The National tribune., 1900-04-12

bin carries total Of sci .219, ,916, and is by
far the largest bill that has ever before been
reported from the Naval Committee OF the
House.
futile efforts TO secure armor at S"D ana
S4Oo and says:
"The battlesElips Maine, Ohio, and Mis-
so,lri now in process Of construction. re
oune Z 7.359 ~ tons Of armor, or :, ,433.l4 Tor
each vessel. 1t is believed by the. com
mittee that these. battlc5hips OF nearly
10. 900 tons displacement, the largest IN
design which have ever been planned by thG
Navy Department, should have the besi
oftaiuabIe armor, and accordingly, EQir
committee recommend that the secretary
of the Navy be authorized to contract for
such arInor at Il cost not to exceed $3.50 per
ton. The best obtqinable afmor, at III,
present time is, according to all naval
authorities, the so-called Krupp aru1or,
which is, at least, and has been so proEen
bv balIiStic tests. Of - per cent. greater
efficiency than that of the Haryayizot
armor. Every nation in the world - usii@
the Krupp armor to-day. Your commute
believe that it is little short Of dis!oyaltT 10
teSfion teC2miaei and the hey for these battle
ships TO be placed between the bodies Of oar
officers and men apa the bullets OF the
enemy.
Under the last naFal appropriation. act
Congress authorized The conStrucuon oil me
three batteships IGe@ga, pennsylvania,
and New Jersey, and three armored cruisers,
West Virginia, Nebraska. and California,
but inserted provision therein rs follows:
THAT no contraetador the armor for any
vessels authorized hT tins act shali be
made at an aGepd1ge 1g oo Ttl f%cIfed;ins %cIg;s:
ROYALTIES, and in 10 ehse shall 4 contract
be made for the 4orf;tructiou Of tic hull
of any vessel authorized by this act until
a contract has been made for the armor Of
such vessel go"
your COMMITTEES recommend that this
restriction be renSves, and that contracts
be authorized, SO that the construction Of
the huIis of these ycsselSmay go on without
further delay" ~ '''''.'s. e.
The report.reeommeirds the construction
Of two sea-going coastline battleshipS. Of
about IL, 500 tons, to cost not Over 81 500
900 each; three armored cruisers OF 1900
tons, to cost S4,250,00O each; and three
protected cruisers of 5000 tons, at S2,S0U,-
900 each.
The bill to provide a Government for
Hawaii was considered, amendments be-
ing agreed to, to nullify ali labor contracts
in the islands, to extend the alien contract
labor laws 10 the islands, to prohibit the
sale of intoxicating liquors i'll saloons, 10
limit the land holdings OF corporations to
], 600 acres, and to substitute for the House
provision relating to the appointment Of
Judges and other officers OF the islands tho
Senate provision. The House provision
lodged the appointing power in the Gov
ernor; the Senate placed it in the President.
The Senate on April 6 was occupies,
with routine matters,
The House passed the substitute for tho
Senate bill providing for q territorial form
OF Government for Hawaii. The bill now
goes to conference. The most interesting
feature Of the da5t1s proceedings was the
attempt of Representative Hill, OF Con,
necticut, to secure the adoption Of two
amendments, one providing for resident
commissioner instead Of delegate ir
Congress, and the; Other, declaring tina,
nothing in the dct should be interpret"!
whelmingiy defeated. -