Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-17
House Appropriations Committee
 Ready to Report The
GENERAL DEFICIENCY BILL
CreS ham Recommends Pay ment of Great Britain's
 Claim for Damages.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16.--1he general de- thirteen regular appropriation bills, was completed by the appropriations commit fee and reported to the house today. The appropriations made by the measure gre to supply the deficiencies for the year 1895 and prior years, and amount to s6, 51s ,574. In addition to the appropriation made by this bill s2,s6i, 1921 has been appropriated by the present congress to supply de- Gciences.
 No appropriation to pay the claims aris- Ing out of the Behring sea controversy is made by the bill. Secretary Gresham through the treasury department, sent to the house on the 18th an estimate of s425,- GOO "for the payment by the United States for full satisfaction of all claims which may be made by Great Britain for damages growing out of the controversy as to fur seals in Behring sea or the seizure of Brit ish vessels engaged in taking sealsin those waters.'
 This estimate was considered by the committee, but owing to the lateness of its receipt was not incorporated in the bill. The committee did not have time to examine into the matter, and it's members declined to vote for or against the proposi-
 
 Although it was not placed in the bill 1t was decided to allow Mir. Breckinridge to offer it as an amendment to the bill when taken up by the house. This privilege does not in any way commit the committee and ito members are free to support or op- pose it on the floor.
 In submitting the matter Secretary Gresham says the agreement to pay a lump sum of S425 ,000 in full settlement of all de- mands authorized to be made under the ,0da h bfo ant This amount, he says, is considerably be- low the damages claimed by Great Britain, exclusive of interest for a number of years. 1u closing the request for the allowance he says:
 ''lf this agreement does not receive the approval of congress and the disputed questions are submitted to an international commission it Is believed that the amou nts allowed and the expense of the tribunal, including witnesses and the taking of their testimony, will largely exceed S425, 900. In view of all the facts and what might bs reasonably expected as the result of . com mission, the undersigned submits that.a psompt and final settlement of the vexa- tious controversy by an appropriation of the lump sum agreed upon is advisable.'
 Among the appropriations authorized are Public buiIdings-C Charleston, 8. O., to complete, $40, 600; Tallahassee, Fla, to complete, sa001
 The ulscuSsl0n In committee over the Behring sea estimate was precipitated by MT. O'Neill of Massachusetts, who opposed it in strong terms. He exclaimed, with some heat, that he had rather go to war with Great Britain than make this pay. nlent. He said n effect that Great Britain was always ready to arbitrate with any country as big as herself, and that the rep resentatives on the part of tho United States at the tribunal of Paris were out u4tted by British representatives. Great Britain, he asserted, trains her diplomats carefully, and they are now among the cleverest in the world. The other mem- bsrs of the tribunal, being themselves cit izens of monarchies, were naturally more in sympathy with Great Britain than with the American republic.
 It was contended by some of The other members present that we had agreed to be bound by the findings of the tribunal, and that we were in duty bound to pay the award. MT. O'Neil insisted that such n payment by the United States would be a mistake. At all events there was no occa- sion for haste in the matter while the claims of so many of our own citizens remain un- paid.
 ! 1t ia not doubted, notwithstanding Mir. O'Neill's opposition in the committee to- day, that when the appropriation is offered as an amendment to the bill in the house it will pass.