Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-07
THE VREELAND NAVY BILL.
HOUSE COMMITTEE DECIDES
TO REPORT FAvORA
BLY, NAVY BILL
With A Few Amendments-For
-Four Year Course At The
Naval Academy.
CHANGES AS TO AGE LIMIT.

1t has been decided to report favor.
ably with a few amendments, the
! bill introduced in Congress by the
| House Committee on Naval Affairs
| relating TO appointments TO the Naval
Academy and for other purposes. The
bill was introduced by Congressman
| Vreeland, member of the House
J Committee on Naval Affairs, who is
| preparing a report which he will sub
nit to.the House on the subject
The bill as reported provides that
the academic course Of midshipmen at
| the Naval Academy shall hereafter be
four years. When midshipmen shall
have passed successfully the gradual.
ing examination at the Academy they
! are to receive appointments as en-
signs and take rank according TO
| their proficiency as shown by the order
of their merit at the date of gradua-
ii on. The measure also provides that
after July !, 1906. all candidates for
admission to the Academy at the
/ time of their admission must be be.
/ tween the ages of l6 and 90 yeaIs
| As originally introduced the bill pro-
vided that candidates for admission
should be between the ages of lG and
| 10 at the time of their examina.
| tions "
| The fourth section of the bill pro.
| vides that civilian professors and in
| structoTs, after ten years of continu-
Gus service, be provided with quarters
or communication therefor, as now al
1 lowed to officers with the rank of lieu
tenant commander, and that they
have the privilege Of purchasing coal
and wood at Government rates
The next section of the bill as re-
| ported by the committee provides that
there shall be appointed during the
| ear 1906, in the following manner, a
board of visitors to attend the annual
examination of the Naval Academy
Seven pers 1ns TO be appointed by the
President, two of whom shall serve
for one year each, two for two years
eacn and three for three years each
| one Senator to serve for one year and
! one Senator 10 serve for two years,
| and three members of the House Of
| Representatives, one to serve for ore
| year one two years and one three
| years The Senators and Represen-
tatives are to be designated by the
| Vice President or the President pro
tempoTe of the Senate and the Speaker
of the House, respectively, at the sss
sion of COngrt SIS next preceding the
examination and annually thereafter.
At the expirationfof the terms of ser
vice of members of the board success
sors are TO be appointed to serve for
| periods of thlee years each Vacancies
Occurring in the membership of the
board because of termination of terms
of service in the House or Senate and
all vacancies occurring from any
other cause are to be filled by appoint.
ment for the unexpired terms Each
member of the beard is to receive not
exceeding eight cents a mile travel by
the most direct route from his resi-
dence to Annapolis and return and 50
day for expenses during actual resi-
dence at the Academy.
| ThelmOst important section of the
bill as agreed upon by the committee
is that relating to the method of max
ing appointments to the Academy. The
bill provides that Section l15 of the
Revised Statutes, as amended by the
Act of JEly 26, 1894 shall be amended
to'read after June ], 1906, as follows:
1.-THE Secretary of the Navy shall,
as soon as possible after the first day
of June of each year preceding the
final gTaduatio on of midshipmen in the
succeeding year, notify in writing
each Senator and each member and
delegate of the House of Representa-.
tiyes of any vacancy that will eixst
at the Naval Academy because OF
such graduation, and which he shall
be entitled to fill by nomination of q
candidate and one or more alternates
} | therefor The nomination of a candi
| date and alternate or alternates to fl
the vacancies shall be made upon the
recommendation of the Senator, mem
ber or delegate, If such Tecommenda
tion is made by the 18th day of An
, gust of the year in which the notice
} in writing is given, but if it is not
made by that time the Secretary o.
/ the Navy shall fill the vacancy by ap
pointment OF an actual resident of. th'
{ State, Congressional district or Ter
+ ritory as the case may be, in which
the vacancy shall exist, who shall
have been for at least two years i'm
mediately preceding the day of his ap
( | pointment an actual and bonafide res
ident Of the State, Congressional dis
r trict or Territory in which the va
cancy shall exist and of the legal quail
e ifications under the law as now pro
3 vided.
E "In cases where, by reason of a va
/ cancy in the membership of the Sen
' ate or House of Representatives or b,
E | the death or deelination of candidat
0 | for admission to the Academy, therl
4 OCCnTS or Is ABOUT 10 occur at III
r Academy a vacancy from any State
district or Territory that cannot b
filed, the same may be filled as sool
> thereafter and before the final en-
g trance examination for the year as tn
' | Secretary of the Navy may determine
No candidate or alternate nominated
hereunder shall be entitled TO an
pay or allowance until he shall hayi
: been regularly admitteddsto the Nava
: | Academy The candidates allowe
for the District of Columbia and al
: the candidates appointed at large. to
! gether with alternates therefor, shal
! be selected. by the President within
I the period herein prescribed for tn
: nomination of other. candidates. -
. This part of the bill as reported b
the House committee is different in
= number of respects from the provision
/ of existing law in the Naval Act @
4 jay 26, 1894 which provides:
THE Secretary of the Navy shall a
soon after the 5th of March in eaol
year as possible notify in writing eac
member and delegate of the House O
Representatives of any vacancy tha
, may exist in his district. The nomi
: nation of candidate TO fill the va
icancy snail be made upon the recon-