The age-herald., 1898-04-02
APPROPRIATION FOR NAVY DOUBLED The House Puts on Its Patriotic
 Clothes. WILL DEFEND THE NATION
 2 Twelve More Torpedo Boa.s-Three New Bat tleships-Underwood, of Alabama, h. troduced Resolution for Building
 of an Armor Plate Plant
WILL DEFEND THE NATION

Washington, April 1.-In an exceedingly turbulent session six hours the house today passed the naval appropriation bill and then adjourned until Monday The war spirit was manifested In all the speeches and overrode the naval commit tee itself by increasing the number of tor pedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers to twenty-four, the bin as reported providing but twelve and increasing the appropria- ton to $4,600,0g0 instead of $2SO0,C0O.
 The amendment of MT. Cannon, the chairman of the appropriations committee to reduce the number of battleships to one was buried under an overwhelming ma jority. The provision relating to armor plate which, in ordinary times would have precipitated a debate of several days, was disposed of dn ten minutes, a proposition to decrease the price agreed to In the bill from $40O to $500 per ton being drowned in perfect chorus of "noes."
 In speaking on his amendment reducing the number of battleshdps, Mir. Cannon said:
 Most gentlemen believe that within a week we will be at war with one of the countries of the earth. That will mean ad- ditionaa taxation and authorizations to bor- row $500, 900, CO., 1t means that those burdens shall be put upon the people. Let us double taxation if necessary, but let us not authorize a single dollar that is not necessary to meet the emergency just in front of us.
 Boutelle's Spirited Speech
 MT. Bouteale. i'm a spirited speech, de- clared that the history of naval warfare showed that the great naval battles of the world have been won by the ships of the battle lime.
 MT. Pearce (rep), of Missouri, offered an amendment to increase the number or torpedo boats and torpedo boat destroyers authorized by the bill to twelve each and to increase the appropriation from $2,3O0,O00 to 900 He quoted a high naval officer as stating that these torpedo craft were absolutely essential to the protection of the battleships of the navy.
 Mr. Boutelle said the committee was per- fectly willing to accept the amendment but le pointed out that under the emer- gency appropriation the administration was buying and building torpedo boats for the Mosquito fleet"
 The Pearce amendment was adopted, 137 to 60.
 Mr. Steele (rep.), of Indiana, moved to de- crease the number of battleships from three to two. Much bad temper was dis played as the debate proceeded.
 Wanted to Take the Aggressive
 Mir DeArmond (dem), of Missouri, then got the floor with a speech that att tracted much attention. He advised the ad- ministration to take the aggres- sive. The Maine had been blown up in a harbor supposed to be friendly. There was great danger now, he declared, in trusting to diplomacy rather than to our strong arm The great question now, he said, was to stop the hostile fleet approach ing our shores. If we were depending upon diplomacy 1t would prove a broken reed.
 Let us protect ourselves" continued MT. DeArmond, "by striking before we are stricken. (Appause) Let us not wait. We have waited too long. I have proper measures of energy on foot and that what I apprehend as danger will be averted."
 After several hours of wrangling during which all sorts of amendments were offered and voted down and many speeches were made, the vote was taken upon the Cannon substitute to reduce the, number of battle boats and torpedo boat destroyers to twelve each. It was defeated-7S to 124.
 Armor Plate Factory
 MT. Underwood (dem. Ala-), offered an amendment appropriating A,0OO,O00 for the establishment of a government armor plate factory. He does not think it proper with war cloud over the country to criticise the price fixed in the bill for armor plate, but his amendment looked to the future. Be- fore the battleships authorized in the bill were completed the government could save the extortion to which 1t was now subject ed. He went briefly into the results of the government investigation of the cost of armor nlate to show tho manufacturers