Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-28

ment of our navy yards. Admiral Porter ir
 his testimony admits that they are largely
 used for political purposes" MT. Beck wen
 on to argue that our tariff laws initiated
 against the building of new ships. England's 1 private yards got material as cheap as the government navy yards ssIf," continued
 he, i've have an honest administration of
 the navy yards we can build our ships as
 cheaply as they could be built in England
 because we have right to go there for our
 machinery to Austria for our torpedoes, to Germany for our guns. The public history
 of the country shows that 1t is vice in ad- | ministration, dishonesty in management that is the trouble in our public enterprises.
 There has been corruption in the navy yards
 connived at by public officials"
 Mir. Vest contended that the debate had proceeded on 8 false assumption. The
 friends of the bill clamored about assaults on the national honor and the prospects of for
 eign war. There was no danger of any such
 war and no public sentiment in favor of the
 bill. What favorable sentiment was ex-
 pressed was by Secretary Chandler, John Roach and few officers of the navy. sA captain of the navy" continued Mir. Vest,
 approached me as was coming from the marble room the other day and said, For Gods sake vote for the bill.' said. My friend, you are mistaken; 1t is not for Gods sake, it Is for John Roach's sake.' That con- tractor had assailed every man who did not put money in his pockets and into his navy yards. No one under the terms of the bill could compete for the vessels except John Roach.
 MT. Hale deprecated any attack sn the present administration of the Navy depart ment which he declared was pure and incor- ruptible, yet the Senators from Missouri and Kentucky seemed to take delight in throv- the navy yards did not enter into this ques- tien.
 MT. Vest in the course of further remarks said the assistant adjutant general of the Senator from Maine MT. Butler, was respon- sible for injecting the question of navy yards ooO,o0 had been expended on our naval establishment and where was our navy? At the proper time he pro- posed to offer an amendment in regard to the construction of the vessels which would test the sense of the Senate as to whether the enormous power proposed to be conferred upon the Secretary of the Navy should be given that officer.
 MT. Butler repudisted the assertion that he was the assistant adjutant general of the Senator from Maine. ''The Senator from Missouri" he exclaimed, ''had better call spa1e spade; he had better state in plain English the real cause of his opposition to this bill. I will state it for the Senator. It is because he has no faith in the honesty of the present administration of the Navy department. It is because, as has been intimated, that some political advantage may accrue to the party to which the Senator and myself do not belong if we vote the money to build these ships. I hope am as loyal to my party as the Senator from Missouri and I hope I will be found battling as earnestly for it's principles as the Senator at the proper time, but he will pardon me if refuse to subordinate 8 high public duty to the achievement of party advantage. I trust we have entered new era, and whilst have sympathized with my political friends in their denunciations and anathemas against the administration of the Navy department, and whilst it is humiliating that we should attempt it, trust we have entered upon new era and may at least proceed to discharge what believe to be high politi- cal duty without injecting into it mere party considerations MT. Buffers speech and manner woke up the galleries and the heer of the Senate speedily filled with interested Senators from the cloak rooms.
 Mir. McPherson repeated the charge that John Roach was the only man that could build the ships under the conditions imposed. He said competing contractor told him last year that he could do as well as Roach if he were given the same inspector Roach would get to examine his work.
 ''If the Senator says," exclaimed Mr. But Ter, 'that John Roach put secretary in the Navy department want him to prove it :"
 'I have said no such thiog," replied MT. McPherson.
 Mir. Butler continued, still speaking with much warmth, that he did not know MT. Roach personally. ''No lobby has approach ed me on the subject" he said. ''If a lobby has approached the Senators from Missouri and New Jersey it is their fault, not mine p
 Mir Vest jumped to his feet, his face in 8 glow of anger. "What does the Senator mean by that?" he cried.
 ''I mean precisely what said, was But ler's reply
 Mir. Vest took few steps toward the South Carolina Senator as he demanded far ther, "Do you mean to say that I have said anything about anybody being corruptly ap- proached?"
 'I have said nothing of the sort" answered MT. Butler in 8 more moderate tone. "I took the language of the Senator. He said he was approached by an officer of the navy. I was not approached and if he permitted himself to be approached it was his fault and not mine."
 ''I said, D MT. Vest replied with great heat, 'fin order to indicate the anxiety of the friends of this bill, that the Senator from Indiana and myself when coming from the marble room were appealed to for Gods sake vote for the bill' by an officer of the navy. Now the Senator intimates that I ought not to allow myself to be approached in that way. Does the Senator think that is either fair, just, manly or generous?" (Sen- sation.)
 1T made no imputation on the honesty of the Senator" said Mir. Butler. Nothing was further from my purpo-e than to cast reflection upon him. 1 am amazed that the Senator who indulges in such insinuations should be so sensitive as to reply in that way. I am surprised that he expressed such a sentiment.
 esWhat sankipent do vou mean1n dan,and-
 ''You spoke,' again with some warmth, "of John Roach Aclamcring for the passage of the bill"
 'Does the Senator,' said MT. Vest, ''take that personally to himself that he has es- poused the cause of Mir. Roach and his lobby?'
 Mot at all''
 ''Then why exhibit this righteous indigna- tion?'
 q am simply expressing surprise at the sensitiveness of the Senator.''
 Ut was not sensitiveness, {" said MT. Vest angrily. ''I permit no one here or elsewhere to make any such insinuation as to my stand. ing as Senator and gentleman"
 At this point the chair, MT. Harris, inter. posed with an objection against the personal nature of the discussion. MT. Voorhees, also came to the rescue of the dignity of the chamber with motion to adjourn, which WhS hSTc6O tO, huu OA0 O1 Guo uV6ll66G per sonsl scenes of the session was brought to close, much to the disgust of the crowd in he gallery, which had hugely enjoyed the bout between the two Senators.
 HoUsE.-Mr. Phelps, of New Jersey, from the Committee on Foreign Affairs, reported pack the Brumm resolution directing that committee to inquire as to whether the min ster of any foreign power has endeavored 0 nullify the effect of 8 unanimous resolu- jon of the House by reflections on the honor l md integrity of it's members. The resolu- ion was accompanied by 8 report stating | hat the committee has made an investigation, | put has been unable to obtain any informa- ion on the subject and asks to be excused 1 rom the further consideration of the reso- ution. The report was agreed to without discussion and the committee discharged.
 MT. Lefevre, of Ohio, offered 8 resolution 'eciting that by speculation and gambling in America foreign products have obtained con- rol of the market value of those products nd directing the Committee on Judiciary to ,repa1e bill prohibiting the purchase or ale of wheat, corn, cotton or provisions or ther articles of prime necessity unless an ctual transfer of the articles or 8 warehouse eceipt accompanies such action; also bill -I