The times., 1898-02-06

and failed to get any plate at all. The
amendment proposing to reduce the
price to % cents was lost. Yeas. "a
nays, 56.
Upon the paragraph in the bill ap-
propriating S232, 600 for finishing and
assembling high power guns for coast
defense Mr.. Hull. of Iowa, asked if the
committee thought that there should be
no appropriation for placing guns. He
had been informed that but "A Of the 46o
guns included in the plan OF defense
had been put in position, and but lsi of
the 9S2 mortars. On the sfsids at Sandy
Hook awaiting transportation were 109
of these high power guns.
Mr.. Hemenway explained that it was
the policy Of the ordnance bureau TO
keep the emplacements about a year
behind the guns. The amendment as
proposed was agreed to.
Mr.. Mcclellan of New York moved
to increase the appropriation for re-
serve supply of powders and proJectites
from 1891 900 TO $500, 900. He read from
a report of the chief of ordnance to
show that the Government had not now
sufficient supply for the guns already
mounted and no supply for the guns
about to be mounted. The increase
asked for would, at best, be little
enough.
~
had direct statement from the War
Department that there was enough
powder on hand. The scare only came
from newspapers and about half doZ-
en- persons who We're talking war.
Mr.. Hull of Iowa explained that the
War Department. while it did not have
a supply sufficient for all the guns, yet
1t could concentrate enough at the
possible points of attack.
,l,.,z Il
feated. only five voting for it: thirty
three against it. Ali of the other terms
of the bill down to the miscellaneous
terms were read and agreed to, MIR.
Mcclellan protesting wherever the de-
partments asked that they be increas-
ed.
Mr. Hull, of Iowa, made the point
that the items under the head of mis-
cellany, such as steel field guns, were
not within the jurisdiction OF the Com
nlittee on Appropriations, and, further,
that they did not refer specifically to
coast dfenses. All such matters, he
contended had been enormously re-
ferred, and should have gone to the
Committee on Military Affairs.
Mr. Hemenway, in charge of the bill,
contended that such items had always
been presented in bills like the present.
and were always considered as being in
the category of fottifications The point
of order raised by Mr.. Hull. he argued,
had been decided adversely by other
Congresses. Speaker Carlisle had ruled
against 1t. u
The chair ruled. against Mr. Hull's
point of order. Mr.. Hull said that in
due time he would move such an
amendment to the rules as would pre-
clude any inconsistent rulings
Mr.. Lewis renewed his argument on
the question of moneyifor the proposed
supplies for Notifications. He had, he
said, only suspended at the request of
a member on his side Of the chamber.
He argued that the Government
could not expend money eXtravagantly
when it had available only about S124,-
600, 900 to pay debt of about 1000, ,000,-
900. which it could not have paid at the
rate of 81, ,000. 900 year from the time
of Christ to the present day. AS a mat
ter of fact, the financial statistics
showed that there was more danger Of
a 10-cent dollar than 50-cent dollar.
Mr.. Mcclellan moved to make the ap-
preparation for steel field guns $1,000
instead of $4,000. It was voted down.
He contented himself with showing
that he merely advocated the amount
suggested by the experts.
Mr.. King, of Utah, said that while he
believed in economy, he-dfd not believe
in parsimony He believed the Repub-
licans We're playing politics. 1t should
be remembered that this Government
had already rejected arbitration, and
now Spain was increasing her army
and navy. but Americans We're taking
no steps Co fortify their coasts. The
Republican policy was one OF pusilla-