Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-02-21
IN THE HOUSE.
The Naval Appropriation Bill Including Battle.
ships. Passed-The Hawaiian Cable.

~
Picker called up his resolution asking
the secretary of the treasury to give the
House the names of old soldiers dismissed
from that department since March 4, 1898,
with the reasons therefor. The House
went into committee of the whole tO'Neil
in the chair on the naval appropriation
bill.
When the item for the increase of the
navy was reached, Dolliver (Rep. sef
Iowa. moved that two OF the nine torpedo
boats be constructed on the Mississippi
river. He said the shipyards of the Miss
issippi valley were able to do the work
and entitled to share in the profits OF
the shipbuilding industry The amend
ment was agreed to- Sayers moved to
strike out the authorization for three
battleships.
Henderson (Rep.) Of Iowa, said he
wanted to protest against the sentiment
expressed in some quarters regarding tht
American navy. 1T would satisfy somt
people best" he said, If every man in
that branch of the service bore on hi
back a tag reading this man is scamp
or a scoundrei."
Sayers, in an earnest speech, said he
was tired of hearing the men denounced
as unpatriotic because they would not
agree to proposed large expenditures. He
denied that men are unpatriotic becau G
they said the expenses of the governemni
should be kept within its receipts in the
time of peace; because they refused t.
sanction contracts between the govern
ment and its citizens by which it Wa
compelled to pay more than the same
citizens contracted to furnish the SAME
article for to foreign countries, (referrine
to the paid contract by which the Bethle-
hem Iron and Steel Co. was to furnish
armor plates to the Russian government
and because they insisted that the Con
gress which authorized great contracts
should appropriate the money necessary
to carry out those contracts.
Talbot (Deln) of Maryland, asserted
that the bill appropriated every dollar
that would or could be expended upon thu
ships in the year 1S95-96 Sayers' motion
to strike out the item of three battleships
was defeated; ayes, 43; noes, 121. Can
non (Rep) of Illinois, moved that the bill
be amended to carry an appropriation o.
1922, 600, 900 with whichto pay for the pro
posed ships. This was lost, 10 to 90, a
was the motion to insert an appropria-
ton Of IS, 600, 600, So to 1876.
To the paragraph providing for the con
tracing for another purchasing of armOI
and armament, Sayers offered as al
amendment the proviso that no higher
price be paid for armor plates of gun stee,
than was paid for like articles by private
PARTIES or other governments Campbell
Dem. of New York, representing, as ht
said an old great shipbuilding district,
made speech in favor of the, passage OF
| the bill as reported by the committee.
| His remarks were received with applause.
Bcutelle congratulated the House ant
country upon the great progress made il
| the commercial and manufacturing in
dependence of the country manifested in
| the amendment of the gentleman from
| Texas. When, few years ago, he said,
| he stood here and moved an amendment
to the naval bill instructing the secretary
of the navy to purchase the armor anG
guns for the then proposed new vessels,
the Democrats, with jeers and jibes, ex-
pressed their surprise that anyone should
imagine that the United States would
ever have the facilities for handling and
producing the immense 'forgings that
| formed part of every YES sci and its ord
| nance.
| And yet in these few short years, under
tho inspiration of that amendment, saif
| Boutelle, there has been developed in the
| United States, the greatest steel plant IL
| the world, and every piece of metal going
into the ships of our navy were made OF
steel cast from ore dug on American soil
and forged by the good right arm OF
| American labor. (Applause.)
| This amendment read like Il new
Declaration of Independence. of the in
dependence of foreign countries in every
thing needed TO protect American interests
and honor on the sea- 1t was mere; it
was the manifestation of the fact that the
gentlemen, who 10 years ago, did not
believe the country could produce such
plants, are now so well satisfied that they
are not willing to longer clothe the secre-
tary with discretion in the matter of
awarding contracts, but must require the
steel contractors to give the government
their most favorable terms.
Savers amendment was accepted by the
committee. The new section, offered by
Durborrow (Dem.) of Illinois, was &C
cepted by the committee, directing the
secretary of the navy to transfer the
Columbus caravels to the Field Columbian
museum, Chicago.
Z Pence (Pop) of Colorado, had the clerk
read letter from Secretary Herbert stat
ing that if the construction of the battle
ships was authorized in the pending bill,
there would be expended in the year end
ing'June 30, 1896, on that account only
s513 600.
, Thescommittee rose, and o Neil reported
to the Speaker that the committee of the