National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-07-27
MILLIONS FOR DEFENsE.
Important Amendments TO the Fortin-
cation Bili-"sixty Millions of People
IIIinrlu nnfnnnnlnnn

Important Amendments to the Fortin-
cation Biii-"sixty Millions of People
utterly Defenseless."
The Senate committee on appropriations
yesterday morning finished It's work upon
the fertilization appropriation bill, and tho
measure was reported by the chairman TO
the Senate. It contains number Of i'm
portant amendments. A provision appro.
priatlng $4,000 TO continue the sea wall
around Governors Island has been added.
Section (which approprlates $500, 900 for the
armament OF sea coast Notifications, is
struck out, and the foil owing is substi-
tuted; "For the purchase, manufacture,
and erection Of the necessary tools and ma
ehinery for the finishing and assembling OF
heavy ordnance at the Frankfort arsenal,
Philadelphia, Pa; for gun carriages, pro-
Jectiles, fuses, powder, Implements, and ma
terial for the trial and proof Of such ord
nance, and to complete the two 10.inch
breech-loading steel guns now under fabri-
cation, their trial and proof, and all neces-
sary expenses incident thereto, including
compensation Of draughtsmen on gun con-
structions, 100000, to be available until
expended"
A new section Of the bill approprlates
100000, or so much thereof MS may be nee.
essary, TO enable the Secretary OF War 10
contract with the South Boston Iron Works
for the construction Of ten 12inch muzzle-
loading castiron mortars, each Of 81 900
pounds weight, at sum not exceeding
$4,000 each, or six with steel bands not to
exceed $4,000 each, I'm the discretion of
the Secretary Of War.
Still another new section has been added
to the bill, embodying with notifications
the provisions Of Senator Hawley's two
proposed amendments reported from the
committee on coast defenses, and replying
respectively to the army and the navy.
This new section is as follows:
That the Secretary Of War and the Secretary
Of the Navy be, and hereby are, authorized
jointly TO make contracts with responsible
steel manufacturers, after suitable advertise.
ments, 70 continue not less than thirty days In
newspapers most likely to reach the mnnufac.
turers addressed, for the supply OF rough bored,
rough turned, and tempered steel In forms
suitable FOR heavy ordnance adapted TO modern
warfare for army and navy purposes, in guam
tity not to exceed 10000 gross tons, In quality
and dimensions conforming to specifications,
subject TO inspections and tests at each stage OF
manufacture, and including all the parts OF
money shall be expended except for steel ac-
copied and delivered; that each bidder shall
contract e erect in the United States a
appliances, capable of making all the
steel required and OF finishing II, In ao-
cordance with the contract and agree In the
u specified quantity Of cach callber, the time
OF delivery of smaller caliber to commence at
the expiration OF not more than eighteen
m MOI ana inc largest calioer az the expira.
ofexecution of the contract; and nil the forg.
ings shall be Of American product and manu-.
featured In the United States. and one.half of
the material purchased under this provision
shall be for the use OF the War Department,
and one.half for the use of the Navy DEPART
ment in the armament OF ships heretofore or
NNnR aUNNlN 1AI lVV(
purpose of the foregoing provision the sum Of
10000, 600 is hereby appropriated, to be avail.
able for six years from the date of the execu-
ton Of the contract.
Senator Hawley's attention being called
to this section by the reporter, he said It
was In substantial accord with the several
reports OF the armament board, the gun
foundry board, the fertilization board, and
the Senate select committee on ordnance
and war ships. Itmodifed the propositions
which the committee on coast defenses In
structed him to lay before the committee
on appropriations, but retained the sub
stance. Should the amendment become
law, there is no doubt that several proml-
nent steel.makers will be ready TO contract
to deliver, within eighteen months the
parts Of the best modern steel guns Of @ and
S-inches caliber, and within three years the
parts OF 10, IL, and 16inch guns, the whole
work being done In the United States. or
the few 8 and 10-inch steel guns hitherto
made, the heavy forgings have all been
made abroad. The bill, If successful, Gen.
Hawley said, will begin new era in the his
tory OF our ordnance.
"sIxTY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE UTTERLY DE-
FENsELEss."
Following is an editorial article which
appeared In the New York Tribune of last
Saturday:
The official return OF immigration at priuci-
pal ports during the last fiscal year has lust
been made. Unfortunately, 1t omits the immi.
grafton from Canada and Mexico altogether,
the present. administration having preferred to
give no information regarding the additions to
population from either quarter because defects
IN the law render It impossible to give abso-
lutely accurate Information. Hence the public
iscompelled toguess at the increase from Brit.
ish America, which during the last fiscal year
was 81, GOO. The Immigration from Mexico is
Insignificant. The total number of immigrants
reported from six principal districts, usually
about 90 per cent. of the entire immigration,
was 82S,9l7 for the last year, decline of 0 per
Stunning that there has been as great decrease
In the immigration from Canada also, which is
not quite probable in view OF events chronicled
during the year, the addition to population by
foreign immigration must have been not less
than 800, 2l7 during the last year.
The most accurate estimate yet made of the
increase OF population from year TO year Is by
birthsover deaths and the number of immi-
grants from other countries. Reckoning on
that method from the census of 1880, It appears
that the population of the United States July
l. 1856, Is 6O,025,0O0. 1t Is presumably q little
larger, because the estimate for unreported
Immigration IL probably low. Undoubtedly
the United States now has more than 60, 900
of people. China has about seven times as
many Inhabitants. British India has about
four and one-fourth times as many, aud the
car of Russia rules over about &C per cant.
more subjects than the inhabitants of this
country. But excepting these the United
States surpasses all nations in population, hav,
ing one!third more than Germany had at the
last census. France and Austro. Hungary,
numbering about 37,600,000, have together
about a quarter more than the population OF
the United States Great Britain Belgium,
the Netherlands, and Spain, taken together.
but slightly outnumber this nation; Italy,
Greece, Roumania, and Turkey, also together.
slightly ou!nunber the United States. But
this nation Is gaining rapidly, while no other
considerable power Is advancing at nearly the
same rate
Sixty millions of people-utterly defenseless
in all their rich seaports, because demagogues
In Congress fancy that the people prefer econ-
omy TO the means of self-defense. Sixty mill
lions ofpeople-who produce more and con-
0OOO on earth, because the Republican sys-
TEN of protection has not yet been broken
down by repeated assaults of the party now In
power. Sixty millions of e--dependent
on the charity of foreigners for the transporta-
tton of our mails 10 some foreign countries,
because a reform administration refuses TO
obey o law enacted n year ago to provide
commerce. Sixty millions of people-who are
ruled by about third of their number In six
teen states, because the constitution and laws
OF the nation are in those states systematically