National Republican., 1884-03-01
Providing for the Construction Of Seven New
Steel Cruisers.
A Step Taken in the improvement Of
Our Worn-out Navy.
Representatives ROsecrans and White Have Little
War Of Words in the House,
The Private Calendar Under considera-
tion-several Pension Bills Passed.
TILE SENATE.

NiNtT III lIOuL VI JbTbey OlIy.
Also another communication from the secretary
ofwar showing the pay, stations, &C., Of civilian
engineers in the employ of the government; also,
the stations, &C., OF military engineers.
Mr.. Mcmillan presented petition of the COM
mon council Of Duluth, Mum, relating to the i'm
proyement of the harbor of that city. 1t was
referred TO the committee on commerce.
The following bills were reported hvorably from
committees:
BY Mr.. Slater, from the committee on commerce.
To authorize the Oregon Pacific Railroad company
TO build one or more bridges across the willamette
river, in the state of Oregon 1t was placed on the
calendar.
BY Mr.. Harrison, from the committee on terri.
tories: An original bill providing for the admis-
sion of the territory of Dakota. ON Mr. Harrison's
motion the bill was ordered printed and recon-
mitted to the committee on territories.
Mr.. Ransom, from the committee on appropria-
tions, reported back adversely the joint resolu;,
tion introduced by him last Monday and referred
to that committee providing for an appropriation
TO aid the sufferers by the great storms in the
southern states. In reporting 1t back Mr.. Ran.
som stated that the committee had given the mat
ter very careful consideration. Tele5rams were
sent 10 the governors OF the different states AT
fected aud to other persons In those states sup.
posed to be best acquainted VITA all the incidents
of the storm and the subsequent sufferings and
while the first accounts of the great suilerngs OF
certain communities had been fully confirmed,
yet those suiierings were not in the judgment OF
the COMMITTEES, Of that widespread, tTanscendent,
individual, municipal, and state relief, so as to
demand the intervention OF the government. He
added. without saying that while IN presenting
the resolution he had been actuated by beCom-
ing impulse, 1t was proper now that the county
should know at the earliest moment that con-
gress would not take steps for relief in this
instance. He said this in order that private
and local charity may not be suspended.
The example Of the people Of those states in their
great ordeal OF suffering could not but command
.he qamiration OF their countrymen everywhere;
away by enthusiasm for his own people. but when
he looked at what had taken place among the
people Of North Carolina, South Carolina, Ala
bama, and Georgia, and saw their reso ution to
bide their faith and not come TO congress for re-
lief even when an effort had been made to give IL
TO them it reminded him OF the herOism of Fabric
ius and Reguus and the great Athenlan who
sacrifl ced everything that he might stand by his
country. He hoped the noble example given by
the afflicted people in this would be useful to
richer and more powerful communities which
might not be worse afflicted. In conclusion Mr..
Ransom thanked the committee appropria-
tions for the careful and painstaking considera-
ton which they had given to the subject.
Mr. Garland said he took II to the Committee
the ground that they did not consider, from the
information received that there was necessity
for the interposition Of congress.
Mr.. Ransom said that was the ground.
Mr. Garland said he did not understand such
Interpolation to have been declined on the ground
OF the unconsttutionality of such aid III cases
where 1t was shown TO be required
Mr. Ransom said not at all
Mr. Garland said that he did not wish 1t to be
understood that he. for one, doubted the authors
ity Of congress to extend aid in cases calling for
it, If the question had arisen on that he would
MIR. Ransom said that II this were a time to dis
cuss that matter he Mr.. Ransom] would be able
60 nne OF preSgdenls S ayoapg the GGnst
our government 70 tue present day. When the
matter came 10 be Investigated there could, he
said, be but one opinion as to the constitutional
authority of congress in case of such i'm
minent and impending ruin as to exceed
the capacity of local and state aid.
Mr. Logan, from the committee on appropria.
tlons reported favoraby the military academy
appropriation bill for the fiscal year ending June
ftuna MIA annHn N fhn nnl la0,tl
Mr.. Voorhees, offered resolution, which was
agreed TO, instructng the committee ON the library
tO Take into consideration the propriety of purchas
ing the portrait of President Zachary Taylor, now
the property Of his daughter, Mrs. cambridge, in
the custody of the CorcoIan art gallery.
