The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-15

two OF the British vessels are torpeuo
boat destroyers, having superior ton
mage and speed"
The senator argued that the sugges-
ton to defend our coasts and seaport
cities by fleets Is impractleable, for Il
VIII, he said, require expenditures rtin-
ming up into several hundred million
dollars to do the work effectively. The
navy Is designed for aggressive oper-
ations. To return Its mobility and rs
power to make offensive return It
should not be fettefed 20 our great cit-
les for the purpose Of protecting them.
~ the policy OF building up the navy
to be continued at the expense Of
having defenseless shoreS, then the
dime has come when change OF pol
Icy must be made. There % no doubt
that the money expended for coast de-
fenses win bring q better return in
protecting our country than the same
amount Of money appropriated Tor
ships"
Senator Squire then argued that a
glance at the historical development Of
our coast defenses will show that the
question now under confederation does
not Indicate a new departure. but Is
logical step in continuation of the
settled policy Of this government since
its foundation. He referred to the sea:
coast defenses OF European powers and
to the reports from time TO time that
England Is increasing her Notifications
and heavy armament In Canada on
both Atlantic and Pacific coasts ana IN
this connection said:
$50 1t Is, we are encifcled as q nation
with q chain OF foreign tortresses and
Coaling stations, imperYlouS to attack
while our rich seacoRst cities and ports,
commencing at Portland, Maine, near
to fortified Halifax, In Canada eontin-
Iiing down the coast, Portsmouth, Bos-
ton, New Bedford. Providence and Mar
ragansett Bay, New London, New Ha-
ven and Bridgeport, New York, Phila-
delphia, Baltimore, Wilmington, Del;
Norfolk, Wilmington, N. G., Charleston,
Port Royal. Savannah, Pensacola, Key
West, Mobile, New Orleans, and Calves
ton within few hours rapid steaming
from the foreign fortified ports OF Ber-
muda, Nassau, Havana, and Kings
ton, and again on the Pacific coast,
Sandlego, San Francisco, Portland, Ore,
and Puget Sound. with Its United States
dry docks, coaling places, and cities,
some OF them within sound OF British
cannon at Esquimault, nll lie domina-
ted, exposed and helpless! against the
attack OF any foreign power that pos
sesses navy.
Fabulous wealth lies at the mercy
OF freebootlng enemy II such shall at
any time elude our small and scattered
navy.
"Our foreign commerce and our coast
ing trade are alike without harbors or
refuge behind land defenses. Our great
dry docks and shipbuildlng yards, our
arms, factories ana powder mills near
the coast, are subject to easy destruc-
ton and our own navy Is without pro-
tected bases for receiving supplies and
for effecting the repairs that are con-
stantIy required. And yet we plume
Ourselves on our diplomacy"
In closing the senator expressed the
hope that the bill providing for the ex-
penditure OF $s0,00O.0OO for sea coast de-
lenses would be adopted without SER
ious modification.
At the close Of Mr.. Squire's speech
Mr.. Chandler, (Rep, N. H.), took the
floor in support OF the Dupont claim.
He said this was the first claim In the
history of the government that q gov
ernor claimed the right to vote for a
senator.
Mr.. Chandler presented a novel ano-
logy TO the Dupont case assfollows:
"Can the Vice President Of the. United
States become President upon the nap.
pening of a vacancy; take the oath OF
ties at the executive mansion; keep
watch Of the proceedings Of the senate
and finding an Important house bill
about to be defeated by tie vote, come
from the executive mansion to the SEN
! ate chamber, crowd from his scat the
president pro tenpore and preside him
self, declare the vote a tie, give his cast
ing vote in the affirmative, securing the
passage Of the bill; and, then return to
the executive mansion and sign the bill
and make It law?" Mr.. Chandler
passed to senators slips containing this
question and invited a reply to It.
Mr.. PETER called attention to a un-
! anlmous agreement that his bond reso-
luton should be taken up at 2:15 to-day.
Mr.. Cullom pointed out that appro-
priation bills were pressing.
Mr.. Mitchell proposed as a compro-
mise that the bond resolution come up
Immediately after Mr.. Chandler and Mr..
Gray closed their speeches, Mr.. Pefer
assented and unanimous consent to this
effect was given.
The senate then, at p. m. adjourned.
NJ