Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-12-23
FROM WASHINGTON.
INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR HALE
In Relation to the Position ofthe Senate
in Regards to the Pending Issue
With the House.
WASHINGTON, Dec. %

Senator Hale, who has charge of the naval
appropriation bill in the Senate as chairman
/ of the Naval subcommittee of the committee
| on appropriations, was asked todav by a re-
! porter of the associated press to state the
position of the Senate in the pending issue
with the House, and the reasons which under
lie its disagreement with that body. He
said:
The controversy at this session arose out OF
the fact that at the last session the House of
Representatives refused TO go forward in the
work of rebuilding the navy. The Senate.
by a considerable majority, favored the in
crease of the navy. felt in managing the
bill that while it was proper for the Senate to
maintain its ground, and while it Was very
desirable that the work of rebuilding the
navy should not be delayed, STILL under the
rules that govern the two bodies, the Senate
could not coerce the House. The session ex-
pired and the bill with all Senate amendments
was left in conference, and the two bod
les passed what is called the emergency bill,
giving the navy department, 80 per cent. of
the appropriation of the last year to run till
Jan. l, 1885. This session the attitude of the
Senate has been that the regular appropria-
ton bill for the current year ending July l.,
1885, should be taken up and considered by
the two Houses, deducting from its appro-
priations what has already been given for
the first half of the year. By this the items
for the head, and several bureaus of the navy
department would all be given under the es-
Inmates made for the present year The House
blindly insisted on another six months tempo
rary provision, going back to last years ap.
preparations and giving 80 per cent. of them.
The Senate insisted that such a way of
appropriating is not good one, and that each
years appropriations should be considered by
themselves, and presented to the House con-
ferees for their consideration.
The regular bill for the present year, as
prepared by the House and amended by the
Senate, including the provisions for cruisers
and monitors and all extraordinary appro-
priations for rebuilding the navy, the House
conferees decline even to consider this amend
ment, The result of thatattitude on the part of
the House has been that no appropriations
were made and that the navy department, af-
ter the first of January, will find itself with
out actual appropriations.
Under the general statutes, giving the sec
retary the right to provide for its indespen-
sible needs, the navy department will run on
until such bill is passed. As some attempt
has been made in the House to convey the
impression that the Senate seeks to force the
House from its position against the new navy,
| have, this forenoon, BY the unanimous di
rectioH OF the full committee on appropria-
tions, reported as an amendment to the bill
of the House. giving a months appropriation
to the navy department The substitute.
which makes the regular appropriations in
the usual form for the last half of the present
fiscal year, and have taken as basis of that
bill the regular naval appropriation bill for
the present year as it passed the House last
year, and came to the Senate. All the extra
ordinary items in relation to the new navy
are left off because the House is so persist
entity opposed to them. The present bill
will undoubtedly pass the Senate tomorrow.
If the House does not consent to take it up,
it rejects its own action at the last session,
and persists in maintaining that the navy
department must run on its own bill. The bill
which the speaker of the House has decided
on point of order is not one of the regular
appropriation bills. The action of the Sen
ate has been eminently conservative, and
there can be little doubt that in the end the
House must recede. But should any emer-
gency arise, and the American people be
found unprepared, in view of the complica-
ton with foreign power and with navy COM
paratively useless, it will plainly be seen that
at least two years have been wasted by reason
of theRobstructiye course of the House of
Representatives. l think that by this time
the public will understand that any delay in
the rebuilding of the navy results from the
attitude Of the House. If the next admins
tration finds inself without the means to re-
build the American navy, the responsibility
for that rests with the branch of Congress
that sympathzes with it politically.
The Cleveland administration will be more
affected by this condition than anybody else.