Another resolution, offered by Mr.. Voorhees,,
was agreed To instructing the library committee
to consider the propriety of The purchase and
manuscripts left by Gen. Jackson to Amos Ken.
dan for the purpose OF preparing them for publ
cation, and, should he fail to discharge that duty,
then left to Francis T. Blair for a like purpose
both persons having failed to uriiIc the papers
In moving the resolution Mr.. Vo,r rhces stated
that the papers were OF very high order of his.
tUricAl value.
Mr. Plumb offered a resolution, which was
agreei to. calling on the secretary Of state tO fur
nish TO the senate all information in his depart.
men, derived from foreign representatives OF the
United States aud otherwise regarding the amount
of wheat rye, cora, and cotton produced and CON
sumed in foreign countrie, for II period covering
several years back; and especially whether politi.
cal or other complications are likely occur in
ket value of American products or their cost.
On motion Of Mr. Hall, the senate then resumcd d
con federation of the bill To authorize the cousruC-
tiOn OF steel cru sers for the navy.
The question Immediately before the senate
was the amendment OF Nj. Jones, OF Florida, To
the amendment of Mr.. Sewell. Mr.. ,ewells
amendm, NJ provides Tor the building Of the snps
AZ one or more Of the government navy yards,
while Mr.. Juuess amendment provides thnt he
building S all be apportOned among the different
navy yards.
MI. Hale referred briefly to the great expense
and long time necessary to prGpur, the navy
yards Tor suc work, Hundreds u, thousands OF
dollars and many thousands Of men woull be
necessary, he sud, to make it possible To have tho
work done at thcgoyernment yards Such plan
would be an unir!cd experiment and subject h ,
country 10 great delay. He was ,pecaly InxIouS
to avoid the proposed change Ia u year of pre,i-
dental contest, when gr a fiu t-hnding would b..
sure 10 result from the MANAGEMENT OF tie navy
yards, no matter how perfectly they might be
managed in the interest of u political patty. The
employment OF greatly Increased number of
men would render these complaints more certain
come.
Mr. Rddleberger favored the building Of the
ships ~ the navy yards lie understoot this
to be the b ginning OF movement to prepare u
proper navy for the United states The only ar,
gun ent he had heard against it w" that political
scanda might eusue. lie thOug ght that u poor ar
gument II we wanted Il navy the proper lhng
10 do was for the United states to put iIs navy
Mr. Morgan stated that NJ Seweli had been
obliged to 20 home, aud nai left a quest for Mr.
Morgan to take up hl. Mr.. SeNelsl amendment
would enter into navy yard employment the 3 lmc
argument could be applied to the business If the
pstofice Who did not know that every up oinl-
ment made within the last six months had been
made with reference 70 It's impre sion on the
Chicago convention That con!d not now be
helped. Until the people should become reused
TO he importance OF the subject We could only
execute our trust by passing the laws as
carefully us possible. In speaking TO the
general question of the necessity for navy, Mr.
Morgan referred TO the ship canal across the
isthmusand the enormous commerce which would
necessarily spring up by reason of Its construction.
We ought to have u navy to protect our CONNER.
cial interests in connection with the working OF
that canal rs well as from general prime plies, We
ought tn have feet Oh the Pacific, the Al lautiC
and in the Gulf of Mexico. Chill could send shIp
up the coast aud burn san Francisco. Other M
tions had picket posts all the way from Newf lund
lana to HuCatan, from which they could work
against our commerce. We could no more rOteGt
the mouth OF the Mississippi from Spanish ieeJ
than we could prevent cyclone.
Mr.. Hale, replying to the objection as to the
compa alive expense of building ships in private
yards there ana in England, stated That rs tn the
four steel vessels now building, their cost per on
ms low as the cost of similar vessels built iOr
England in which country all naval vessels were
built in private yards If England, which stood
at the head of all the nations in respect 10 the
construction of naval ships, could get them built
no cheaper than we had secured the building OF
our slips, ne saw no reason for complaint.
After further debate the amendments of Mr.
Jones and Mr Sewell were voted down, Nj
Morgan Withdrew his objection TO the vessels
being built by private contract, and an amund.
ment offered by him was, after mod dlcutiun ac.
cepted by Mr. Hale embldyiug in the bill by
dircO words and not by description merely the
substance of the acts of 1882 and 1888 together
with prOyiso that bids may be FGCepted not only
from bidders who may now be rendy 10 build tie
hit i'm mo ha alI