Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-02-08

SENATOR PERKINS BILL.
Grants Secretary of Navy Right to
Dismiss Midshipmen.

The following bill was introdced In
the United States Senate bv Senator
Perkins. 1t was read twice and re.
ferred TO the Committee on Naval
Affairs:
A bill granting authority to the
Secretary of the Navy, in his discTe-
tion, to dismiss midshipmen from the
United States Naval Academy and
regulating the procedure aud punish
ment in trials of hazing at said Acad-
envy.
Be it enacted by the Senate and
House of Representatives of the Uni.
ted States of America in Congress as
sembled, that the Secretary of the
Navy shall have the power and author
ity, in his discretion, TO dismiss at any
time from the United States Naval
Academy any midshipman whose con.
tinued presence at the Academy he
shall deem contrary to the best inter
ests of the service, provided, that be-
fore exercising the power and author
ity hereby conferred the said Secre-
tary of the Navy shall inform, in writ
ing, the said midshipman of his rea-
sons for contemplating its exercise,
and shall receive and consider any
written communication which the said
midshipman may see fit to submit in
the premises within such reasonable
time as may be fixed by the said Sec
retary of the Navy and copies of the
said papers shall be submitted as snon
as may be practicable thereafter to
the President and also retained in the
department for transmission to either
House of the Congress if called for.
Section 2. That so much of the Acts
q
1901, as requires the Superintendent
of the United States Naval Academy
to convene a court. martial in all cases
when it shall come to the knowledge of
the said superintendent that any mid :
shipman has been guilty of the offense
commonly known as "hazing,' - and
declares the finding of court martial
so convened, when approved by the
said superintendent, final, and directs
that any midshipman found guilty by
such court martial shall be summarily
dismissed from the said Academy, and
also all other Acts or parts of Acts in
consistent with the present Act are
hereby repealed.
Section 3. That the Superintendent
of the United States Naval Academy
may, in his discretion and with the
approval of the Secretary of the Navy
cause any midshipman in the said
Academy to be tried by court martial
for the offense of hRzing, as approved
by the Act approved June %, 1874
and such court-martial, upon convic-
tion, may sentence such midsIipman
to any punishment authorized by the
said Act approved March 3. 1901, or
authorized for the offeDse of conduct
to the prejudice of good order and dis.
cipline in the case of an enlisted man
by the articles for the government of
the navy or authorized Tor any viola
tion or breach of the rules of the said
Academy by the said rules; and such
finding and sentence shall be subject
to review by the convening authority
and by the Secretary of the Navy, as
in the cases of other court-martial
Section 4. That the offense of "haz.
ing. as mentioned in this Act, shall
consist of any unauthorized assump-
tion of authority by one midshipma an
over another midshipman whereby the
last mentioned midshipman shall or
may suffer or be exposed to suffer
any cruelty, humiliation, hardship or
oppression, or the deprivation or
abridgment of any right. privilege or
advantage to which he shall be legally
entitled.
Section 5. That this Act shall take
effect from the date of its approval,
but no midshipman now connected
with the United States Naval Acad-
emy shall, by reason of it's enactment,
be punished for any offense heretofore
committed otherwise than in pursu
ance of the sentence Of a court martial
if, by existing law, such sentence
would be now necessary for such pun.
ishment, or punished more severity
than is now by law allowed for any
offense heretofore committed.