Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-03-02
FIFTY-THIRD CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Mar. 2.
SENATE,

Line arrest auU lmpriSoUmouo VI wv
Cubans-Sanguili and Aguirre-clalm'
ing to be American citizens, for partlci-
patton in the revolutionary movement
in Cuba, was this morning called to the
attention of the Senate by Mr.. Call,
who presented a telegram received by
him on the subject and had it referred
to the committee on foreign relations
with request on his part that the com
mittee act promptly in the matter.
The conference report on the fortlh-
cations bill was concurred in, leaving
seven other appropriation bills still in
conference.
The naval appropriation bill, the last
of the great appropriation bills, was
taken up and the Senate proceeded to
consider it.
The first committee amendment that
attracted attention was that reducing
from two thousand to one thousand the
number of additional seams On that the
Secretary of the Navy may enlist.
Mr.. Lodge argued against the amend
.ment and appealed to the Senate not to
cripple the navy. that great arm of the
public service, which was likely to be
called upon at any moment to protect
American interests in any part of the
world.
Mr.. German explained and defended
the amendment as being really in the
interest of the navy itself. The bill
had come from the House with pro
vision that the Secretary of the Navy
might enlist 1000 additional sailors,
but without any appropriation for
them. In that case, as in all others.
the appropriations committee had pro-
vided for the current fiscal year. The
increase of 1000 would make the total
number of sailors about 5000, and
when all the new ships would be COM
pleted the number would run up to
10000 men. The last three or four Sec
retaries of the navy had been very
able men, and had, by appealing to
Congress, succeeded in getting very
liberal appropriations for building up
the present wonderful navy. But to
overdo it in time of depression and
in the present condition of the treasury
would only react against the navy.
Mr.. Hunton declared himself dis
posed to strengthen the hands of the
Secretary of the Navy, and he there
fore saw, with regret, not only de
crease in the number of seamen las
provided in the House billy, but also
decrease in the number of vessels to be
built. He hoped that the Senate would
disagree to the committee amendments
ttn ho
House.
Mr.. Hill wished that greater con-
sideraton had been given to the advice
of Governor Tilden respecting seaboard
deiensss. He went on to cite illuctra
tions of remarkable events in American
history where the American cause pre-
vailed, not because of q powerful navy
but because the State department was
in the hands of strong men, Fish, Marcy
and other secretaries, and he expressed
the wish that there could be q perma-
nent equipment of the State depart
ment, so that, though secretaries
might come and go, conspicuous and
learned staff would remain.
Mr.. Chandler said that he should
support the amendment relying on the
judgment of the committee. No great
harm could be done if the full compile
ment of men was not on board each |
ship, in time of peace, and, assuming
that the committee had reasons for re-
porting the amendment, he should sup
port it.
Mr.. Hunson read letter from the |
Secretary ofthe Navy showing that the !
new vessels to be completed not later
'han December, 1895, will require 2 800 |
seamen, but that. as all the vessels
would not be in commission at the |
same time, he would only ask authori-
ty to enlist 1000.
Mr.. German atated that, for the next
six months, the additional thousand
men provided for in the amendment
would be all that could be properly
What the committee proposed |
was to make provision for the future.
not to cripple the navy, and to let the
next Congress deal with the future in.
crease. He notified Senators that if all |
the appropriations voted for by the
Senate within the last two or three
days, and by the House within the last
Two or three weeks, became law the
aggregate appropriations at this session
would be more than 500 millions, a
larger amount than was ever appro.
priated before, and that, too, in the
face of a depleted treasury. He sub.
mitted, therefore, that this was not the
time for extraordinary haste in max
ing appropriations. The committee had
not been unfair to the present admins
tratioD; for the pr. sident had wisely
said, in his message at the beginning
of this Congress, that so much money
had been appropriated for new ships
for the navy that all that could be done
would be to spend it. 1t had not all
been spent yet.
After further arguments by Senators
Hale, Hawley, Aldrich and Gray, all
against the amendment, the vote was
taken and the amendment reducing
additional enlistments In the navy from
2 900 to 1000 was agreed to: Yeas,
81 F; nays 20.
The conference report on the agri-
cultural appropriation bill was then
10.
HOUSE,.
The last legislative days existence
Of the 53rd Congress began in the House
1T IL o'clock, an almost unprecedent
I'D fact. Not the oldest employee re-
called another Congress which went
put in such a regular and uneventful
manner as this one. This was due to
The effect of continuous daily sessions