Evening star., 1898-04-01
THE BEST WARSHlPS
Naval Bill Debated in the House
!! Today.
Need OF Ama Amofs TORPEDO BOATS
Mr.. Pearce's Amendment Adopted
After Discussion.
SSON OF THE YALU

Packed galleries are the regular accom-
paniment of the sessions of the House of
Representatives in these exciting days, and
today an hour before the session convened
| every inch Of available space was taken.
| and hundreds besieged the doors unable to
| gain admission.
Mr.. Boutelle, chairman, of the naval COM
mittee, desired to go ahead with the naval
| appropriation bill, despite the fact that
| under the rules this was private bill day.
| He explained briefly the urgent necessity
of getting the bill through az once
A very significant incident occurred while
an attempt was being made to effect an
| arrangement to postpone private bill day
| until Tuesday.
The Speaker himself seemed to hesitate
| about asking the consent of the House.
whereupon Mr.. Bromwell (Ohio) asked Il
Tuesday was set apart for private bills
| whether it would interfere with a report
from the foreign affairs committee.
ut certainly would" replied the Speaker
| promptly.
| Then object shouted Mr.. Bromwell.
Subsequently he Withdrew his objection
With the understanding that Tuesday
should be private bill day. provided the for
ign affairs committee had no report to
| make to the House. The naval bill was
| II en- taken up.
| Mr.. King Otah) made a point of order
against the provision for new battle ships
and torpedo beats. 1t was overruled by the
| chair.
Mr.. Cannon. chairman Of the appropria-
| ton committee, offered a substitute for the
paragraph in the bill providing for three
| battle ships. six torpedo boats and six tor
| pedo boat destroyers The substitute pro-
| vided for one battle ship. to cost $3,OOOO0
| exclusive of armament: twelve torpedo boat
! destroyers and twelve torpedo boats, to cost
| rot exceeding $4,600,OOO.
Mr.. Cannon supported the amendment in
| brief speech. arguing that in case of ne
| cessity the torpedo boats and the torpedo
| boat destroyers would be much more valu-
| able than the battle ships, because they
would be quickly built.
"How long does 1t require to build
| battle ship?" asked Mr.. Dockery.
Three years"
How long to construct torpedo boats?"
Under stress, utilizing the shipyards of
| the country, from three to eight MONTHS
Mr.. Cannon appealed to members with
| cool heads and without passion to act as
| wise men should act.
| What objection" asked Mr. Norton,
! rhave you to leaving the three battle ships
| in the bill and increasing the number of
| torpedo boats to the number provided in
| this amendment" tremendous applause
| in the galleries33-
''Most gentlemen believe" said Mr.. Can
| non, that within, a week we will be at
| war with one of the countries of the earth.
| That will mean, additional taxation and
| authorizations to borrow $JO00O0,W0. It
n1eans that these burdens shall be put upon
| the people. Let us double the taxation, If
I necessary, but let us not authorize a single
| dollar that is not necessary to meet the
| emergency just in front of us. Long be-
! fore these battle ships can be launched the
V ar will be over and l fear these battle
ships will be obsolete applause on the
| f1oor)
Mr.. Boutelle, in a speech in reply, de-
| clared that the history of naval warfare
showed that the great naval battles of
| the world mad been won by the ships of the
battle line.
Mr.. Hilbourn (CaL), a member Of the
! naval committee, argued earnestly in favor
of authorizing the permanent increase to
| the battle line provided In the bill.
Value of the Battle Ship.
| Mr.. Cummings IN. " declared that me
value of the battle ship had been demon
strated at the battle of the Yalu, and that
| the subsequent action of japan and China
| in ordering battle ships, not to speak of
the fact that Germany, France, England
and Russia were building immense ships
! of the heavy fighting type, was conclusive
of their value
| Mr. Pearce (Mo.) offered an amendment
to increase the number Of torpedo boats
and torpedo boat destroyers authorized by
the bill to twelve each and to increase the
appropriation from s2.3OO.OOO to $4,000. 600.
He quoted high naval officer as stating
that these torpedo craft were absolutely
essential to the. protection of the battle
ships of the navy. 1t was little short of
criminal, he contended, to subject our fleet
to dangers from torpedo boats
Nj. Boutelle said the committee was per-
fectly willing to accept the Pearce amend
ment, but he pointed out that under the
emergency appropriation the administration
was buying and building torpedo and other
boats of the mosquito fleet for the protec-
tion of our fighting ships.
The debate drifted into discussion of
the respective merits of battle ships and
torpedo craft.
Mr.. Dockery (Mo.) strongly opposed the
Pearce amendment. He said that Congress
in the present emergency should vote every
dollar the department asked. but here was
a proposition indorsed neither by the de-
partment nor the committee. 1t was i'm
portant, he said, that time-honored Gus
| toms be observed. and that members should
rot in an outburst of enthusiasm vote away
money that partook more of the nature Of
assault upon the treasury than an
sault upon Spain. -
The Pearce amendment was adopted
1877 to g.. -! ~
VARIOUS BILLS PASSED.