The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-02-13
CLEAN LIMBED LIKE A WRESTLER.
The New Navy Which Is to FIy the
Stars and Stripes.
Mr.. Hale on Its constructIon-The
Appropriation Bill Passed.
Mr.. smalIs Presents His Claim to
the Contested Seat.

WASHINGTON. Feb. 12.--The Senate TODAY
resumed consideration Of the naval appro.
priatton bill.
Mr.. Teller moved an amendment appropri-
ating 100000 for the purchase of guns
(from one-pounders to 32-pounders) and small
arms, of the Hurst Reinforce Cartridge and
Arms Company of New Jersey. He spoke
of the fact that the gun inventors of this
country had no encouragement from our own
government and had sold their inventions to
foreign governments. particularizing the
Hotchkiss and Maxim guns.
Mr.. Plumb expressed concurrence with the
general scope of Mr.. Teller's remarks. He
said the difficulty was that in this country in
ventors were legion. II the government
were to experiment with every invention of
improved guns or missiles, or engines of war
the entire appropriation made by the ord
nance bureau for that purpose would be
quickly used up. Referring TO the Spring
field rifle, Mr.. Plumb spoke of 1t as at least
falr compromise among the @erent kinds
Of small arms. Passing TO the consideration
of the general subject of the navy, he COM
plimented the present administration Of the
Navy Department.
Mr.. Hale expressed satisfaction at Mr..
4
condition of the naval strength of the
country. He had recently said that in five
years the United States would have the best
navy in the world. The progress was at
first slow. Under the administration of the
Navy. Department by Mr.. Chandler, the
foundations for the construction of new
navy under modern methods had been laid.
Ihe work had been entered upon Of building
the Dolphin. Boston, Atlanta and Chicago.
when the present administration came in it
In nf
tion and provision made for other ships.
Much of the success which had characterized
the present administration Of the Navy De
partment, to which he was glad to bear testi-
nn mony had been owing to the hearty holding
by the majority of the Senate opposed to
him in politics. The Secretary had been
careful in his methods and had encouraged
American inventors, American enterprise,
had some Of the best ships to be found to-
day on the waters of the globe. The Sena-
tor from New Hampshire Mr.. Chandlerl had
Deen only able to launch during his admin
istration of the Navy Department two or
the Navy, with all the appropriations in his
hands and an earnest effort to make them
available, had been only able to launch six
or seven new ships. His successor would be
able during the next four years to launch
10 or 20, or % or 30 of the finest armed and
The navy would be like a clean limbed.
thoroughly equipped wrestler with no imped-
iments, and nothing to hinder 1t, no old and
useless ships, none of those vast, unwieldy
monstrous structures, that had consumed
millions on millions of the money of other
powers, which officers and men did not dare to
trust themselves at sea. We would have
ships armed with the best modern guns,
manned by American sailors, who had never
met their equals in naval warfare. Ii the
United States went on as she had been going
on the last four years, her ships would equal
In number those of any other power ex-
cept perhaps, France, England and one or
two other European powers.
After further discussion, Mr. Teller's
amendment was withdrawn in favor of one
offered by Mr. Hale. which was agreed to,
appropriating $4,000 for testing the Hurst
guns. The bill then passed.
A message from the President transmitting
the report from the Secretary of State as to
the seal fisheries in Behring's sea. was pre-
sented, read and referred to the committee ON
foreign relations,
Democratic members made objection to the
reading and discussion of the report of the
committee on the Washington County, Texas,
outrages, but the report was taken up by
strict party vote, discussion being cut off by
motion to adjourn. The resolution reads:
Resolved, That the committee on privileges and
elections be directed to carefully revise the exist
ing laws regulating elections of members of Con
gress with a view of providing more complete
protection in the exercise of the elective iran
TO report 10 the next legislative session of the
Senate by bill or otherwise.