Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-04-10
The NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL
Again Causes = Lively Little SquabbIe
I'm the senate.


I'm the senate.
WASHINGTON, April 9.-In the Senate the
Naval appropriation bill was again taken
up and Mr.. Vest continued his remarks.
The popular impression" Mr.. Vest said,
was that the late civil war was the begin
ming of the decline Of the American msr-
chant marine, but this impression was not
correct. The decline had begun six years
before the war. The loss to American
shipping from lS4O to 1882 was: for the
period before the war, 10 4.1O per cent;
during the war, IS $ 10 per cent, and siuUe
the war u 2-lO per cent"
Mr.. Bsyard said he had been informed
that in the case where some stockholders
owned vessels built and registered in Eng
land and also vessels built and registered
in the United States, on which they were
psyiEg the same wages, yet they had felt
compelled to cease running the American
vessels, He wondered what was the magic
thst made the difference that compelled
such q result.
Mr.. Mcpherson, in the course Of some
remarks said that while the Government
persisted IN keeping the present Secretary
of the Navy il could not wonder at the lack
of confidence in the Navy Department.
A Tilt Between nePhersOn and Hall.
Hall remarked he did not suppose the
Senator from New Jersey could sit down
without getting off some of his bill sgainst
the Secretary Of the Navy. Mcpherson re-
Piled if the Senator would read the news
papers of the country he would see 1t was
not the bill of the Senator from New Jer-
sey that was responsible for the opposition
10 the Secretary of the Navy. Hall de-
tended the Secretary Of the Navy from as
persion and asked ifany man could put ms
finger on a single thing The Secretary OF the
Navy had done in the administrator OF
his office that even suggested suspicion.
TLsI ofhcsr mad no VoiCs on tAe floor OF the
Senate, and he (HalD had felt II
due bim to Try this much.
Y ST, while recognizing the great
ability of the Secretary OF the Navy said he
believed the partisan bias o. that oihcer
vas such AS tu lead him 10 do things n his
public capacity that the interests OF the
eouutry would not warrant.
Hale ask, d whether Vest meant tnat Tue
officer mad in the administration oil MS
Sffirs had done anything OF = character in
diCated. c
Vest sand be could not put his finger on
sny one act Of that officers administration
that would subject him to crluclsm. vest
srrsigned the Republican party because,
having had charge of the government since
ISgl. the country wss still without navy
Hale said during the last twelve years the
Democrats had been in poser In the house
aslf the time and IN the Senate part Oh the
time. ,,..,. u,5;o
.o,,t,o, NJ the Senate an House for about
!" EJrnnds IA tsotto yoicel-"Which they
will probably never have again..
Vest INQUIRED what they could have done
l." Hswlsy law remsrked that was what the
country was asking. ,,. L,s
Yest-The Senate and President nau
been Republican: ,b. IA.
tells of the naval expenditures OF the lsst
twsntv wears, he (Beck) could, by ON;
rscorS 1roys rottenness and corruPIlon III
the administration or tunos.
BuehAnan's Ideas.
Fdnppds stated he had been much inter-
ssts6 in the accounts given in the senate
Of the fiourishing condition ofthe Navy oe-
fore the war. He read letter from James
buchanan, September, 1883, adaresSsu -
1b;cb he said: ave Americans boast,
"a much Of our navy, ent
That was IL in comparison wlLn
ths nsvies of England or France. suppose
those powers sbslId determine 70 PIe',sSns en-
ns from Interfering in Cuba In case tos
,;Tna sbouId arrive when we ought 20 IN
tsrfsre. They bad 8 naval power 20 cary
ont their determination. we snoutu -
least have navy enough 70 co h racon.
o~n coast" Buchanan iurtnef reoou
U.n5sS U"n that part of the surplus IN the
irsssIry should be expended in the con-
struction Of navy. -, .ha sanate
Edmupds said that was al tue 0e"1'
NJ Buchanan bad also expressed con,
-; ZION that the work bad better De put ous
nn5sT ,N5. contract, which Edmunds added Tss Ts
Ibst was proposed in this instances
sTscutiye session then adjourned.