The sun., 1900-06-07
THEWORK OF CONGRESS-
Closing Scenes of the Session In Both
Bodies.
DEBATE OVER ARMOR PLATE.
senator Penrose Offers Amendment
to Pending Bill which EvolSes
Attacks From Senator's
TiIlmnn and Teller.

rpconyened TO prepare for hnal ADJOURN
ment, a score of senators only were pres-
'ent, but the chamber rapidly filled. The
naval and sundry civil appropriation bills
remained in conference, all others hay
ing been agreed to.
rhe usual routine business of the SEN
ate practically was abandoned. Only
two OF three new bills and resolutions
were presented. One of the latter was
introduced by Mr.. Gallingcr tN. H.) and
directed the committee on civil service to
investigate the charges made against the
administration of the appraisers Office ut
the port Of New York. 1t was agreed to
without objection
Mr. Carter secured the passage of
bill providing for the increase 10 S3Iooo0
Of tile limit Of cost for the public build
ing ut Helena, Mon.
Mr. Hale presented il conference report
on the naval appropriation bill II was
Il disagreement upon all questions mat
have been in dispute for three or four
days. Mr.. Hale explained that the arm
or plate question was the great stumbling
block to agreement. lie explained that
the house confcrrcs refused to accedc to
the senate proposition, and the senate
was confronted. therefore, with the same
question substantially as had been pre-
scented in the beginning. No price had
been agreed upon by the conferees be-
cause the house conferees believed 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 vote of the
senate.
Proposition by Penrose.
Mr.. Hale thought there was force in
this demand. He said Mr.. Penrose had
a proposition to offer which he would he
glad to have the senate pass upon. Mr..
penrose then offered the following prop
osition:
.rhat the secretary of the navy is
hereby authorized to procure by contract
armor of the best quality for any or all
vessels above referred to- provided such
contracts can be made at price which,
In his Judgment, is reasonable and equi-
table but in case he is unable to make
contracts for armor under the above CON
t1itions he is hereby authorized and di
rected to procure u site for and erect
thereon a factory for the manufacture oi
armor4 and the sum of S4OO0,OO0 IS here
by appropriated toward the erection OF
said factory"
Mr.. Butler insisted that what he want
ed was government armor plant, anc
he would he willing to pay almost any
price for armor that is needed now pro
vided that the construction of an armo
plant by the government were made MAN
datory.
Mr.. Chandler objected to leaving tn
mattcr to the discretion of the secretar!
of the navy. Congress ought not, Ii
maintained, to shift the responsibility Z
the shoulders of the secretary of tn
navy. That would be cowarlly thin
to do. Congress alone should adjust tli
question.
Mir. Patt Comm favored the PROPOSE
ton offered by Mr.. Penrose. 1t was i
Ills belief Il question whether congress a
this session should pass Il naval nppre
priation hill or not, He maintained tina
the house was quite us powerful bod
in this matter rs the scnatc. 1t had quit
as much right TO its opinion rs had III
senate
Same Lively Argument.
The matter had To be settled NOW an
here" said he, and, while the senat
might regard the house us obstinate.
wis not possible for either branch to b
<oerced by the other. Under the propt
stion of Mr. PcnioSe he was satistie
the government would get its armor fl
$445 per ton.
Mr.. Tillman attacked the amendncI
offered by Mr. penrose.
1.-THE chairman of the naval comin
tee" tHaleJ, said he, ''has declared tha
khe government is being robbed and tht
the armor trust has knife at the go
ernments throat. And now it is pr
posed to let them cut the government
throat. We are face to face with
scandal as infamous as any in our hi
4ory. second not even to the great Cred
Mobilier scandal"
81 resent that statement" interjectf
Mr.. Penrose vehemently and with ey
dent feeling. II resent the statemei
that there is any suspicion of scand
in this or any amendment which l pr
,ose. | consider my notion of the prop
way for the government to transact
business 10 be on as high standard
any set up by the senator from Sou
Carolina"
II am making no personal illusions
replied Mr.. rilman. i am simply sta
ing facts that are indisputable. The j
fuences behind the house in this matt
are the shipbuiders and the armor man
facturers."
Mr. Teller denounced the amendme
of Mr.. Penrosc as ''disgracefu propo
fiOn" AS the senator from Ne
Hampshire said" continued Mr.. Tel,
@'it would he cowardly and craven on I
mart Of congress to surrender lcgislati
authority and prerogatiyes to the exec
five branch of the government. 1t seel
to me there may be in it Il tinge of @
ruption. This is Il time for plain ta
The American people believe and
iieve that there is a great political co
bine behind this proposition to surrent
4 our authority"
Il do not believe" said Mr. Tell
IA @.that any scandal in our history v
equal that which will grow out of
q surrender now to this robber combi
qrhe Cuban scandal and peculati,
would be minor matter as compal
with those which would occur UNI
the influence of these monopolistic arm
plate robbers"
He protested against the adoption
the proposition of Mr.. Penrose and
elared that it should not be adop
without thorough understanding by
N American people that they were be
*, robbed.
a,,.s..