Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-12-16
HOUSE.


WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. Is.
Mr.. Beale, of Virginia, introduced
a bill declaring roads between all
life-saving stations post roads. Re
ferred.
Mr.. Belford, of Colorado, intro
duced a bill for the retirement of
small legal tender notes. Referred.
On motion of Mr.. Goode, of Vir-
ginia, senate bill granting a pension
of 500 a month to Mrs. Julia Ct.
Tyler, widow of the late president,
was taken from the speakers table
and passed.
The morning hour having been dis
pensed with, Mr.. F. Wood moved
that the house go into committee on
the funding bill, pending which Mr..
Baker, of Indiana, from the com~
mittee on appropriations, reported
back the fortifcation bill and antag-
onized Mr.. f. Woods motion, with
motion to go into committee on that
bill.
Mr.. Wood making no objection,
Mr.. Bakers motion was agreed to,
and accordingly the house at 12:40
went into committee of the whole,
Mr.. Converse, of Ohio, in the chair,
upon the fortifcation bill.
Mr.. Baker explained the provis>
ions of the bill which he said was,
except in one point, Identical with
that of last year. He called at
tention to the deplorable condition
of the country's sea coast defenses,
and said that in the event of war
with foreign power it would be i'm
possible to put any of our sea coast
cities in anything like an adequate
condition for defense in less than two
years.
Mr.. Randall, of Pennsylvania, dis
credited the idea that we should have
war within the life time of the gen.
tleman from Indiana.
Mr.. McCook said that during the
first hundred years of its existence
as nation this country had had six
teen years of war.
MIR. Reed, of Maine, said the con-
dition of the sea coast defenses of
the United States, in view of the
prosperous financial condition of the
country, was disgraceful in the ex-
treme. No part of the sea board could
be successfully defended, even
against the third rate European
powers. The navy was not the best
thing to meet danger with, and be-
sides that an adequate navy would
cost more than Notifications.
) Mr.. Ellis, of Louisiana. said the
ships of any foreign power could
enter the harbor of New York in
perfect safety, and levy a contribu-
ton a thousand times greater than
the sum asked by the chief OF
ordinance for the manufacture OF
t heavy cannon. When war should
break out there would be no time to
. improvise defenses. War might
break out at any time. Cuban cruis-
ers were firing on American ships
f every two or three months. He
; hoped the incoming administration
: would listen to no apologies but
: adopt policy which would teach ali
> nations, and especially Spain, that
, the American flag must be everywhere
respected.
Mr.. Regan, of Texas, favored the
= strengthening of Notifications, and
owelt on the necessity of providing
10 suitable defenses for the Galveston
= Mr.. King also alluded to the i'm.
a portance of Strengthening the de
g lenses OF southern ports, which
a might now be entered and destrovei
0 by Spanish men-of-war.
The general debate then closed
and the bill was read for amend,
ments.
8 MIR. Johnston, of Virginia, unde,
t direction OF the military committee
offered an amendment making th,
] hrst section appropriate $50O,OOt
instead of 100000 for strengthen
I ing sea coast defenses. 6sf.
} Mr.. Randall, of Pennsylvania
spoke at length in opposition to th.
4 n STp1NR r.