Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-06-06
TARR|ED TO DEBATE.
Armor Plate Occupied the Attention
of the Senate.
ADJOURNMENT PROGRAM DELAYED
Hitch Over the Naval Appropria-
ton Bill.
HOUSE TAKES A RECESS

Congress today entered upon the last day
| of the present session. The members of
| both branches looked tired and worn as
| they reassembled this morning after their
| arduous work of yesterday the House
| meeting al o'clock and the Senate at 10.
| While the sessions lasted practically all
| night. the exciting scenes and incidents OF
| former days were missing.
The Senate held a short executive .=s-
| sion at 11:4O. after which the civil ap-
preparation. the Naval Academy and the
general deficiency bills were presented
| and adopted. The sundry civil bill
| was a complete agreement except one
item, relating to Nevada claims. The
| naval conferees were deadlocked on the
| armor plate provision. There was a COM
| plete agreement on the deficiency bill. The
| Military Academy bill was passed and sent
| to the President. AT 2:D this morning the
| Senate went into executive session. after
which recess was taken until 10 o'clock
The House during the early hours of the
| morning was without quorum until 3:3U
| o'clock A recess was then taken until $
| this morning.
Seven hours after the close of last nights
| session. at 10 m. today. the Senate recon-
vened to prepare for final adjournment. a
| score of senators only were present. The
naval and sundry civil appropriation bills
| remained in conference, all others having
been agreed to.
| The usual routine business of the Senate
practically abandoned today. Only
| two or three new bills and resolutions were
presented. One of the latter was introduc-
| ed by Mr.. Gallinger On. H) and directed
| the committee civil service to investigate
| the charges made against the administra-
| ton of the appraisers office at the port OF
New York. 1t was agreed to without OBJ.
| lection.
Mr.. Carter secured the passage of a bill
\ providing for the increase to s315,OO of the
limit of cost for the public building at
| Helena, Mont.
| recess was then taken to await the
| presentation of conference reports
| Proposed Adjournment.
| When the Senate reconvened at 1890 Mr..
! Allison reported from the committee on
| appropriations the House concurrent reso-
| luton providing for final adjournment at 3
| pm. today. The committee had made no
| amendment. 1t permitted temporarily
| to lie the table.
| Mr.. Hale presented a conference report on
| the naval appropriation bill 1t was dis
agreement upon all questions that have
| been in dispute for three or four days. Mr..
Hale explained that the armor plate ques-
| tion was the great stumbling block to
agreement. He explained that the House
conferees refused to accede to the Senate
proposition and the Senate was confronted
| therefore with the same question substan-
TALLY as had been presented in the begin
ming. No price had been agreed upon by
the conferees because the House conferees
believed the price should be left to the dis
erection of the Secretary of the Navy. The
osition should be passed upon by vote of
| the Senate.
Mr.. Hale thought there force in this
demand. He said Mr. Penrose had prop
osition to offer which he would be glad TO
have the Senate pass upor.
MIR. Penrose's Proposition.
Mr.. Penrose then offered the following
propositions: That 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 a price
which in his judgment is reasonable and
equitable, but in case he is unable to make
contracts for armor under the above
ditions he Is hereby authorized and direct
ed to procure a site for and to erect there
n factory for the manufacture of armor.
and he sum of $4,000 900 is hereby appro-
priated toward the erection of said fac
tory
Mr. 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 provided that
the construction of an armor pi,cnt py the
government were made mandatory>
Mr.. Chandler objected to leaving the rat
ter to the discretion of the Secretary OF the
Navy. Congress ought not, he maintained.
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. tzs-H
Mr. Platt (COnn) favored the nropocition
offered by Mr.. Penrose. 1t was. in his be-
lief, a question whether Congress at this
session should pass a naval appropriation
bill or not. He maintained that the House
was quite as powerful body in this mat
ter the Senate. 1t had quite as much
right to its opinion as had the Senate.
The matter had to be settled NOW and
here said he, and while the Senate might
regard the House as obstinate it was not
possible for either branch to be coerced by
the other. Under the proposition of Mr..
Penrose he was satisfied the government
would get its armor for S445 ton.
At this point a bill was called up by Mr..
Allison appropriating $40 800 for the pay
ment of the salaries of officials of the dis
trict of Alaska 1t was passed.
Debate on the armor question was then
resumed. M. Perkins, a member of the
naval committee, supported the original
committee proposition He did not approve
Of leaving the matter to the discretion of
the Secretary of the Navy. He urged that
the committee proposition be insisted upon
and that the responsibility be placed
squarely upon the House.
Mr.. Tillman Opposed.
Mr.. Tfllman attacked the amendment Of
fered by Mr.. Penrose. "The chairman of the
naval committee (Hale). said he. "has de-
clared that the government is being robbed
and that the armor trust has knife at
the governments throat. And now 1t is
proposed to let them cut the governments
throat. We are face to face with q
scandal as infamous any in our history,
second not even to the great Credit Mo-
bilier scandal
"I resent that statement" interJected
Mr.. Penrose, vehemently and with evident
feeling .I resent the statement that there
Is any suspicion of scandal in this any
amendment which I propose. 1 consider
my notion of the proper way for the gov
ernment to transact its business to be on
as high standard any set up by the
senator from South Carolina"
II am making no personal allusions," re-
piled Mr.. Tillman. Il am simply stating
facts that are indisputable. The influences