Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-06-07

| When the Senate recOnvened, at lo.oo'
Allison reported from the committee
on appropriations the House concurrent
resolution providing for final adjourn
ment, at p NJ, today.
The committee had made no amend
ment. 1t was permitted temporarily TO
lie on the table.
| Hale presented a conference report
on the naval appropriation bill. 1t was
a disagreement upon all questions that
had been in dispute for three or four
days. Hale explained that the arnor
plate question was the great stumbling
block to agreement. He explained that
the House conferees refused 10 dcceue
to the Senate proposition ana the SEN
ate was confronted. therefore. with the
same question substantially as had
been presented in the beginning. NO
price had been agreed upon by the con-
| ferees because the House confereeS be-
ieved the price should be left to the
discretion of the secretary of the navy.
The House conferees insisted that their
proposition should be passed upon by
| a vote of the Senate.
| Hale thought there was force in this
demand. He said Penrose had prop
osition to offer which he would be glad
| to have the Senate pass upon.
Penrose then offered the following
| propositions:
THAT the secretary of the navy is
hereby authorized to procure by con-
tract armor of the best quality for any
or all vessels above referred to. provid
ed such contracts can be made at a
price which in his judgment is reason
able and equitable but in case he is I'M
able to make contracts for armor under
the above conditions he is hereby au-
thorized and directed to procure a site
for and to erect thereon factory for
the manufacture Of armor and the sum
of $4,000 900 is hereby appropriated
toward the erection of said factory"
Butler insisted that what he wanted
was a government armor plant, and he
would be willing to pay almost any
price for armor that is needed now, pro
viding that the construction of an ar
NOR plant by the government We're
made mandatory.
Chandler objected to leaving the mat
ter to the discretion of the secretary
of the navy. Congress ought not, he
maintained, to shift the responsibility
to the shoulders of the secretary Of the
navy. That would be a cowardly thing
to do. Congress alone should adjust
this question.
Plat, Corn. favored the proposition
offered by Penrose.
A bill was then called up by Allison.
appropriating S55.500 for the payment
of the salaries of officials Of the Dis
trict of Alaska. 1t was passed.
Debate on the armor question was
then resumed.
Perkins, a member Of the naval com
mittee. supported the original commit
tee proposition. He did not approve
of leaving the matter to the discretion
Of the secretary of the navy.
Tilman attacked the amendment Of
fered by Penrose. The chairman Of the
naval committee CHale) said he. has
declared that the government is being
knife at the governments throat And
now it is proposed to let them cut the
governments throat We are face to
face with scandal as infamous as any
in our history. second not even to the
great Credit Mobilier scandal"
Il resent that statement" interject-
ed PenrOse. vehemently. and with evi-
dent feeling. Il resent the statement
that there is any suspicion Of scandal
in this or any amendment which pro-
pose. ] consider my motion Of the pro
per way for the government to transact
it's business to be on as high a stan
dard as any set up by the senator from
South Carolina"
II do not believe said Teller. chat
any scandal in our history will equal
that which will grow out of the sur
render now to this robber combine" He
protested against the adoption of the
proposition Of Pcnrose
The bitterness Of the senator from
Colorado said Hanna in reply to
Teller "excites only my sympathy. 1t
is simply rehash of the charges and
arguments which we have had here for
| five years"
In response to a suggestion, Hanna
said: Il want to see this armor ques-
ton taken out of the Legislative branch
Of the government. because | want to
| see il taken out Of politics. | resent
| the charge Of the senator from Colora-
! do that anybody has been or will be
| influenced by motives lower than those
| by which the senator says he is actu-
atcd."
| Il am making no personal illusions, :
| replied Tillman. Il am simply stating
facts that are indisputable. The insti-
| gators behind the House in this mat
ter are the shipbuilders and the armor
| manufacturers.
Hale challenged the last statement
| saying he did not believe any such in
stgator We're behind either the House
or the Senate. In colloquy with Ali
son, Tillman said he would rather have
the original House provision for armo,
| plate than that of Penrose. and he
would accept the original House prop
ostion even now. Teller denounced
the amendment of Penrose as a dis.
graceful proposition"
AS the senator from New Hampshire
| said, continued Teller, TT would be
| cowardly and craven on the part OF
| Congress to surrender legislative au
thority and prerogatives to the execu-
tive branch of the government.
1t seems to me there may be in it q
tinge of corruption. This is time foi
play in the hall. The American peopl,
believe and | believe that there is ;
great political combine behind thi
proposition to surrender our author
ity"
L.