Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-02-23
NEw snlps Fon rnE Navr.
Text OF the chief Items of the Appropria
tion BILL,

Text Of the Chief Items of the Approprfh-
tion Bill.
Washington, Feb. 1.-THE text OF
the Naval Appropriation bill became
available Yesterday. The provision as
to new ships is as follows:
"That for the purpose OF further IN
creasing the naval establishment OF
the United States, the President IS
hereby authorized to have constructed
by contract three seagoing coast line
battleships carrying the heaviest armor
and most powerful ordnance for vessels
of their class upon trial displacement
of 13.5O0 tons, 10 be sheathed and cop
pered, and to have tho highest practi-
cable speed and great radius of action,
and to cost, exclusive of armor and
armament, not exceeding S3,6OO,OOO,
and three armored cruisers OF about
1000 tons trial displacement, carrying
the heaviest armor and most powerful
ordnance for vessels of their class, TO
be sheathed and coppered, and to have
the highest practicable speed and great
radius of action, and to cost exclusive
of armor and armament, not exceeding
"a, 600, 600 each; six protected cruisers
Of about $500 tons trial displacement,
to be sheathed and coppered, and TO
have the highest speed compatible
with good cruising qualities. great
radius Of action, and to carry the most
powerful ordnance suited to vessels OF
their class, and to cost, exclusive OF
armament, not exceeding 81, l41, 800,
and not more than two of said battle-
ships, and not more than two of said
armored cruisers, and not more than
two of said protected cruisers shall be
built in one yard or by one contract
ing party, and the contracts for the
construction of each of said vessels
shall be awarded by the Secretary OF
the NAVY to the lowest best responsible
bidder, having in view the best results
Provision is also made that Zone,
and not more than one, of the afore--
said battleships, and one,. and not
more than one, Of the aforesaid armored
cruisers, shall be built on or near the
coast Of the Pacific Ocean, or in the
waters connecting herewith This
last provision has a condition that the
| Pacific coast construction shall mol
exceed per cent above the cost else
| where, in which case the President
shall authorize the construction else
| where.
Another provision is that bidders
must have adequate plants in operation
The provision as to the armor ant
armament is as follows: Toward tn,
armament and armor OF domesti
manufacture for the vessels authorized
by the act Of July 26th, 1884; OF tn
vessels authorized under the act o
March I'd, 1895; Of those authorized
by the act of June 10th, 1886; of thos
authorized by the act of March Sd
1897; of those authorized by the act c
May 4th, 1893, and Of those authorizes
by this act, $4,000, 600. In all futur
contracts for armor for any OF tn
vessels above mentioned the Secretar
of the Navy is hereby authorized an
directed to procure armor of the bes
obtainable quality, at an average cos
not exceeding s545 a ton of 2,24
pounds, including royalties. "
The bill contains the followin
authorization:
"The Secretary of the Navy is here
by authorized to pay such officers q
were appointed for temporary servic
in the navy during the late war wit
Spain, and who entered upon the pei
Torrance of duty prior to the date o
which they accepted their COMMISSION
and executed oaths Of Office, the pay {
their grades for the interval durin
which they were so employed, sue
payments to BIZ made from the apprt
priations pay of the navy "
Among the naval surveys authorize
are those for surveys of the imperfect
known parts of the coasts and harbol
of the Philippine Archipelago and tt
islands of Cuba and Porto Rico ;
; their bordering keys and waters an
the minor outlying islands.
The bill creates joint select con
mittee of Congress, three from eac
, House, to examine the present col
, dition of the buildings and grounds
the Naval Academy at Annapolis, ar
to report to the first session of I'll
J Fifty-sixth Congress comprehensi'
plan for such Encouragement and recol
, struction of the said buildings ar
grounds as they may deem expedien
together with an estimate of the co
l of the same.
+ For this purpose the committee
] authorized to secure plans from ti'
I architects of conspicuous ability al
to employ engineering experts on IL
! subject.