The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-03-03
ruF LoYAL LEGION.
An Interesting Letter from Congressman
.@3.4si Bouteile.

| ' .s3H3sa BouteHes
The March meeting of the Maine Com
mandarv of the Military Order of the
Ioyal legion of the. United States was
held at the Falmouth Hotel last evening,
BROADER General Thomas W. Hyde of
Bath. commander, in the chair.
AZ the business meeting, the recorder
road the following letter from Hon.
Charles A. Bouteile:
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
WASHINGTON, December Is. 1891 \
| Major III. S. Burrdge, recorder:
Dear Sir and Companion: 1 am in re-
ceint Of the resolutions of the Maine
| Commandery. endorsing the resolutions
| Of the Minnesota Commandery in behalf
| of ADEQUATE improvement of our coast
dafences, and need hardly assure YOU of
NV warm sympathy with the patriotic
sentiments expressed.
If NAV he a source of some satisfac-
/ lion to tie Maine Commandery that the
5tst, Congress-. in which the Speaker of
the House and Chairman of the Com
mittee On Naval Affairs We're companions
made the most notable Contribution vet
provided for the defence of our coasts,
by appropriations Tor notifications, and
especially by authorizing the construc
ton of the first powerful modern battle
ships for our navy =
take the liberty of enclosing some re-
ports by which you will see that the
building of these heavy battle-ships was
recommended by me primarily, as fur
nishino the most available and effective
means of defending our coast. as | par
ticularly designated them in the bill as
sssea-ooing. coast-line battle-ships." 1t
is a matter for national congratulation
that these three powerful vessels now in
course of construction, are regarded as
superior in design to any other battle
ships, Mr.. Biles, the designer of the
CITY of New York and City of Paris,
having expressed the opinion in paper
read before the Institution of Naval Ar
chitects in London, IN March last, that:
s.Their preponderance of armament
would give them an advantage in COM
bat near their own coast line with any
European vessel. They are distinctly
superior in most respects to any Europe
an vessels of the same displacement, and
for the purposes intended of protecting
the American coast Line, they seem to be
quite match for any ships afloat.'
| No higher commentator could be Civ
en- than these words of the designer of
the most famous ocean steamships in the
world
Mr.. Biles spoke in similar terms of
praise of the two olnmerce-destroying
cruisers, Nos. 10 and 10, authorized by
the same Congress, saying to his English
associates:
/ ssThe building of such ship as No. IL,
with which we have nothing to cope, GER
tainly is an indication of what America
is capable Of both in conception and
| construction
As an illustration of the character of
the appropriations which have caused
certain people to style the 51st as 'sThe
Billion Dollar Congress- | may cite the
following figures showing the relative
contributions toward the naval defences
of our country:
Naval appropriations first session,
Naval appropriations, second ses-
sion, 51st Congress, ....... 31,54l,654
| Naval appropriations two years
| 5lSt Congress .S56,5o7.6SS
| Naval appropriations, aggregate of
1 four previous years. .$67 ,354, 259
Or, to make the contrast more specific:
| Naval appropriation for year end
4 ing june, 80, 1886. .$13, 9O7, 1877
Naval appropriation for year end
ing June 80, 1892. ............. 31,541 ,654
For the direct purpose of building and
equipping new vessels for the navy:
During two years of 51st Congress. $24, TIT 900
During five previous years ........ 2S,943, 1862
/ During four previous years. $685.. 22,203,362
In other words, the 51st Congress pro-
vided So, 500,000 more for increasing the
navy than the two preceding Congresses
and only 50, 900, 900 less than the total Of
all previous appropriations for the new
navy.
As Maine companions had so much to
do with these results, have thought
these reminders mightnot be entirely de-
void of interest, and Fam
Yours very sincerely,
n - c. A. BoUTELLE.
The following were elected members
of the Commandery:
Charles Hamlin. Bangor Major 18th Maine
Vol. Infantry, afterwards First Maine Heavy
A AdsrH eengera g. w. Apr d So ss 1sss
resigned September, 1866; Brevet Brig. Gen.,
William Whitman Whitmarsh, Norway, First
Sergeant Co. G, 1st Maine Volunteer Infantry,
May 3, 1857 second Lieutenant Co. G, 10th
Maine Volunteer Infantry Oct. A, 1851; first
Lieutenant Co. G.; Captain Co. G, 29th Maine
Veteran Volunteer Infantry, Dec. 16, 1868;
mustered out March 8 1893 Served IN n
Provost Marshal Of the Eastern District of
Albert Tracy, Portland, First Lieutenant of
Infantry Y s. A. Feb Fsbz "a 1874; Do 9Th y s.
fantry, Feb. 23, 1913 regiment disbanded Aug.
26, 1913; Captain; 10th 1t U S. Infantry March
1868; retired from active service, Nov. 4, 1866;
Captain by grevet, Sept. 1:3, 1s47 for gallant
and meritorious conduct in the battle Of Che
puepec r Col BY Breyet March - 1862
Of 1862. under Gen. Fremont in Virginia."
Colonel BY Breyet March 49, ase5 for fat
U. S. Vols. Colonel and A. D. G., October and
November, 1861; Captain and A.. p. G., Nov.
1861 to March 1862; Colonel and additional A.
?. G., March 1852 to Noyember 1868; Adiutant
Henry Henry Genet Staples, Augusta, Major Sd
Maine Volunteer Infantry. June 4, 1861 Col Col
onel, Sept. Z, 1861 mustered out Nov. IL, 1862.
James Carlton Rundett, Portland Corporal
Co. &, Goth Maine Volunteer Infantry, Aug. Is.
1867 First Sergeant, spring of 1868; Second
Lieutenant Go. G Dec . g. 1884, So Captain Co. l. l.
the port of Beaufort, :; G., July H.. 1865;