Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-02-27
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
A LIVELY DEBATE IN THE SEN
ATE OVER THE NAVY.

for Her Generous Present-Mr. Mayc
Attempts to Rake j. D. Wise Over tn,
Goals.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26.-In the Senat
to-day Mr.. Sewell, from the Committee Of
Military Affairs, reported favorably tn,
House bill for the relief of Fitz John Por
ter, and on his motion it was made th,
special order for Wednesday, March y.
Mr.. Wilson from the Committee on Pos
Offices and Post Roads, reported favorably
the bill to prohibit the mailing of newspa
pers containing lottery advertisements. 1
was placed on the calendar. Mr.. Jack
son, in behalf Of the minority of the com
mittee, submitted minority report.
Mr.. Hale introduced the following joint
resolution, which was at once read three
times and passed without debate:
Resolced, By the Senate aatd House of ReDre-
Ssntdttces' That the act Of Her Britannia
MaJestys GoYernment in presenting to the
United states Government the Arctic shin
Alert. which Will be used in the contemplated
expedition to relieve Lieut.. Greedy and his
party, Is recognized as oppOrtune and gener-
Gus, and is deeply appreciated by the Congress
and people of the United States.
Resoiced. That the President be. and he i.
hereby IequcSiCu 10 communicate COPY Oh
this resolution to Her Britannia Majesty's
Government.
Mr.. Plumb offered a resolution, which
was agreed to, calling upon the Commits.
slOner of Agriculture for information as
to the production for several years past OF
wheat, rye, corn and cotton, and also
whether in his judgment speculation by
options or futures in those productions
when no actual transfer takes place. tends
TO affect the market value of the com.
modify to the injury Of the consumer OF
producer.
The Senate then took up the unfinished
business Of yesterday, it being the bill tC
authorize the construction of additional
steel vessels for the navy.
Mr.. Hale addressed the Senate upon it.
pointing out the necessity for ships, the
United States possessing hardly a single
ship of the class now recognized bv the
nations of the world as necessary for naval
purposes. When we contemplated things
that were happening almost every day.
the clouds lowering on the political
horizon, though not themselves traught
with danger, at least showed that this
country should no longer be permitted to
remain in its present helpless condition.
In case of trouble the people of the United
States would be 10th to forgive anv
administration Of public affairs that had
not sought to do something to remedy
the present defenseless condition of the
nation.
Mr.. Mcpherson offered an amendment
submitted by him Yesterday reducing the
number of steel vessels provided for by
the bill to four, cutting of the cruisers
and dispatch boat, and providing that a
gunbOat, ram and torpedo boats should
be built under plans and specifications to
be supplied by the Navy Department. eX-
cept one gunboat to be built after plans
to be furnished by the Admiral of the
navy, such building to be done BY con-
tract with the lowest responsible bidder
made after at least sixty days advertise
ment, and that no such vessel should be
accepted unless built in strict accordance
with the plans and specifications.
He supported his amendment by some
remarks, in which he stated that he was
as earnest as any man in his desire to
build up the navy. He differed with
others only as TO the methods in which
the work should be accomplished. He
favored proceeding upon some established
rules and principles and objected to going
further with the experiments until they
had approached something like certain
ty. He did not believe in DESTROYING the
old wooden vessels of the navy until some
substitute should be found for them.
lie criticised the action of the Secretary
of the Navy with reference TO those ships.
and said that the whole plan ofthat officer
was to have an opportunity of building
new ships and not to preserve the old
ones, even where they were worthy of
preservation.
Mr. Beck inquired why vessels could
not be built more eheaply at the navy
yards, since the tariff permits all articles
for The use of the United States to be i'm
ported free Of duty, while the contract
prices of John Roach and others are based
on an average duty OF 40per cent. on the
material.
Mr.. Mcpherson replied that the reason
was clear. The navy yards were used
more for political than for naval warfare.
Mr.. Butler, referring to Mr.. McPher-
sons criticism Of the course of the Secre-
tary of the Navy with regard to the dis
position and destruction of wooden ships,
stated that while not here to defend the
Navy Department, it was always we'll to
be lust. He then read from the naval an
preparation bill for the year ended June
30, 1888, clause which ordered the Sec
rctary Of the Treasury to cause all naval
vessels to be examined by the board of
naval officers, which board was ordered
to report to the Secretary of the Navy in
writing what vessels were unfit for further
service. He also read from the APP
preparation bill of last wear
a clause providing that no part of the
moneys appropriated for repairs should
be applied to the repair Of any wooden
ship when the estimated cost of such re-
pair should exceed 90 per cent. of the
cost of replacing the vessel.
Mr.. Butler argued that the disposition
to wipe out wooden ships. so far as it
existed at all, was the disposition of Con-
gress and not of the Secretary of the
Navy.
Mr.. Hale supported this statement.
Congress, he said, had decided not to
spend on any old wooden ships more
money than 20 per cent. of the cost of a
new shin. 1t was the act of Congress
that did it and the Secretary of the Navy
would have been subject to impeachment
if he haG not carried out the law.
Mr.. Butler said that the wooden ships
were rapidly wiping themselves out, and
he thought the limitation of expense upon
their repairs a wise one In case of a
difficulty with a foreign power it would
be absolute murder to compel the officers
and men of our navy to 90 on board these
ships and contend with any other naval
vessel. AS for experiments, there never
could be any improvement in naval archi-
lecture without them. Out of ninety-tWO
vessels in our navy, Mr.. Butler continued,
there were but thirty-One serviceable yes
sells and 3S6 guns. He would not pronounce
judgment on the character of these guns,
but he would say that in case of a collision
between any vessel of the American navy
and vessel of any other power in the
civilized world, our guns would compare
with these almost as pOpgun compared
with long range rifles. Look" he said,
''at some of the other navies of the world
Great Britain has now 359 vessels, having
1861 guns, 4,1S9 officers, and $500 men
France, 500 vessels, 1,541 guns, 1924 Off
GERS, and 42, 126 men and 25,370 marines
Germany has 81 vessels, All guns,
1,012 officers, and 400 men; italy
has 90 vessels, 81 guns. 1.Oi4
officers and 1900 men.
Mr.. Butler ventured the opinion that
the least valuable of the ships of the Ital-
ian navy were better than the best ship of
the American navy.
OUR DEFENSELESS CITIES.
The following named cities, he said.
could be-bombarded by the most recently
made guns from positions which could be
taken up by an enemy's vessels in spite
of channel distractions or our present
harbor defenses: Eastport, Portsmouth,
Portland, Boston, New Bedford Newport,
New haven, New LONDON, New Ork.
Brooklyn, Norfolk, Beaufort, Wilmington,
Charleston, Fernandina, Key West, ,Pensa-
cola and Galveston. Besides, the English
would have within few months a clear
14-foot channel from the ocean to the
great lakes, which would admit vessels
of respectable size, and expose our large
cities on the lakes to the dangers OF
bOmbardment. In three weeks, without
pre- ,iOus preparation. England could have
thirteen ironclads on our coast, and in
four weeks ten more, besides forty un-
armed vessels and all the steamers of the
transatlantic trade, which, as auxiliary
cruisers, would be more efficient for naval
warfare than two thirds of ot1r shins