The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-13
Provides Compensation for De De-
struction Of Catholic Church
on Reservation.
WILL PROBABLY BE.
OTHER SIMILAR CASES
But It Will be Hard to Get the
Bills Through Congress Start
ling Number Of Dcscrtions
From Navy and the Sec
rctary Can Suggest
No Remedy.
tFrom our Regular Correspondent

(From our Regular Correspondent
{, s WASHINGTON D. c., December r.
The demolition and removal Of the Hygci'aa g'a
Hotel and other buildings from tho gov
ernment reservation at Old Point last
year Will probably be the subject OF sew
eral bills which the Virginia senators and
+ Representative Maynard, OF the Second
District, will be asked TO introduce. SEN
ator Martin has been requested by Bishop lt'op
A. Van de Vyver OF the Virginia Diocese
to Introduce a. bill conpensating him or
his successor for the destruction OF tho
Catholic Church on the reservation, re-5
moved last summer byf oruer Of the Sec
retary OF War. The bill LIS for the cost OF
the new church, which was thirty 'thous-
and dollars. The new structure was
placed on the reservation, also, on ste
selected by representatives OF the War
f Department.
Difficult Of Passage.
There will be difficulty in securing the
passage OF the bill or any other which
( seeks: to Ireconpense owners Of property
On the reservation which was removed
when the War Department began exten-
ses and impro yemsnts Il ,s9ms -
inss placed on the reaerva ton 4 Mt Old
Is Point are erected with ,..e und nderstantlu,gl
that they are liable to the; removed at any
timc the authorities may see TT 70 SO
order. There is n cont ractsen tered INTO q
with the department to remove the build- oI
lngs at the cost OF the owner. without
compensa ton therefor, whenever the.
proper authority may direct.SlThe con-
tract with the depa artmcnt for the erec.
ton OF the Catholic church was signeu
bp c(sIl IN
aicGill was at that time the head Of the
Diocese OF Virginia.
The arguments for the payment OF the
claim OF Bishop Van de Nyver for the
cost of the erection OF the new church
are much stronger than can be present
cd, probably. BY other property owners on
the reservation. 1t Is pointed out that
more than hnlf the people on the rescrVa-
tion In the employ Of the government are
Catholics; that provision Is mado 1or the
religious needs of the Protcstants In the
army and other non Catholics at Old
Point In the employ OF the government,
by the appointment OF. q chaplain VINO
conducts services IN the Protestant
church. and that tho Catholics supply the
church and the clergyman to conduct ser
vices for the Catholic residents, It Is
urged that for this reason the cost OF the
erection of the church should be borne
by the government. The bill which Sen
ator Martin will introduce at the request
i
the submission of the claim to the Court
OF Claims. 1t will be opposed. probably,
though the matter has not been genera-
ally. discussed.
Descrtions From Navy.
The Tlmes-Dispatch has In the course
OF the past few months published num-
Der OF stories regarding the large NUM-
ber OF assertions OF senmen from vessels
In Newport News and Norfolk harbors.
and stories also OF "crmplng and shars-
haIng In those ports The Secretary OF tho
Navy In his recent annual report alludes
to the unprecedently large number OF de-
scrtlons from American MIN OF war
and says frankly that he does not know
f how to account for 1t and can suggest no
remedy. United States Consul D. Mayer
at the port OF Buenos .1Ayres, In q report
made public to-day by tho Department OF
Commerce and Labor. discusses the sub,
jcct In an interesting manner, and shows
with apparent clearnesl the cause Of such
largo number Of dcsertiOns. The. report
is In part as follows, and will he read
with interest by all ship owners, and
sailors, MS we'll as by the author ties OF
4 Virginia seaport cities, to whom descrters,
and tho practices of landsmen' as de-
scrihcd by Consul Mayer are sources OF
constant trouble:
II attribute the unusual number OF de-
scrtions to the law Of December 81, 1888,
which reads: u.
''Eyery seaman on q vessel OF the
Unltad States shall be entitled to receive
from the master OF the vessel 10 which
he belongs one-haf part Of the wages
which shall be due him at every port
where such vessel, after the voyage has
commenced, shall load or deliver cargo
before the voyage is ended, UNLESS
THE CONTRARY BE EXPRESSLY
STIPULATED IN. THE CONTRACT."
In the opinion Of the consul, which Is
based upon observation, if the words
In capitals We're not IN the contract, dos
sertlons would not be SO numerous, for
the following reasons: 58
''Nlost OF the American vessels coming
to this port sail from Boston, Mass
There the shipping articles are signed by
the seamen before tho United States ship
ming commissioner, On tho front page
CT said articles, toward the bottom of
The page, find in almost all shipping
articles the following words stamped,
mo money to be advanced during tho
voyage AS a rule, 1t takes from sixty
to seventy days for vessels to reach this
Iort, Tha seamen, once the vessel Is IN
iort. will ask permission from the mas
Ter OF tile vessel to so ashore, which
remission is granted for twelve hours
He will ask for .son,e nlor,ey. which Is
t. 49,, = EA,. ~ T9oo orn \