Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-02-14
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TO THE
Daily Kennebec Journal.
Forty Second Congress- Session

DENAlE.
After some debate upon a proposition to
postpone the customs reform bill and take
up the legislative appropriation, the latter
was nnally taken up.
Mr.. Cole explained the amendments re-
ported by the committee. Among the amend
ments reported is one to discontinue the pub
LEGATION of laws in newspapers.
Mr.. Anthony said he had for years favored
this reform.
Messrs. Pomeroy and Harlan opposed the
amendment.
No action was taken on it.
Mr.. Ramsay gave notice of an amendment
to increase the salary of the supervising
architect of the treasury to $4,000 year.
The President laid before the Senate two
messages from the President, transmitting a
copy of the case of the United States as pre-
sented at Geneva and other reports of the
Secretary of State and Secretary of War in
reference to questions with Spain, arising
out of Cuban affairs and the order given our
vessels in Cuban waters. The Senate then
adjourned.
Mr.. Hale of Nc, explained the naval APP
preparation bill. The total of this bill was
ST., 943,347, and about 81, 100000 less than
the last one. 1t is believed that it would
cover all the expenses and no deficiency
would be asked for. The average expendi-
lures under the democratic administration
during the seven years of peace prior to the
last year, was about SIT 900, 900 annually.
Mr.. Conner of Tex, referred to the fact
that the navy has been gradually decreasing
till now only 90 vessels are in commission,
mounting $50 guns, and asked Mr.. Hale to
harmonic his statement with this fact.
Mr.. Hale responded that the gentleman
from Texas was to impatient. He would re-
fer to that point when he came to it. The
men of our navy are limited to $500. The
British navy has CT 900 men. If we got into
war it would be impossible to send out three
additional vessels fully armed with the pres
ent limited force. During the four years of
the war; $500, 100000 were appropriated.
What had become of that money and ships
which should have been built? He was sorry
to say the investigation showed badly for
our money as effecting the future. Of the
$50 vessels in the navy during the war, only
l79 now existed. Of the rest some had de-
cayed, sunk or been sold. Of scores and
ffties of vessels, he did not know the fate.
He had not been able to follow them. They
were net on the books of the department., and
the department was not responsible for them.
They had vanished, faded away and were not
to be found or traced. The navy now con-
tanned l79 vessels in all. These he classified
into four classes, not OF strength but OF utility
Glass No. one consisted of vessels at sea,
some sailing vessels, some steamers and some
iron clads; they numbered SO. Glass No.
two consisted of vessels suitable to relieve
those at sea; they numbered IA. Glass No.
three consisted of vessels worth being re-
paired in case of an emergency. If this
country should have war with Spain, or il
A. 1,.I, ala o1rx NH hod IL, tha
minds of some meant war, should grow and
trouble should come of it, vessels of this
class could be fitted out and sent out to sea
cheaper than new vessels could be built.
This is not a very promising class but still is
worth something. 1t numbered "a vessels,
including six on the stocks. Below that
class or any class that conld ever be used in
peace or war, was a class of forty six, utterly
worthless, unfit for repair, and good for
nothing, but could be sold for old material.
The remainder of the vessels not comprised
in these classes were made up Of storeships and
transports, in all fifty odd vessel. In con-
clusion he defended the present admnistra-
ton of the navy department, and submitted
that provision should be made for building
new vessels for the navy and for selling all
the worthless vessels and machinery.
Mr.. Morgan of o., a member from the
committee, replied to Mr.. Hale, and charged
the navy department with waste and extrava-
gance. He denied the accuracy of the figures
quoted by Mr.. Hale as the expenditures of
the navy before the war, and referred to the
reports of the treasury to show the discrep-
ancy.
Mr.. Garfield explained how the apparent
discrepancy was accounted for.
Mr.. Morgan denied that the explanation
was correct one, and undertook to prove
that there vas a chaos in the treasury, chaos
in the navy and chaos in every department of
the government.
In the course of long speech Mr.. Morgan
reviewed the course of the administration in
reference to the puclic debt and the expendi-
lures of the government, claiming alarming
discrepancies in the various reports of the de-
partments He denied that any official of the
government, from the President down to the
Page Of the House, had any correct idea Of
what the public debt really was.
Mr.. Beck inquired from Mr. Garfield
whether the navy, war and other departments
of the government were not In the habit OF
selling material and making use of the pro-
ceeds in addition to the appropriations made
by Congress.
Mr. Banks said that was not the case now.
Mr. Dawes remarked that the navy and
other departments did dispose of material
and use the proceeds for the public service,
but there was no law requiring annual re-
ports of such sales to be made to Congress.
He agreed with Mr. Beck that the defect in
legislation to that effect should ne remedied
MIR. Beck said that the question was whether
all the sales should not be added to appro-
priations, and whether they did not swell the
expenditures by 500, 900. He asserted
that such was the casa.
Mr.. Starkweather made further illustra-
tons of the wretched condition of the navy.
Without any deposition Of the bill the COM
mittee rose and the House adjourned.