Omaha daily bee., 1892-05-18
FOR AN AMERICAN REGISTRY
Senator Chandler's Bill to Provide for the
Registration of Foreign Built Vessels.
OPPONENTS OF AN EFFICIENT Nav
villas and Mills and Vest Raise Their Voices
Against the Appropriation Bill In tho
senatc-A Lively Discussion In
the House.

WAsnIxGToN d. c.. May 17.-Chanuler
introduced bill to authorize the registra-
tion of certain steamships as vessels of the
United States. Referred.
The preamble reci,es that Austin Corbin
of New York and others proposed to organize
an American steamship company with q
capital of sl0,0)0,000 to construct and pur-
chase first class steamers for the ocean
be purchased to receive an American regis
try that the bill was introduced.
Naval Appropriation Bill.
The naval appropriation bill was then
taken up, the pending question being on the
provision for an increase of the navy. The
house bill provides for one armored cruiser
of about 5000 tons displacement, to cost, ex-
elusive of armament, not less than 5000, 600,
| and the senate amendment provides lin ad-
| dition) for one sea going coast line battle
| ship of about 5000 tons displacement to cos t
not over si,0O0,000. also for one harbor de-
| fense double turret ship of the monitor type
with a displacement of about {, 800 tons, to
| cost not over S3,OOO,000; four light draft
gunboats and six torpedoboats.
| MIR. Mcpherson, who had on last Friday
offered an amendment TO strike out the house
provision for an armored cruiser and the
| senate provision for a Dattleship aud to pro-
| vide for three instead of one harbor defense
| double turret ships of the monitor type, mod
| itied his amendment so as to contine 1t simply
| TO the striking out part Of 1t, leaving the
number of monitors at one.
| MIR. Higgins made speech favoriug the
| increase OF the navy.
Economical Mr.. Villas.
Mr.. Villas referred to the present condition
| of the public treasury aud SAID that the
amount of annual appropriations now I'M
| posed upon the country might not improperly
| be described as appalling. He thought that
| the senate should measure the supposed
necessity for an increase of the navy appro-
| pria,ion on a firm business principle and he
was unable to think that the senate should
go farther under the present circumsta tances
than the house bill provided He would have
! been glad to see oven that provision with
| drawn unless there appeared to DO q greater
| necessity for 1t than he had yet heard sug
| gested.
Mr. Vest referred to Sherman's statement,
| made some days ago, that they were con-
| fronted with deficit, and suggested that the
| warning would have been more appropriate
and infinitely of more utility if it had been
| made to the last congress. 1t was now very
| much like locking the stable door after the
| horse was stolen. He would vote with the
greatest pleasure against the proposed IN
| crease IN every shape and form.
| Mr.. Allison, chairman OF the committee on
| appropriations, asked the democratic sena-
| tors to indicate what statutes they would like
| to report SO as to reduce the appropriations
| that were now necessity.
| Where Vest Would Cut the Expenses.
! MIR Vest replied that so far as he was con-
| cerned he would repeal the sugar bounty law
| ana the postal subsidy law.
| Mr.. Allison calculated the amount that
| would be thus saved at about $1,000, 900, and
| said that the country was asked to elect a
| democratic president and democratic sem
! ate Ill order that the sugar bounty ana the
| postal subsidy law might be repealed.
MIR. VcSt-That would be Just starter,
| Mr.. Allison referred to the condition of
| the public treasury, and among other things
| SAID: 81 will say to tho senators who are
| distressed about the sinking fund, that at
| this time the sinking fund has $4,000, 900 to
| its credit, and the chances are that before
| the end of tho fiscal year every dollar that
ought to- bo applied to it for the year (or
within a few millions at least will be ap-
piled to 1t. And | will say another thing:
When this fiscal year ends we will have Qu-
| stead of being in bankruptcy S!5,00O,0O0 of
surplus. That Is the latest estimate. l have
| no doubt that we will keep within 1t, and
| possibly we will have asurplus of $50 900, ,000.
| | Will venture my statement on the S25 000,-
! 0O0 do not mean to say that all the money
| appropriated will then be expended; we
| know that that is never the case. But what
| l mean to say is that every requirement of
| tho treasury will have been satisfied and that
there will ae S25, 900 of surplus on the
| lst OF January next
| Mr.. Mills SAID the report of the secretary
Of the treasury did not coincide with Mr..
| Allison's statement as to the surplus.
Kind OF Vessels Needed In the Navy.
Mr.. Hawey said that none of our warships
| were ships that could go out to open sea for
a battle. They were splendid chasers aud
probably splendid runners, but what was
| wanted was few, at least, of the old kind
of 1885 to 1860, that could walk out into the
| middle of the ocean and say: "Here 1 am
| with the stars and stripes"
| Mr.. Hiscock expressed the belief that If
Mr.. Gormar or MIR. Palmer would be the
| next president and he would advocate an en-
| largement of the navy the senators from Mis-
rourI and Wisconsin ;Messrs. Vest and
Vilas) would sustain their administration or
else sit silent IN their seats.
Finally the vote WAS taken on Mr. Nc
Phcrson's amendment as modified, and it
was reiected-yeas, IS; nays, 80; as fol-
| lows:
Yeas-Messrs. Berry, Blodgett, Carlisle,
Cockrell, Coke. Faulkner, Hill, Kyle, Nc
Pettlgrew, Pugh, Turpie, Villas and Voor-
| hees-lS.
Nays-Messrs. Allen, Allison, Butler,
Casey, Chandler, Davis, ID yves, Dubois, Eel
Hawley, Higgins, Hiscock, Henderson,
Mitchell, Morgan, Paddock, Perkins, Proc
tor, Quay, Ransom. Sanders, Sawyer, Shoup,
Stanford, Teller Wilson-3O.
! Mr.. Morgan offered an amendment provid-
| ing that il the harbor defense ship be put on
the Pacinc coast an allowance OF 3 per cent
may be made on its cost TO the contractor IN
addition to the contract price TO cover the
| cost of transportation OF material.
| The amendment was agreed to without q
| division.
The question recurred on the amendment
| reported by the committee on appropriations.
| Mr.. Cockrell opposed 1t on the grounds
| that there was no absolute need of the vessels
| contemplated ana that the condition of the
| treasury did not justify such an expenditure
Without coming 10 vote on the question