The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-04-26
War AND War MEASURES
Mere the Only Topics Discussed
YESTERDAY.
The NAVAL APPROPRIATION BILL.
II Ii Passed with Little Trouble.
Also the Declaration of War.
Arkansas rass Improvement.


hours OF It's session. Tho body had scarce
~ convened when the mcssagoepf tho prcs,-
dent urging congress 70 declare the exist
encc OF war between the United States and
4 Snain was laid before II, Without comuien,
the message was referred to the foreign re-
lations committee.
Consideration of the naval appropriation
bill Was then resumed. the pending cues
ton being on the an,cnGmcnt offered by
Mr. Butler tN, CD 10 regulate the price Of
| afmor. II
| The amendment provides that for the
armor for The Tires La,tleships nov in
course OF construction the government
shall not pay TO exceed StUo u ton. -inciud-
ing she nickel, and that subsequent cen-
tracts FOR arnor shall not call for d greater
price than $500 per ton.
In eare the prlcc can not be obtained tho
secretary OF the navy is authorized at once
to purchase or establish Il government
armor Factory, for which si,50V,000 is mp.
rropriateu, and in addition 81 ,uV0, 900 is APP
pfopnateu tor the manufacture OF arihor
Mf, Butler strongly advocated tho adoption
OF The amendment and charged that tic
ships oil the country We're covered with
defective armor
Mr.. Hawley challenged this statement,
- einphatiealiy deny" said he, THAT there
Us any such amount of defective armur on
our wnrships as the senator from North
Carolina declares. And even II the state
ment We're true. leave to the country 10
Judge OF The propriety of haunting tho do
iects before Spain"
While l am in entire agreement with
the senator from Connecticut" interjcctcd
MI. Chandler IN. H.). II am satisfied that
the senator tMr. Butler) Is mistaken. In
Nesugatlon has shown that the bailastic
tests OF the armor were satisfactory"
Mr. Chandler appealed to Mr.. Hale,
chairman OF the naval affairs committee
ana the latter said: THE armor ON our
ships is the best in the world No I,uropean
government has armor on Its ships so good
as orrs,'
Mr, Butler was proceeding to read some
testimony takea before a committees of
Rouse representatives. relative to defective
Plates on Our ships and TO make shar,, ,an,
ment on 1t whom Mr. Hawley said. ~
must protest against this. believe the
senator from North Carolina is out OF or
der In making these charges here publicly.
III he should reduce them to writing aud
transmit them privately to Spain pointing
on, these defective plates, he would be
guilty of treaLon."
MT Tillman said the statements OF Mr.. |
Butler had been based on official reports
which wore easily accessible.
Continuing, Mr.. Butler adverted 10 what
he regarded as the excited utferances or
the senator QNir. Hawley) who. he said,
had risen and flung at him declarations O.
treason. He thought those who were guilty
of treason were those who had refused 10 |
make provision for good armor plate at a
reasonable price.
At the conclusion OF Mr.. Buffers re.
marks Mr.. Tillman made an extended
speech In favor of the proposed amendment
MIR. Hale declared that both the naval |
n n md d1ra tttf .x,,c
were opposed to the construction of gov
ernment armor factory as they arc thor |
oughly satisfied VI would save neither time |
or money. He then moved to lay the |
amendment on the table and 1t was 70 or
dered by n vote OF 36 to 10.
Mr. Hale offered an amendment author1z- |
ing the secretary OF the navy to enlist Mt
any time after the passage of the act as
many seamen and boys as ne may deem
necessary to man the ships OF the navy ar
a temporary force and appropriation OF
IS, 100000 for that purpose Mr.. Hale agreed
to an amendment that the time limit
should be during the existing war" The
amendment was agreed to, the amount
being Immediately available. The bill was
then passed.
The bill for the reorganization OF the line
of the army OF the United States and pro-
viding for the three battalion formation
was called up and the amendments offered
division.
The hill was placed on its passage and
passed within twenty-five minutes OF It's
At 1856 the message clerk OF the house
Informed the senate that the house had
passed an amendment declaring a state OF
war existing between the United Statea,aDd
Spain. The message was at once read
and the senate at once went into secret
session IN consider the resolution declar-
Ing the existence OF war.
At 4:32 p. m. the senate resumed business
n open session.
a bill authorizing the Campbell Lynch
Bridge company to construct n bridge
across the Arkansas river was passed.
A concurrent resolution directing the sec-
-etary ~ war to prepare and submit plans
md estimates for the improvement Of
Arkansas Pass hsrbor. Texas. wap agreed 10.
At Abs D. M The message clerk of the
nousc annop~rcd that the speaker had
signed the bill declaring the existence OF
war between the United States and Snain
md requested the signature of the vice
Within two minutes Mr. Ho-
,art had signed the act and precisely al 5 :
o'clock announced HIS signature. /
hew minutes later another message was I
'eceIvcd from the house announcing Its dis 4
lgreament to the reorganization bll and
lsking for y conference, The conference q
vas agreed to Bills were passed as fol- I
Ews.
To provide for survey OF Elk river In
'ennessee and Alabama; for the removal OF
,fits from the courts Of Texas TO the courts
4 the rfnited States n Texas.
At 5:35 the senate adjourned.
The democratic members of the commit
70 have a substitute for the cisusc pro
osing bond issues, which Is briefly as fol- I
ows:
Pecoin $50 o0o. 600 OF the seIpniorsgc now
lpfn efo A I'd at dfsffn In 1