The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-05-07

The following letter from Congress
man McCleary, the chairman of the
committee on library of the house of
representatives, together with favor
able report of that committee upon the
bill introduced by Congressman Dris-
coll to appropriate $4,000 to erect a
monument to the memory Of Commo-
dore John Barry, the father of the
American navy, has been received by
the Irish Standard. Irish societies and
particularly Ancient Order of Hiber-
mans and Irish-American papers have
iabored with Congressman McCleary to
secure favorable report upon the bill.
The results are most satisfactory and it
appears certain that the next session
of congress will enact the bill into law.
Congressman McCleary's letter is as
follows: 's g
Washington, D. c., April 80, 1904.
Editor Irish Standard, Minneapolis,
Minn.-Dear Sir:
Referring again to your letter of
some weeks ago urging favorable ac-
ton on one of the bills providing for
a monument in Washington in honor of
Commodore Barry, I take pleasure in
advising you that, as chairman of the
committee on the library, to which
such bills are referred, reported some
days before congress adjourned bill
for that purpose. Herewith I send
you a copy of the bill and of the re-
port.
hope that next winter we shall be
able to get the bill enacted into law,
and that within the near future there
will be erected in this capital city of
the nation a suitable monument to the
gallant Barry, who served this coun'
try so we'll in the "times that tried
mems souls"
Respectfully yours,
J. T. McvLEARY.
The library committee, through Mr.
McCleary, reported upon the bill few
days before the end of the session as
follows:
The committee on the library, hav
ing had under consideration the bill Is
l547) for the erection of a monumen
to the memory Of Commodore Joh1
Barry, report the same back to thu
house with the recommendation
that the bill be amended by th'
addition in line Il, of the words 60
the Fifty-eighth Congress-" and tha
AS thus amended the bill do pass.
For the information of the house til,
committee submits the following sketcl
of the life and services Of Commodore
Barry:
John Barry was born in the parisl
of Tacumshare, in the county Of Wex
ford, Ireland, about 1745. The place O
his birth was bounded by two land
locked CULTS, upon both of which HI
<tplied the oar and set the SAIL" ant
from his very infancy 'heard the multi
tudinous laughter of the sea-; and i
called to him, and he loved it and fol
lowed it, and it gave him power ant
triumphs.
On leaving Ireland he probabl!
landed in Philadelphia, for the frs
authentic record of Barry shows hin
as clearing" from that port in Octo
ber, 17G6, as captain Of schooner. II
1863 he was elected member Of tn
<'Society for the Relief Of Poor ant
Distressed Masters of Ships" and o.
December q, 1775, was made captain
of the Black Prince, owned by Johl
Nixon, but chartered by Morris & viii
ling, the foremost traders in Nortl
America.
This was the same John Nixon VIII
first read the Declaration Of Indepen
dence in public, July 8, 1776, himsel
the descendant of an Irishman.
While Barry was on cruise in til
Black Prince, "the embattled farmer
had fred the shot that echoed 'roun,
the world" and on the day Of his re
turn, October 13, 1775, the Continenta
congress had resolved to fit out tw
cruisers, called the Lexi-e ION and til
Reprisal, in command Of the forme
and larger Of which Barry was placed
ss ia y sf IN ~