Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-04-28
FIFTY-FoURTH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON. april IS
SENATE.

Consideration of the naval sppropria-
ton bill was resumed. the pending
amendment being one offered by Mr..
Chandler prohibiting the employment
of officers on the retired or sctive list
of the navy by corporations or persons
furnishing materials 10 the government:
a further amendment was offered
providing that in case the Secretary OF
the Navy shall make separate contracts
for armor and armor plate, they shall
be at price not exceeding $3.50 per
ton Of 2,2t0 pounds: and if unable to
make contracts within that limit, &C.
ton is to be delayed and the offers are Z
be reported TO the next session of Con-
gress.
The discussion on the amendment
prohibiting retired naval officers from
taking employment with persons or
corporations having contracts with the
government was continued.
Mr.. Chandler said that so long as
naval officers are receiving pay from
the government they shall not go into
the employment, for high wages, OF
concerns that are doing business with
the government to the amount of mill
lions OF dollars"
Mr.. Tillman denounced "the i'm
morality and bad taste or dishonor" OF
the system against which the naval
committee was contending.
Mr.. Hawley said, from personal in
formation, that one Of the officers IN
question had been treated very cruelty
and uDjustly.
81 am ready" Mr.. Tillman said, "to
vote to restore that officer to the active
list, but he should not serve the enemy
of the government"
Mr.. Hale suggested that the Sen
ate had been "lobbied'' by the officers
who were affected by the proposed
amendment or by their friends. Some
| fifteen millions, he said, had been paid
to those two great firms-the Carnegie
and Bethlehem. In these new cnndi'
tions, where it was a contest between
the government and those concerns,
there ought to be no man in their en-
ployment who was an officer of the
government.
HOUSE.
The first business in order in the
House to-day was the vote on the pas
sage of the pension bill, which was
taken by yeas and nays at the demand
of Mr.. Crowther. 1t resulted Yeas,
1877; nays, 81. The republicans nd
populists supported the bill and the
democrats opposed it. Six democrats,
however, voted for the bill-Cummings
and Walsh, of New York, and Layton
and Sorg, of Ohio; Fitzgerald, of Mas
sachusetts, and Downing, of1llinois.
Mr. Mahany offered q resolution,
which was referred, calling upon the
President to direct the Secretary OF
State to interpose in behalf OF John
Hays Hammond, who is on trial in
South Africa for completely in the re-
cent troubles in that country and asked
unanimous consent for immediate con-
sideration.
The case of John n. Quackenbush
was then taken up. The House bill on
the subject authorizes the President to
appoint Quackenbush a commander in
the navy, upon the theory that the re.
moval of his name from the naval reg
lister in 1882 by Secretary Chandler was
an improper use of official power.
Mr.. Sayers, opposing the bill, had
read long letter written by Secretary
Chandler to Senator Hale, where
Quackenbush first applied to Congress
for reinstatement, arguing against the
proposed legislation.