Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-07-02
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
APPROPRIATION BILLS RUsYING
CONGRESS.

to-day Mr.. Harrison, from the Committee
on Military Affairs, reported the House
bill providing for the establishment Of a
branch soldiers home west of the Missis-
sippi. The bin was at once amended by
substituting the Senate bill for the same
purpose already passed, and as so
amended, il was then read the third time
and passed.
Mr.. Cockrel, from the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, reported favorably with amend
ments the House bill relieving from the charge
Of desertiOn soldiers who served until the ex-
plratlon Of their terms and are improperly
charged with desertiOn, or who for any other
cause are improperly so charged. The bill,
after amendment was passed. As passed it
requires that applications for the relief pro-
Flded Tor shall be made within five years from
the passage Of the act.
Mr.. Logan reported from the Committee on
Military Affairs, and the Senate, after amend
ment, read the third time and passed the
House bill amending the seventy second
article Of war IL provides that any general
oHeef commanding an army, a territorial
division or department, or Colonel command
ing separate department, may appoint gen
efai courts martial whenever necessary, but
whenever any such commander is the accuser
or prosecutor Of any officer under his com
mand the court shall be appointed by the
President.
The joint resolution introduced yesterday
BY Mr.. Cameron, Of Pennsylvania. directing
the Secretary of the Treasury to redeem SIO.-
u0o,oO0 worth Of trade dollars at their face
value was laid before the Senate.
Mr.. Morrill, moved to refer the resolution TO
the Committee on Finance.
On this Mr.. Cameron called for the yeas
and nays.
Mr.. MorTilPs motion was agreed TO, and the
resolution was referred accordingly by SO yeas
to 20 nays.
Mr.. Butler called up his resolution direct
ing an investigation into the condition of the
New York banks, adding to it a clause an
thOrZlng the investigating committee to sit
during the recess Of Congress.
Mr.. Morrill, moved reference of the resOlu-
tion to the Committee on Finance, which was
agreed to by % yeas to IS nays. The vote in
detail was as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Aldrich, Allison, Bayard,
Beck, Blair, Bowen, Brown, Cameron of Wis
eonsln, Conger Dawes, D0lph, Frye, German,
Hale, Harris. Harrison, Hawley, Hill, Hoar,
ingalls,, Jonas, Jones of Florida, Jones of Ne
vada, Lapham, Mcmillan, Mcpherson, Man
dersOn. MaXey. Miller Of California, Miller Of
New York, Mitchell, Morrill,, Palmer, Pike,
Plat, Sawyer, Sewel, Sherman, Williams
Total 80.
Nays-Messrs. Butler, Cam, Cameron of
Pennsylvania, COckrell, Farley, George, Glib
son, Hampton, Morgan, Pendleton. Pugh,
slater, Vance, Van Wyck, Voorhees,, and
Walker-Total l6.
RIVERS AND HARBoRs.
Consideration Of the river and harbor bill
was then resumed.
In the course Of the debate Mr., FRYE. in
defending the bill, said that he had gone into
the Committee on Commerce with the idea
that trout streams were receiving apprOpri-
ations, but he found that he had to abandon
1t. There was no stream receiving an apprO-
priatiOn that was not certified by an engineer
officer of the United States to need much
more than the Committee on Commerce here
appropriated for it.
Mir. Call moved several amendments to in
crease the appropriations for rivers and har-
bors of his State, among them being the fol-
lowing: For Cumberland Sound to SI50 O0O
for ApalachicOla Bay to $4,000, for Pensa-
cola harbOr to $780, GOO, for Tampa Bay to $780,
600, for Manatee to $4,000, for Key West to
100000, for st. Augustine to $4,000, for ST.
Johns river to $4,000 and for st. Johns bar
to S250,0G0. The amendments were not agreed
to. Mr.. Call remarked that since the Senate
did not apparently consider Florida in the
Union for purposes of that class of amend
ments he would move to insert the harbor of
Charlotte, Fla, as one of the harbors to be
surveyed. This motion was agreed to.
Mr.. Jones moved amendments to increase
appropriations as follows: For Pensacola har-
Dor TO Ss5,000, for Cumberland sound to $780,
600, for the mouth of the st. Johns river to
Sl15,000. These amendments were lost, but at
a later stage Mr.. Jones succeeded in securing
an increase for Pensacola to $4,000.
Mr.. George renewed his efforts of yesterday
to increase the appropriation for continuing
the Improvement of the Mississippi river, and
moved that the amount be increased from ST.
250,000 to 2,250 600.
