The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-21

4 Z
line !, ths words "-to be Immediately avail
able" which - is proposed By the CON-
n4ttec amendment 70 emit ] wish 70
say thar II this anerdnsrs IL carried
there can be no payment made for work
dons between this tine and the first day
% July. 49,
Mr. Chan9ia--Mav / interrupt the ser
ator BY saying. IN the interest OF exredi-
ton. that I take IL for granted that
the committee were rot aware % this fact
an1 therefore the senator IN charge OF
the bin Will consent 10 withdraw the
amendment
Mr.. Sluire-Nr President. take II fer
granted that this point must have escaped
the attention % the committee. The Sec
rotary OF the navy has stated in COM
munication addressed 70 the honorable
senator from South Carolina fsr. Butisra
that II this part OF the amendmept should
be adopted the result would BE a suspen-
sion OF The work. and probably the pros
trarton financially OF the FIRM engaged IN
this contract with the government i.
VIII be impossible for these people, In
these bard ard stringent times. 20 go on
with that work for any considerable pc
rtod without resolving their paw The
contract has been entered into on the part
OF the government. and the government
Is bound 10 carry IL out and make its
payment; and yet II IS impossible for the
payment 10 be made unless there shall
be an appropriation for that purpose.
Do the people OF the United States. does
this senate. does congress desire that the
work shall be absolutely suspended and
abandoned? Does X desire 20 ruin the
contractors who have engaged IN this
work In good faiths Does IL desire that
there shall be suspension OF this work
after expending SO many hundreds OF
thousands OF dollars. and In the face OF
all So S~tsa 81 -
this dry DOCK OF which congress was
fully advised and TO which II fully con-
scented and agreed7
Mr.. Chandler-Lst me understand the
senator. When does he say the work
Will stop
Mr.. SUPPLEMENTARY
Mr.. Chandler-Then there would be
March. April. May, and June. nearly four
months. during which the work at this
dry dock would be suspendei7
Mr.. Squire-Exactly. The honorable
senator from New Hampshire has stated
1t correctly. II the language ito be made
Immediately available Is stricken out OF
the bin. as the COMMITTEES propose in their
amendment. there can be no payment
made for this work until after the 3oth
day 81 June, 1885 That is a most serious
question. and It is one which Is too I'm
portant to be glided over careiessly. The
secretary OF the navy has submitted his
estimates TO this congress. and the house
OF representatives has conformed 70 those
estimates. As / said before, the chair
man of the house committee on appro-
priations informed me during last July
when the committee on appropriations
was making up its budget. that If would
consent to the appropriation OF only the
sum of $500 the house OF representa-
tives would cheerfully and gladly pro-
vide a sufficient amount for the continue
~ o l..wr -
March. 1896. l consented TO IL individual
ly on that condition, as could not have
done as a senator representing the state
of Washington. unless there had been
some reasonable understanding of that
character.
MIR. President IL does not seem to me
possible that there can be such n degree
of lack. l might even say of sense Of
duty on the part OF any legislative body,
much less the senate OF the United States
as 10 adopt an amendment which will
shut down this important. work just at
this critical juncture. when there Is only
the sum OF Sl4. $3.50 remaining for the
payment OF the bills for the month of
February. a sum which is admitted by
the commodore in CHARGE OF the bureau
of yards and docks is probably INSULT
cient to pay the biAs of the last past
month OF February. So much for that
part OF the amendment.
Mr. President, / desire to speak of the
amendment In line s. striking out the
words and seyentyiive:'' in other
words. reducing the appropriation. which
was agreed upon In the house of repre-
sentatives. from S2s5.eo0 10 s2lo. 900. cutting
out the $4,000. As TO that, 1t Is expected
that the contractors viii finish their work
this fall; IL Is believed they will finish It
by the month OF August Before they
can be paid, the contract provides-and I
want the attention, IL / may be so fav-
ored, of the senator In charge of the bill
that before the contractors can be paid.
within thirty days after the completion
of this dry dock, a test must be made by
docking a ship. This cannot be done IN
less the entrance be dredged. Let. US I'M
derstand this matter clearly.
The sum of $4,000 Ia necessary for
dredging the passage from the Sound into
the dry dock. The contract requires that
within thirty days after after the compile
ton OF the dock vessel shall be put into
10 10 test the dock, but that vessel cam
not be put into the dock unless this pas
sage way be dredged. What position will
the government be In II It refuses 10 ap-
propriate the necessary money 10 do this
dredging7 In the first place. Il cannot
test the value OF the work: In the Sec
ond place the work will be OF no use
TO the United States, because no ship can
60 IN there. and In the third place, the
government will be subject to an action
on the part of the contractors for dam
ages for failing TO test the dock In accord
ance With the terms OF the contrar and
thus to entitle them TO a final payment
for their work.
So much for that. Now come the other
items and I will get through with the
list I'm moment. The secretary Of the
navy has submitted an estimate OF s. 600
for en- Office building. There IL no office
building there. One officer. Lieutenant
Wyckor. who had charge OF the work.
entirely lost his health in consequence
OF helng compelled TO live on shiphoard
while I'm charge Of the work. Thus it
seems that there should he an off build
ing which IL is estimated will cost 8. 600.
The next item IS clearing the sta
ton" as Il is termed I'm the technical
parlance The ground Of which I stated
there are about 80 acres. is covered with
brush and trees. II should be cleared.
and an estimate of si2.2eo is submitted
for this purpose. take II that needs no
argument. The next item is for officers
quarters, $500. This station Is more
than a mile away from the nearest
house.
Mr.. Gorman-WIn the senator from
Washington allow me- should Ike 10
ask him a question. The provision as I,
came from the house Is for continue
ton Of dry dock" As 10 the dry dock
which was authorized in 1851. and prin-
cipalfy through thu efforts OF the dlstin-
euIshed senator from Washington CMr.
squirrel. there is q limitation OF 10000
for its completion. Bnt no provision was
made. I understand. for the dredging
Notwithstanding the contract Now
comes an appropriation under tina. head.
OF continuing the dry dock and also for