The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-14
ONCE MORE IN THE SEN
ATE.
THREE HUNDRED PER TON.
TO BE GIVEN NEW CONSID-
GRAFTON.
BILL THEN ADOPTED.
Debate During the COnsId era ton
Pointed and at Times Lively,
If Not Sensational.

WASHINGTON, July 13.-The price
to be paid for armor plate for three
new battleships now in course of con-
struction was the theme of extended,
and at times, lively debate, in the SEN
ate today. Late in the day an amend
ment TO the deficiency appropriation
bill was agreed to, restricting the price
of armor plate to 5000 per ton, or $125
less than the amendment reported by
the committee and recommended by the
navy department as the minimum rate
acceptable to the arnor contractors.
Another amendment inserted in the bill
directed the secretary of the navy to in
Vestisate as to the establishment of a
government armor factory and to re-
port to the next session of congress.
During the debate Mr. Hale urged
that the failure to equip the battleships
with armor would humiliate the United
States in the eyes CT the world and
would lessen our naval power at a
time Of possible foreign complication.
Mr. Pettigrew Is. D. asserted that to
yield to the demands of the armor plate
trust was a procedure too disgraceful
to be tolerated. Mr.. Butler spoke along
the same line, criticising the armor fac
tories and asserting that defective
armor plate had been palmed eff on the
government and was now in use on
our war vessels. In this last statement
he was supported by Mr.. Tillman.
Mr.. TiIlman pointed out alleged ir-
Irregularities in furnishing armor plate
and referred to the fact that Secretary
Herbert had imposed a fine on the Car
e.
mitted by the president.
And was it a Democratic president
who RENTED the fine?" queried Mr..
Allen.
please don't leave out 'so-called' in
referring to that president" answer
ed Mr.. Tillman, amid laughter, las it
hurts my feelings to hear him referred
to as a Democratic president"
Mr. Hale discussed the cost of ar
NOR, saying that the $500 rate estab-
lished by the last congress was due
to an expectation that the Illinois
Steel company stood ready to furnish
armor for much less than the old rates,
but there had been no practical real
iZatiOn Of this expectation. Comment
ing on the offer of the Illinois Steel
company to furnish armor under
contract covering twenty years, Mr..
Hale said such a proposition was total
ly impracticable. Who knew anything
about the character and armor re-
quirements of warships twenty years
hence?
Mr.. Bacon (Ga.) moved to place the
rate at $3.50 per ton. He believed the
government would have to build its
own foundry, but for the present he
urged it to be eXpedient to offer $3.50
and stand by it, allowing the arma-
ment of the ships to fail if need be I'M
til congress reaSSembleS. .a
Mr. Teller (Col) contributed a livelye
speech. 1t had been the general i'm
preston that our ships represented the
power and dignity of the nation. but,
he said, our warships had proved a
source of confusion to the last admin
istration. The Cuban war, the worst
conflict in one hundred years, with
murder and outrage, had ragged at our
doors and throughout the conflict we
had no ship to send there as the rep
resentative of our national dignity
and honor. The authorities had been
afraid to send a ship, fearing it might
endanger our peace with Spain.
The first vote was on an amendment
limiting the cost of armor to $500 per
ton. 1t was carried, on a viva voce
vote. Mr.. Hale and one or two others
being the only ones to vote in the
negative. Mr.. Butler then offered an
amendment authorizing the secretary
of the navy to make investigation and
receive propositions for the establish
ment of a government armor factory
and report to congress at its next ses-
sion. 1t was agreed to.
An amendment was adopted to pay
balance of $14, 4S5 to claimants under
the Spanish-American claims commits
sion and then the deficiency bill was
passed. Mr.. Hale moved that the sem
ate adjourn over Wednesday; lost on a
viva voce vote. Mr.. White secured
the passage of a joint resolution. d.
recting the secretary of war to proceed
with the construction of a breakwater
at San Pedro, Cal. At $50 p. m, the
senate held an executive session and
then adjourned.