The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-02-20
NAVAL BILL PASSES
WORK OF THE LOWER HOUSE
 OF CONGRESS.
Amendment Adopted Authoriz ng Expenditure of $5OO,o00 by Secretary of the Navy for Sub
 marine Torpedo Boats.

Washington, Feb. 19.-At the end of a pcotracted session the House to-day passed the naval appropriation bill. A great many amendments were offered to the provisions relating to the increase of the personnel and the authorization of new ships to be built.
 The most important amendment adopt ed was one to authorize the Secretary of the Navy in his discretion to purchase or | contract for submarine torpedo boats af- | ter investigation of their merits and ap- propriates s5Oo,OOO for that purpose. The amendment was in the language of a bill | introduced by MT. Hill, of Connecticut, and it was stated on the floor that it had | the support of all the members of the naval committee. It was adopted prac- | tically without debate. The words au- thorizing the construction of the new ships "uy contract" were stricken out. As passed the bill provides for three new battleships and an armored cruiser, two steel traIning ships and one WOOL | en brig for training purposes. in addi- tion to the submarine boats discretion
  sonnel of the navy went through as re- ported by the committee, an effort to limit the increase to two midsnipmen for each Senator and Representative to the period between now and 1911 having been , voted down.
 An amendment was adopted giving members of Congress whose district are | not now represented at the naval acade- my the privilege of immediately appoint ing to fill such vacancies.
 Mir Kitchen tN. O. offered an amend ment to limit the Increase of midship- men to be appointed to two for each Senator and Representative between now and 1911. Lost.
 | crease the number of chapains. Also | lost.
 i Mir. Dick (Ohio) offered an amendment which was adopted. to provide for the | summary expulsion of naval cadet | found guilty of hazing.
 When the paragraph providing for the | Increase of the navy was reached, MT. | Mudd (dd.) a member of the naval com- l mittee, made a point of order against those portions of the paragraph provid- | ing that the machinery and materials | used In the construction of the ships au-
 thorized in it should be of domestic man.
 ufacture and authorizing the Secretary
 of the Navy in case of a combination of
 bidders to have the ships constructed in
 Government yards.
 Mr. Gillett (Mass) who was in the
 chair. sustained the point of order where
 upon MT. Kitchen (N. @ appealed from | the decision, but the chair was sustained.
 MT. Fitzgerald (N. Y.) raised a point of
 order against the provision requiring the
 construction of the ships authorized by
 the bill "by contract" and the words
 went out.
 An amendment was then adopted rein
 serting the provision requiring the use of
 domestic machinery and materials in the
 construction of the ships.
 MT. Tayler (Ohio) on behalf of the na-
 val committee offered an amendment au- thorizing the Secretary of the Navy in
 his discretion to expend $50O.0OO for sub
 marine torpedo boats tested and found ! to be acceptable to the navy. Agreed to-
 The proviso follows:
 That prior to said purchase of con-
 tract for said boats any American in I,ventor or owner of submarine torpedo 1 boat may give reasonable notice and have | his, her or Its submarine torpedo boat tested before August l, 1903, by compari- l son or competition or both, with a Gov ernment submarine torpedo boat or any | board appointed for conducting such tests | shall report the result of said competi- | tion to the Secretary of the Navy, who | may purchase or contract for such boats In a manner that will best advance the interests of the United States for sub marine warfare; and, provided further, l that before any submarine torpedo boat | shall be purchased or contracted for 1t shall be accepted by the Navy Depart ment as fulfilling all reasonable require ments and shall have been fully tested to the satisfaction of the department"
 MT. Cushman (Washn) offered an amendment authorizing one of the battle ships or cruisers to be built at a yard on the Pacific coast This amendment led to considerable debate and was finally ruled | out on point of order.
 By unanimous consent the provision which had gone out on point of order authorizing the Secretary of the Navy to construct the ships in Government yards in the event of a combination of bidders was restored.
 ! MT. Gaines (Dem., Tenn) raised point of order against the appropriation of Sl0 100000 for domestic armor' but 1t was overrued This is,'' said Mir. Gaines, commenting on the ruling of the chair and addressing the Republican side, the foulest trust you ever pressed to | your bosom " Gaughter)
 There were no further amendments and priation bill was passed. At 5:55 p. m. the House adjourned. | mrrr crrAnu