Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-06

The question of concurring in the SEN
ate amendments to the naval appropri-
alton bill reducing the number of battle
ships to be authorized from four to two,
coming over from yesterday, was called
up by Mr.. Boutelle, and Mr. Sayers ad-
dressed the house in favor of his measure
TO concur. He expressed the opinion that
this was business question and that
no politics were involved. He did not
propose to criticise the appropriations
that had been made at this session. The
appropriation bills, independently of the
contracts authorized by them, he re-
garded as fair and reasonable, and not
extravagant. He directed the attention
of the house to the estimated revenues
for the next fiscal year, which were
placed by the secretary of the treasury
at $464, 793, 900, including postal revenues.
The appropriations that had passed the
house amounted to 1886, 900. If to these
be added the permanent appropriations,
amounting in round numbers to $119, ,000,-
600, there was total appropriation of
$505, 900, as against estimated reve-
nues of $464 100000. OF the permanent
appropriations $50,000,000 was esti-
mated for the sinking fund.
Mr. Boutelle expressed regret that the
gentleman from Texas and those who
agreed with him had not vouchsafed
these economical views at time when
the attitude of congress and part of the
as "famboyant." There was no telling,
he said, what influence they might have
had upon legislation and good sense. He
referred to the action of the house at the
time the bill was passed, stating that the
committee on naval affairs found from
its first meeting pressing demand from
members of the house, belligerent ag-
gressiveness, that it should go beyond
what 1t recommended. There was good
deal of Cuba in the air, too.
Mr. Cummings, democrat, of New
York, followed Mr.. Boutelle in opposi-
ton to the motion to concur. He re-
called the action of the senate last year
on this bill. They struck out one battle
ship and they maneuvered so that the
house never after that had an opportuni-
ty of voting upon their action, and were
compelled to accept the naval appropri-
alton bill as 1T came from the senate,
and thus the provisions of the consttu-
tion were virtually violated. He thought
the time had arrived for this house to
stand upon its dignity, and to have some
say with regard to appropriation bills
at least.
After further debate Mr.. Sayers' mo-
tion to concur in the senate amendment,
reducing the number of battleships from
four to two was rejected-yeas 81, nays
AL
Mr.. Boutel1e moved that the senate's
request for a conference be concurred
in, and it was agreed to. and then the
house, at Ais p. M, adjourned until to-
morrow.
The Senate. .
After the routine morning business
had been disposed of Mr.. Call, democrat,
of Florida. offered and asked immediate
consideration for a resolution requesting
the president to protest against the exc
cution of United States citizens captured
on board the schooner Competitor by
Spanish cruiser, and to request and de-
mand of the government of Spain that
they shall not be subjected to cruel
treatment, but be held only as prisoners
of war.
The resolution was on the point of be-
ing declared by the vice president agreed
to by unanimous consent when Mr.. VOL
colt, republican, of Colorado, interposed
with the remark that If the facts were
as stated by Mr.. Call chat the vessel
was merely carrying war materially, 1t
was the manifest duty of the president
to interfere, and 1t was rather unusual
to request the president to do his duty
He should like to see how 1t looked in
print He therefore objected and the
resolution went over until tomorrow.
The river and harbor bill was then ta-
ken up. The first opposition TO commit
tee amendments was manifested on the
item of $4,000 for improving the harbor
at Sabine Pass, Tex. The committee
amendment was to increase the appro-
priation to $150,000 and strike out the
continuing contract" clause Mr. Mills
opposed the striking out and offered as a.
compromise to let $4,000 and the "con-
tinuing contract" clause stand as in the
original bill. After discussion both COM
mittee amendments were rejected and
the item remains as agreed to by the
house-$50,0 900 and continuing contracts
In the course of the discussion Mr.. Frye
republican, of Maine, spoke of the great
llHrt HI 10 H.
enormous contracts and of the process
sion of people besieging the committee
room with that object
The item as to Savannah Ga. involved
the same question, except that the COM
mittee recommended striking out the ap-
preparation of $4,000 and also the clause
for continuing contracts. The amend
ment was opposed by the two Georgia
senator's, Messrs. Gordon and Bacon, and
the house item was restored except that
the aggregate cost was reduced from
s, 900 $50 to $685., $50.
After disposing of thirty pages of the
bill the hour OF o'clock arrived, and
Mr.. Frye said he would not press the
consideration of the bill further today
The Peffer bond resolution was then
taken up and Mr.. Hill continued his ar
gument begun yesterday in opposition
to it. Mr.. Hill said that he had been
asked yesterday why he opposed the res
1t because 1t was wholly unnecessary
and uncalled for and would establish
a most pernicious and unwise precedent.
1t was a foolish, a contemplate and abb
surd resolution. OF course there was
no law against it, There was no law
against the senate making fool of
itself II it had mind to. He analysed
the various points of the proposed in
quiry, including the authority for the
issue of bonds. On that point Mr.. Hill
exclaimed: Read the statutes and you
will know If you cannot understa id
them resign your Seats
Mr.. Hill devoted the better part of an
hour to the discussion of the Graves
case, and had read in connection with II
the affidavit of Secretary Carlisle. He
denounced the whole thing as "persecr-
tion, getting up scandal and throwing
mud" The affidavit was long one and
Its reading by the clerk gave Mr. Hill
much needed rest for he had been
speaking very rapidly and energetically
and seemed somewhat tired. Half an
hour later Mr. Hill said he would again
TASK the secretary to spell me a while
by reading the paper which ] send to
the clerks desk.
Mr.. Peffer objected to it being read by
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