National Republican., 1884-02-27

Debate on the Bill for Their Construction in
the Senate
The Necessity for an improvement in
the Navy Ably Shown,
Further Discussion Of tho Pleuro-Pneumonia Bill
in the House Of Representatives.
Interchange OF P1easantries Between
Messrs. Hatch and Eaton,
THE SENATE.

by the president pro tempore.
Among petitions presented were several from
members of the bar of St. Paul and other cities OF
Minnesota praying for an increase IN the salaries
of judges and officers of the United States courts
for that state
Mr.. Morgan presented q petition praying for
the ratification of the Mexican treaty.
TIE chair informed Mr.. Morgan that such peti.
tions were usually presented In executive SOS
Bions.
Mr.. Morgan said hs knew ther was rule re-
qniring that treaties be considered in executive
session, but he did not know that there was any
rule bnS heSn I bp wond have oppoed
1t. He thought such rule would be a violation
OF The constitutional rights of the people whose
right OF petition would be affected by their hav ng
no knowledge of the disposition by the senate OF
petitions presented by them, He would present
the petition in executive session.
Mr.. Harrison, from the committee on military
affairs, reported adversely the bill to abol sh the
military reservation OF Fort Rice, territory Of Da-
kota. The bill was indefinitely postponed.
Mt Maxey, from the committee on military af
fairs, reported favorably with some amendments,
the bill 10 consolidate the bureau Of military JUS
1t was placed on the calendar.
Mr. Sewell. from the committee on military Of.
fairs, reported favoraby the mouse bill for the re-
lief of III z-John Porter, and on his motion 1t was
made the special order for Wednesday, March IL.
Mr.. Wilson, from the committee on postofices
and postroads, reported favorably the bill 10 pro-
hibt tue mailing of newspapers containing lot
terry advertisements. TIE bill was placed on the
calendar MIR. Jackson, on behalf of The minority
ofthe committee, submitted aminority report.
The following bills were introduced and appro.
prlntely referred
BY Mr., CongeT: To provide for the enlistment of
BY Mr.. Ingalls,: To provide for the leasing of the
desert or aid lands west of the public domain
pa me To smead bs
BY MI. Voorhees,: To amend the pension laws
by increasing the pensions of those who nave lost
ali arm or Il leg.
The chair laid before the senate the resolu.
tion reported yesterday from the committee on
printing, authorizing the printing OF 5000 copies
OF the journal of the joint committee of fifteen on
reconstruction of 1865. The resolution was
agreed to.
Mr.. Morgan offered, for reference to the commit
tee on foreign affairs, a joint resolution which he
said he had been invited to offer Of the same gem
eral character as that introduced by him yester-
day relating to the territory drained by the Congo
river. The resolution was referred to the commit
tee on foreign relations.
agreed TO, calling on the secretary of the navy to
furnish the senate with all information on file in
that department respecting the progress Of the
work OF construction of a ship canal at the 18TH
mus OF Panama.
Mr.. Hale introduced the following joint resolu.
ton, which was at once read three times and
"Reso Ued BY the senate and house Of representa-
ttUes, That the act of her Britannia maj estys gov
ernment in presenting to the United States gov
ernment the Arctic steamship Alert, which will
be used In the contemplated expedition to relieve
Lieut.; Greely and his party is recognized as op;
by the congress and people of the United States.
THAT the President be, and he is hereby, re-
Quested to communicate copy of this resolution
10 her Britannia males ty s government"
Mr. Plumb offered a resolution which was agreed
TO, calling upon the commissioner of agricultur.
to furnish information OF the annual amount o.
wheat, rye corn. and cotton produced in this
country during the five years preceding 1882; the
amount used at home for food, fodder, seed, ant
other purposes; the amount exported abroad anc
the surplus If any, at the end of said group o
years; similar information for the years 1882 and
1883, separately and an estimate as to the yea'
Also. whether in his judgment, speculation b,
"options" or FUTURES in those productions where
no actual transfer takes place, tends 10 affect thC
market value OF the commodity TO the injury o
the consumer or producer.
the bill to authorize the state of California to
lect other lands in place of the sixteenth anc
thirty-sixth sections returned as mineral.