After some further discussion Mr.. Georges
motion was voted down.
MIR. Hoar closed the debate in a long speech
upon the general policy of this country in
relation to internal improvement and prOtec-
tion against hostile invasion. At the COnclu-
sion of his remarks the bill was passed. As
originally passed by the House 1t appropriated
Sl2, ,00S. 800. The Senate committee added to 1t
$l,26S.OO0, and the Senate itself has made a
further addition of $230, 500, making the amount
of the bill as it now stands 1906, 200.
Mr. Allison. from the Committee AOprO-
priations. reported the sundry civil bill. and
gave notice that he would call il up early to-
morrow, and added that if Congress was to
adjourn this week, which was desirable, the
bin would have to be completed Tomorrow.
There would then be only the fortifcatiOns
bill to be considered.
The Senate then went into executive ses-
sion, and when the doors were reOpened
adjourned.
IN THE HOUSE.
In the House TO-DAY Mr.. Randall submitted
the report of the conference committee on the
naval appropriation bill, announcing its ina
bility to agree. The explanatory statement
which accompanies the report specifies the
chief items Of disagreement to be the appro-
priations for new cruisers and for the cOntinu-
alton of work upon the double turreted mOni-
tors. There are Other points of disagree
ment, but the conference committee thinks
that these differences could be easily adjusted
/ if an agreement could be reached upon the
two items specified. MIR. Randall said
that the Senate seemed to have a lurk-
ing hope, which either ought t. be
affirmed or dismissed by positive action
on the part of the House. that ultimately the
House would recede from its disagreement to
these two amendments. Understanding hls
duty as he did, and he thought he spoke for
his Democratic colleague on the committee,
Mr. Hutehns, he said deliberately that nOth-
I ing but instruction from the House would in
duce the House cOnferees to yield these two
points [applause on the Democratic side
because they had not that confidence in the
manner of construction of the cruisers that
warranted further expenditure of public
money in order TO duplicate them. That judg-
of the subject. Naval Constructor Wilson
confirmed that judgment as TO
! the construction of the vessels and the highest
scientific mind in the navy, MIR. sherwood,
/ declared that the engines Of the vessels were
not such as they should be. He might rest
/ the recommendation of the committee on the
/ opinion of these authorities, but he was will
/ ing to 90 farther. and say that there was not
/ thrown around these propositions that safe
guard in the expenditure of money which
4 present circumstances, known to the country,
| warranted, and which should be thrown
/ around the department which was now the
subject of investigation. Next, SIS, to the
/ monitors. That subject was matter which
/ had been considered in the last Congress, and
I the House had not appropriated dollar for
/ their completion. The Senate had incorpO-
/ rated an appropriation in the navy bill, and
/ in sort of coercive way the House had been
] compelled to yield. He did not altogether object
/ to the pending appropriations on the score OF
/ economy. He based his opposition on judg-
ment which he would call into action upon
! matters relating TO his own private affairs.
/ lie wanted Il known, IN conclusion, that he
/ did not want any man to give WaFerinG
/ vote on this question. He wanted every man
to remember. so far as he was able, his final
/ and conclusive purpose IN regard TO the mat
| ters in controversy, because. as he had said
I before, there was nothing that would induce
the present cOnferees 10 yield on these two
/ points except a direct vote Of the House, and
when that vote was given he trusted that the
House would select some other conferee be-
sides him. Applause on the Democratic
side.
THE PROPOSITIONS PRESENTED.
Mr. CalkIns of Indiana, said that the frs
proposition presented to the House wal
whether the building of the navy shOHld b'
delayed for another year. or whether Con
gress should take another step IN ad
vance, The next proposition wa
whether Congress, after having expended
millions Of dollars in building four monitor
should cease work on them. The cruisers IL
course Of construction had been severely criti
cised he admitted, but 80 per cent. of all th'
vessels would be the best of their class in tn
world. lie did not care whether the apprO
| priatlons for the monitors was made at pres
ent, for IN the course OF time they must b.
completed. He was sorry 70 hear the gentle
| man from Pennsylvania refer to the fact tina
an investigation was in progress in the Nav.
Department which in some way initiates
against further use OF money by that depart
ment. The investigation had nothing to d
! with the new cruisers or with the monitors.
Mr. Randall admitted that that was so, bu
, asserted that 1t should have Its effect upOl
members IN appropriatlng money Tor a de
partment where there had been maladminis
tration.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine, criticised Mr.. Ran
dall's objection to the disputed clauses. assert
ing that they were intended only to mislea
I "a n