ;i)ato delivered fur the battleships Connecticut and Louisiana. All Senato amendments to the army impropriation im-propriation bill were- disagreed to, and the bill was sent to jonference, and Messrs. Hull (la.), Capron (R. 1.) and Huy (Va.) appointed conferees on tho part of the Houso. A protracted debate arose over a motion mo-tion by Mr. Williams, tho minority leader, to accept, with a slight modification, the Senate substitute for tho House amendment relating to retired ofllcers serving with mllltla regiments. Mr. Williams Wil-liams reiterated his belief that the orlglnnl House amendment was directed at Lleut.-Gen. Nelson A. Miles, Inspector-General Inspector-General 5f Massachusetts. Messrs. Hull and Hay opposed the Senate Sen-ate amendment, tho former disclaiming disclaim-ing that It had special reference to Gen. Miles. He said that If Gen. Miles had died six months ago the amendment would have been offered Just tho same, but ho regarded It as unfortunato "that u man of such distinguished career can always manage to get himself In the forefront fore-front In the public opinion so that no matter what Congress will propose to do you aro always hitting Gen. Miles." Raking- Up Ancient History. Mr. Williams, replying to both Messrs. Hull nnd Hay, said that he wns not at all afraid of the covert attack on his Democracy. "I am not." he said, "afraid of my loyalty or fealty as a Southerner. I dislike so much to stay under cover that wc might as well come out. I share the feeling that Southern men generally entertain regarding Gen. Mlless conduct when he put shackles on the ankles of Jefferson Davis and I do not believe it will pound In history to his credit nor that It will sound In history to the discredit dis-credit of Mr. Davis that he wns compelled com-pelled to submit to It, old and helpless and sick as ho was at the time. "If this legislation had been pointed at anybody olHft than Gen. Miles. I would have taken the same course that I havo taken, c-xcept thnt I would have taken It much more anxiously nnd much more warmly. I stand In the relationship to Jefferson Davis that some of my critics do not. First, he wus a Mlsslsslppian and I am one. My grandfather was the so-nlor so-nlor Captain of his regiment In the Mexican Mex-ican war and his favorite Captuln, and In tho third fplncc. he wns my friend, as fur as an old man can be a friend of a child or boy. If you want to punlBh Gen Mll6 or anybody else for what was done In those days; If history Is to hold out Its condemnation, all right. But this Is not the time nor the placo to get even. Tho people of the South don't punish In lltllo wns like that," Tho Williams amendment nnd motion wero lost. 79 to 171. The other amendments amend-ments were then non-concurred In and tho bill sent to conference. Postofflce Appropriations. After adopting tho conferenco report on the Philippines government bill, the House resumed consideration of the post-office post-office appropriation. As In the consideration consid-eration of other appropriations, Mr. L.lt-tlcfleld L.lt-tlcfleld (Mo) called attention to the vast sum called for by tho postofflce bill. $180.-000,000. $180.-000,000. If, ho said, appropriations were to be kept at their present size, there would be on July 1 a deficit of SG1.0C0 CO). If the amounts wero not to be reduced, they would havo to be met by Increased taxation. Assorting that he was in favor of retrenchment re-trenchment of the matter of appropriations, appropria-tions, Mr. Payne (N. Y.), of tho majority, major-ity, said that Mr. Llttlcflcld hnd drawn too strong a plcturo of the posslblo stato of the treasury on July 1 next, because It had been ohown that tho revenues during dur-ing tho last two or thrco months had been Increasing. Mr. Payno would not commit himself, In replying to questions by Messrs. Minor (Wis.) nnd Gaines (Tonn.) as to whether tho Houso would pass a public building bill and a river and harbor bill, but said that the present session would be brought to a close with appropriations for tho next fiscal year that would be within the Government's Income. Franking Privileges. Mr. Ransdell (Pa.) delivered a long argument In support of a proposed amendment amend-ment to tho bill granting the franking prlvllego to Stato or Territorial departments depart-ments of education on matter addrcssod to any school or school official, Tho report of the majority and two minority reports wero filed In tho House today from the Committee on Intorstnto and Foreign commerce on tho subjoct of rate legislation Tho majority report supports sup-ports the combination bill agreed on by tho committee yesterday. Four members of tho minority glvo their vlows In support of the Davey bill', agreed on at the recent Democratic caucus, and Representatives Shuckleford (Mo.) and Lamar (FlaO united on a report demanding demand-ing extonded legislation on the subject Tho majority report reviews the proB-ent proB-ent Interstalo commerce law and explains tho necessity for tho provisions of tho bill reported yesterday. |