An amendment to the bill as reported by the
committee, was offered by Mr.. Plumb to the effec
that the intention OF the original act granting
lands to California for school purposes was thai
lieu of such sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections
provided such indemnity selection shall be mad,
from surveyed public lands not reserved or appro
priated otherwise
The bill as SO amended, was read a third time
and passed.
The bill next in order, being that appropriat
ing $4,000 to enlarge and improve the custom
house postotiice, and court house at New Haven
Coun" was taken up. and, after an explanation
referred to. the bill was passed.
Mr.. Hoars poygamy bill was passed over owing
to the absence of that senator with the senate in.
Yestigating committee in New Orleans.
The chair laid before the senate the unfinished
business being the bill reported by Mr.. Hale.
from the committee on naval affairs, to aulhorz,
the construction OF additional steel vessels fol
the navy,
The bill authorizes the President to have con
structed seven steel vessels beside one steel ram
one cruising torpedo boat, and two harbor tor
pedo boats: OF the seven vessels two shall bt
cruisers. 500 and 5000 tons, respectively; on,
dispatch vessel, of 1900 tons; two heavily.
armored gnnboats, of 1000 tons each, and on,
gnnboat not To exceed 300 tous to be built OIL
plans and specifications to be furnished by the
admiral of the navy.
Mr.. Hale said. that, with the exception of one
two special appropriations, the attempts made
By Withdrawing money from the appropriation,
for the general use of the navy department
During these years other powers had expended
tens OF million OF dollars. They had made ex
pertinent after experiment, had rejected all tn,
old ships that were formerly considered the mos
formidable, had built new ships after the mos
approved fashion, and SO found themselves to-da,
with formidable fleets of cruising, fighting wa
ships. OF sucn ships, he said, tue United State
possesses hardly one. That was something tina
no nun could deny, Yet he ventured to say tina
ii any trouble with foreign power should arise
us might arise at any time, the American people
would be very loath TO forgive any administration
or any public man which, or who had, by silence
allowed the republic to fall into this detenseles
the blll, and that was that IL did not 20 half ia
enough When he contemplated the things tina
were happening dAily-the clouds thRt were nov
lowering upon the horizon, while they may no
bg them 0 YES fraught with danger-he could no
avoid the reflection that thcse things show us III 4
the United States ought not lOuger 10 he left with
ont means OF asserting its national power in cas-
OF necessity. The committee thought that bll
covering for the present a moderate eX
and that test should be had OF th
sense of congress on this pressing subject. n
step would be taken in the constr ictlon of tn
vessels authorized by the bill without cOns,nn
Cunsu tatlon with the naval advisory board. Tn
new vessels would make from thirteen u seven
teen or eighteen miles an hour, which, with lev
exceptions, would be as high speed as had beel
nuained by any naval vessel in the world aud
should any cloud come up which SHOULD terlnln
ate In war with any foreign nation, these snip
could uvernke In pursuit nineeen-twentieth, o
the II pS otHny nation on the globe. And asd
from tlat, tHeir fighting power. and their powe
oide'lruGuOn Ol commerce ana the ihllclon o
damage ON The enemy, wonld be uneXcelled.
Mr Beck inquired whore the ships were 10 b
bu,l aud whether by private contract or Other
wise.
NJ Hale replied that the bill had been draw
upon tue theory Of the act OF last year and coYerc
the same class OF vessels. He had IN amendmen
which NJ the proper time he would offer, subject
lug them To tue same regulations and restriction
thnt were thrown around the building of ships Il
the act OF March, 1888.
A.r lunb said he would be glad to know tha
I'll Ups would not be built in the navy yard.
lio mad an idea that the highest quality Of wor
would not be got II they were constructed in IN
navy yards, ahd the governments ought TO hay
tlr benefit OF the best possible construction.
Mr Hale remarked that the whole subject ha
been gone over In connection with the bill of las
year. IL was believed, and in that belief II
Shared, that these ships could not be built 5
Cheeply or quickly in navy yard as they coul
outside. In that respect, therefore, we were fol
4. Nln a tha -