New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-06-19
VIRGINIA COURT DEFIED.
Il CLASH OF AUTHORITY.
The GalUeston To Be Launched
Under Protection of a Gunbodt.
IFRoM THE TRIBUNE BUREAU.l

I-aebing+on J1,ne 1S-Attorney General Knox
TODAY nrivate1v assured the Navy Department
that he would back up by a legal opinion the
somewhat sensational programme proposed oy
Admiral BowIes for the launching of the cruiser
Galveston under the protection or united
States man of war To use the naval forces OF
the government in opposition to the decree of a
State court especially in time of peace, is re-
garded by conservative officials and legislators
as not only establishing precedent which may
give serious trouble in the future but which
NAV also precipitate at an inopportune time and
in an aggravated manner the whole question of
State rights.
What the Navy Department proposes to do Is
to launch the cruiser Galveston at Richmond
Va on Monday. The hull and machinery OF the
Galveston are being built by the Tr1gg Snip
building Company, and the vessel is practically
ready to take the water. The Trigg company
recently made an assignment, and is now. under
the direction of the State court in the hands Of
a receiver, with every prospect OF interminaole
litigation before it's affairs can be put in such
shape that actual work on pending contracts
can be resumed. The Navy Department has the
alternative of doing without the ship for an In
definite period. Notwithstanding the money al
ready paid for her or of taking her to the Nor
folk yard and finishing her. 1t is therefore pro-
posed to launch her and tow her down the
James under the protection of armed federal
force represented by gunboat.
While the case of the Galveston is not regard
ed as in itself serious hindrance to the build
ing up of the navy, and while there is such
thing the "Shipbuilding Trust mentioned in
any of the various contracts the department
has with the various shpbuiding companies
which have recently become members Of thai
organization, yet officials of the department are
aware that the trust does exist and that its
affairs are reported to be in bad shape fnan-
cially. The failure of the Trigg concern is be
leved to be the forerunner of other failures to
come in the near future. each one of which will
proba bly, stop work on some unit of the naval
increase under contract with them. 1t is in
der. therefore. that the programme of naval
construction so carefully planned by Congress
and so jealousiy observed by the department
may not be permanently interrupted by the fail
ure of the financial plans of some organizer
that the department is taking the radical step
contemplated in the of the Galveston,
Some of the minor phases of the plan. all of
which would seem to warrant careful consid-
GRAFTON. include the REIMBURSEMENT of the bond
of the contractors in case the Galveston is
forcibly taken from the company. the risk the
government is running should the construction
of the vessel not be up to the mark, with her
consequent failure TO meet the requirements,
and the civil suits which will undoubtedly be
incurred by the government by reason OF the
seizure. 1t is not doubted that the Virginia
authorities will yield gracefully before the fed
eral demand
Secretary Moody was informed tonight Of the
action of the Richmond court restraining the
government from further work on the Galveston.
but declined to talk the subject until after
conferences to be held tomorrow with the Presi-
dent and the Attorney General Attorney Gen
eral Knox also unwilling to be quoted until
his opinion rendered to the President as 10 the
Jurisdiction of the government over the Calves
ton has been made public. 1t be Stated,
however. that the Attorney General regards as
eminently we'll taken the contention of Rear Ad-
miral Bowles that court has the right TO in
terefere with work vessel. and that the
eral troops to protect its agents engaged in such
1-arlx