Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-07-17


position fixing the limit at $400 as
| recommended by the secretary of the
navy but after a three hours debate
the House by vote of 147 to As concur
red in the Senate amendment.
Messrs. Stone, Pa, Dalzell, Rep. Pa,
| and Boutelle, Rep. Me-, supported the
500 proposition. which was opposed by
Messrs. King. Dem. Utah, Underwood.
Dem, Ala, Barlow, Pop, Col, Simp-
son. Pop, Kan, Gaines, Dem. Tenn.
Wheeler, Dem. Ala. Sayers, DEM.
Texas and Cannon, Rep, Ill.
When the House resumed its ses-
sion, today, after the recess for yes
terday, Mr.. Cannon stated that the
cenferees on the currency appropria
ton bill had agreed upon a partial re-
port. AS the report must first be
acted upon by the Senate, and as the
assurances had been given that 1t
would be Immediately disposed Of
there, a recess was taken until 1.}1
p. NJ
After the recess. on motion Of
Broderick. Rep, Kan. the Senate reso-
luton directing the secretary of war to
issue 1000 tents for the use of the
-~and Army encampment al I.eaven-
With. Kansas, next October, WAS
adopted.
Cannon then called up the conference
report on The general deficiency bill
which has been agreed to by the Sen
ate. Cannon explained the report ana
the items on which an agreement had
been reached after which the confer
ence report was agreed TO.
The items still in dispute were then
discussed and acted upon. Davis.
Dem. Fla, made strong appeal IL
the House to concur in the $4,000 ap-
preparation for Cumberland sound, !,
Florida. but Cannon resisted it. In
the course Of the latters remarks he
drew a burst of applause from the
opposition by saying that he hDpe,I
that the time would soon come when
the committees Of the House would
exercise their functions.
"Oh. mean what l say" remarked
Cannon.
Have you voted that way?' in
quired a voice.
Il mean the broad sense" retortoi
Cannon, not in the narrow view of
the demagoguery which has strutted
and fretted its brief hour across the
stage of this House" (Republcan APP
plause).
The House finally concurred in the
amendment.
The House also concurred in the Sen
ate amendment appropriatinS $4,000 for
removing obstructions in the Kootenay
river, Mont.
When the armor plate amendment
was reached, Cannon moved that the
House insist on its disa greement and
w. A. Stone. Rep, Pa, moved to con-
cur with an amendment in the nature
of substitute proposition by the
terms of which the cost of the armor
plate for the three battleships was in
creased from $2,i07, 800 to So, ,2lO, 600 an.
the limit of cost of the armor from
$500 to $i00.
Boutelle. Rep, Me-, the chairman of
the committee on naval affairs of the
last House. took the floor in support of
Stones motion. He explained at length
the history of the controversy over the
price of armor plate. He pointed out
the refusal of the armor plate compan-
les to bid under the provision of the
last naval appropriation bill limiting
the cost to $500 per ton, the proposition
of the Illinois Steel Co. to furnish all
the armor for 90 years at $240 per ton
and the recommendation of the secre-
tary of the navy for an authorization
for new bids with a limit of cost at
$i0e per ton.
Didn't one of these companies fur
,,te
armor at $2i9 per ton," asked Barlow.
Cal.
That is chestnut replied Bouteile
But III roast it again for the gcntele-
mans benefit
We'll, the people would like to have
it roasted" remarked Barlow.
Boutellc denounced the proposition to
have the government enter upon the
manufacture of armor plate on it's own
account and expressed the opinion that
to manufacture armor plate would cost
the government from so per cent. to rs
per cent. more than private corpora
tions. Boutelle argued that the prices
paid by foreign governments for armor
furnished conclusive evidence that it
could not be manufactured for $500.
King, Dem. Utah, in opposing
stones motion declared that it would
be a disgrace for the government to
deal longer with the Carnegie Company.
Rascals" and ''scoundrels'' were the
terms he used in characterizing the
Underwood, Dem. Ala, reading re-
ports of the government experts de-
tailed to investigate the cost of armor
plate showing that the highest figures
made the cnsf material aud q ho,,, e., g,