The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-18
DOINGS In CONGRESS
A Bill to Authorize the Regis
tration of Steamships.
THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL
McPherson's Amendment Defeated = House
Bills-Progress of the Sundry
Civil Bill.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, May Il.-ln the Senate
Chandler introduced a bill to authorize the
registration of certain steamships as
vessels of the United States Referred to
the committee on commerce.
The preamble recites that Austin Corbin
OF New York, and associates propose to
organize company, to be known as the
American Steamship company with
capital of at least Sl0,00O,O 600, for the pur-
pose OF constructing and purchasing first
class passenger steamers to run between
New York and a port Or ports of Great
Britain, and provides that all vessels
owned by such company of not less than
1000 tons capacity and of speed not less
than nineteen knots per hour, acquired by
purchase or otherwise, after the passage of
the act, shall be entitled to receive Ameri-
can registers in accordance with the pro-
visions of the act of May 10, 1892, pro-
videa the company shall show to the salts
faction Of the secretary of the treasury
that 1t has built or contracted to have
built, IN an American shipyard, vessel of
equal or greater tonnage with such foreign
built ship, and also provided no register
shall be issued to any foreign built ship
until the company shall have acquired or
applied for the registry of at least two
such foreign built ships with specified
capacity and speed.
THE NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL
was then taken up, the pending question
being provision for an increased navy.
Mcpherson, who Friday last offered an
amendment to strike out the House provis-
ion for an armored cruiser and the Senate
| provision for battleship and provide for
three instead of one harbor defense double
turret ship, Monitor type, modified his
amendment, leaving the number of moni-
| tors at one.
Higgins of Delaware favored an increase
of the navy, even if it involved an increase
of the national debt.
Villas said the amount of the annual ap-
preparations now imposed on the country
might not improperly be described as ap-
palling, and did not think the Senate should
go further towards increasing the navy
under the present circumstances than the
House bill provided.
Vest said he would vote against the pro-
posed increase in every shape and form.
Allison OF Iowa, chairman of the appro-
prion committee, asked the Democratic
senators to indicate what statutes they
would like To repeal in order to reduce the
appropriations now necessary. Vest re-
piled that he would repeal the sugar
bounty law and postal subsidy bill Allison
calculated the amount this saved at about
IS, 900, 900, and said the country had asked
the election of Democratic President and
Senate IN order that the sugar bounty and
postal subsidy laws might be repealed.
Vest, replying, said that would just be G
starter.
Allison referred to the condition of the
public treasury, and, among other things
| said to the senators who were distressed
about the sinking fund at this time:
at has S34 100000 to its credit, and the
chances are before the close of the fiscal yeal
every dollar that ought TO be applied to i
for the year Cor within few millions q
least) will be applied TO it. When thu
fiscal year ends we will have instead o.
bankruptcy, S25, 100000 surplus and prob
ably $50, 100000. That is the latest esti
mate, and l have no doubt we will. l will
venture my statement on the S25, 000 600
and say every requirement of the treasur!
will have been satisfied, and that Their,
will be S25, 600, 600 surplus on July next"
Mills of Texas said that the report of thu
secretary of the treasury did not coincid
with AIlison's statement as to the surplus
Hawley of Connecticut said that none O.
our warships could go out TO sea to fight
Finally vote was taken on McPherson'i
amendment and it was rejected. Yeas, IS
nays, 80; as follows:
Yeas-Messrs. Berry, Blodgett, Carlisle
COcRrell, COKE, aulkner, Hill, AYE, INC
. Pherson, Mills, Palmer Pasco, PETER
Pettigrew, Pugh, Turpie, Villas and Voor
hees-lS
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Allison, Butter
! Casey Chandler Davis, DeEmis, Dubois
FELTON,, Fry, Hales, Hansbrough, Hawley
Higgins, Hiscock, Henderson, Mitchell
Morgan, Paddock, Perkins, Proctor. Quay
Ransom, Sanders, Shoup, Stanford, Teller
Wilson-30.
Morgan of Alabama offered an amend
ment providing that if the harbor defens
ships be put on the Pacific coast an allow
ance of three per cent may be made on it
cost to the contractor in addition to tn
contract price, TO cover the cost Of tn
transportation of material, which wa
agreed 10 without division.
The question then REQUIRED on the amend
ment reported by the committee on appro
priations. Cockrell of Missouri was op
posed to it ON the ground that there was n
absolute necessity for the new vessels cor
templated and that the condition of tn
, treasury did not justify such an expend
ture. Without coming TO avote on the quel
q tlon the Senate adjourned.