The Portland daily press., 1867-02-09

nv" s"o = OrthMcathOm Bn1l was Killed.
Between them the Committee on Appro-
priations and the Military Committee brought
the Fertilization bill in Congress to an un-
timely end. The bill seems to have been
drawn very loosely, neither Mr.. Stevens, the
chairman, nor Mr.. Spalding, me ,mber of the
Appropriation Committee having any distinct
notion of the estimates from the W ar Depart-
ment, which should have guided tn EN- in pre-
pairing the measure. The Military Commit
tee instructed one of their number, Mr..
Blaine, to supply the deficiencies of th., bill by
amendments to be offered in Commi, tee of
the whole House. This Mr. Blaine began to
do, beginning with the estimate for two new
works in Portland harbor. The House theTenp-
on took an alarm, rejected the amendme ute as
fast as offered, and concluded by upsetting the
bill itself, as the telegraph promptly informed
us. The CLOSING scenes" are reported in tire
Globe as follows: "A l4rrl g-4
Mr.. Stevens-I may be mistaken, but nv
recollection is that the item laow proposed tn
be inserted is not embraced in the estimates
from the Department. 49, -
MI. Schenck-lt is estimated for, and is one
OF the five items which the Committee on
Military Affairs agreed to re commend NV
colleague Mr.. Spaldingl has satisfied himself
by examination that he was mistaken in sup-
posing these items -Tere not es timated for. as
the gentleman from Pennsylvania IMr. Ste
yensl can by an examination of those esti-
mates. ta f.is.=.tr1#r. f., Itelr,0.'7 =
Now, one word more in reply to nv col
league. He asks if this is scheme TO appro-
pirate money for a new system of defences.
Not so; but it is to make additional detenses
to those which we now have at points where
additional defences are needed: to extend the
present system, not to abolish it or substitute
anything for it. 5ta.. .fr su
With this explanation of the manner in
which these matters are presented, the con-
clusions of the War Department approving
ana recommending to our consideration the
items asked for and of the action of the Com
mittee on Military Affairs upon tllem-which
was, as the gentleman must be advised, dis
eliminating action, for they rejected one por-
tiOn OF the recommendation and approved
the Other-wlth this explanation am ready
to submit this question to this committee.
MIR. Blaine --On page SO of the official esti-
mates will be found this among other items:
For two additional forts for the defence of
Portland harbor, $150,OOO. ~. -o f-......
z The gentleman from Ohio I1Ir. Spaldinol
very kindly corrected the error into which he
fell in that respect -u
Mr. Lynch-Mr. Chairman, corrected tho
gentleman from Ohio when he made the state.
ment before as my colleague has done now T.
is evident that the gentleman had not evan
ined the question very carefully, tor he denied
on the former occasion that there No. n'se
estimates made for these Notifications any
l wish simply to say, Mr.. Chairman ,,,o4
plans and estimates for these works wore ,naJ i..
in 1861 by board Of engineers apnointeI hv
the Secretary of War. They found at Port us
land harbor three forts-one commancea 800
ten years since, the other two being old forti.
hcatlons and entirely useless against modern
vessels OF war with modern armaments. These
are an inner line of Notifications constructed
lor the purpose OF guarding the main channel
10 Portland harbor. But outside of these for
thcations and outside of their range there is
high island behind which vessels can lie nro-
tected from the range of the old Notifications
and shell not only the vessels in the barhor
but the city ITSELF The board of engineers do.
termined therefore that it was necessarv r.
have other works. A large amount of money
has been expended upon the old fortifcations.
yet they are entirely useless against modern
war vessels unless an outer line Of foIt;fca.
tiOns be constructed in accordance with tho
plan reported at that time 1 wish the Honse
to understand that this not new matter
brought forward now for the first time. 1t is