The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-02

1
amount fixed by the House Of $40 a
ton. In addition the Secretary of the
| Navy was authorized, in the event of
the refusal of the armor plate com
panies to supply armor at $500 a ton,
| to proceed to the construction of an
armor plate factory to cost 81, ,o0O,00O
and placing in the Secretary's control
81. 100000 with which to operate the
| Government plant. The fight for these
amendments was led by Mr.. Tillman,
South Carolina, who made characters
tically sensational speech in support of
the proposition
| One of the first acts to-day was the
consideration of the bill carrying S2O,-
| 100000 with which to pay Spain for
REIMBURSEMENT of the philippines Ill ac-
cordance with the treaty of Paris.
| Mr.. Allison Qowa) reported the mea-
sure from the Committee on Appropria
tions. and asked for its immediate con-
sideration. The bill was laid before the
Senate and in half a minute was passed
without a word of debate.
A bill was also passed granting to the
| Mussel Shoals Power Company right
to erect and construct a canal and power
stations at Mussel Shoals, Ala.
Mr. Tilman secured the adoption of
resolution authorizing the Secretary
of War to loan to the Executive Com
mttee of the United Confederate vet
Grams for their reunion to be held III
Charleston, S. c.. on May 10th, 1879,
ten thousand cots, ten thousand mat
tresses and two thousand tents.
Consideration of the Naval Appro-
| priaton Bill was then begun, the amend
ments of the committee being acted
upon as the measure was read
The bill as passed by the House car
ried S44, ,S56.63S As reported to the
Senate it carried S49, 1863, an in
crease of S4,34S,331.
After some formal amendments were
offered and agreed to Mr.. Gray Del),
called attention to a provision OF the
bill appropriating 81 100000 for the pur-
chase and manufacture" of smokecss
powder. He deemed it policy of our
people not to bring the Government
into competition with private industries.
He offered therefore an amendment
providing that not more than S150000
of the sum should be expended in manu-
facture. Mr.. Hale said the committee
had been assured by the Department
that the Government had no intention
manufacture of powder, but probably not
more than S150.000. However, he ac-
eepted the amendment and it was agreed
to-
Other amendments were agreed to as
follows:
Authorizing the Secretary of the
Navy to contract for two submarine
boats Of the Holland type ut cost
not to exceed S135.000 each; appro
priating $4,000 for the purchase of
additional land for the Port Royal Ma
val Station.
Mr. Hanna offered an amendment au-
thorizng the Secretary of the Navy TO
purchase from the Gothmann Torpedo
Gun Company Of Chicago the gun equip
ment for one or more of the harbor de-
fense monitors, subject to the usual
inspection of the Bureau of Ordnance, at
a cost not exceeding S250,00O.
In explanation of the amendment, Mr.
Hanna said the invention to be utilized
under the amendment was the first that
had ever been conceived for the safe OK
plosion or wet gun-cotton. He said the
fuse had been declared by the Ordnance
Bureau of the Navy and Army to be alb
solutely perfect and safe. He thought
the invention would revOlutionize the
contest now in progress between high
explosives and the best known arma-
ment. The amendment was agreed TO.
The Secretary of the Navy was au
thorized to appoint commission to con-
slider the desirability of constructing
dry dock at Key West or nearby waters.
The controversy over the price of ar
NOR plate was then precipitated by Mr..
Tillman, who offered an amendment re-
ducing the price fixed by the bill from
S44o per ton to $500 per ton.
Speaking of his amendment Mr. Till
man declared that millions OF dollars
were being squandered by the Govern
ment in feathering the nests of the ar
NOR trust and he felt that the Senate
and country ought to know what kind
of a steal was going on"
He said in the course of his speech that
he proposed an alternative proposition
to establish a Government armor plant
so that the United States could say to
the armOr trust that if it did not supply
armor at proper price the Government
would manufacture its own armor He
said it was perfectly evident that the
two Pennsylvania armor plants had
pull, whatever that might mean in the
other House of Congress and We're able
to hold up the price of armor
Mr.. Iillman became involved in Il
sharp colloquy with Mr.. Gallinger over
the subpject of doing Government work
in private or in Government factories
The latter maintained the Navy Depart
ment had held that its work could be
done cheaper by private concerns than
by the Government and that accounted
/ for the fact that private ship yards
were busy and Government ship yards
/ idle.
| Mr.. Tillman favored doing the work
by the Government. even at an increased
price, for then labor and not capital
would receive the benefits.
| why" he demanded. ''are we to
yield to those armor thieves. these rob-
| bers! Are we to permit these people
J to order us to stand and deliver?
have deemed it my duty TO protest
] against these methods and therefore
have offered my amendment regulating
the price to $500 a ton"
Mr.. Chandler IN H.), supported the
amendment.
! Mr.. Tillman's amendment was adopted
"a to 26 as follows:
| Yeas-Allen, Bacon, Bate, Berry.
Butler, Caffery, Chandler, Chiffon,