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Show IMMENSE SUM FOR THE fiffl New York. Feb. 11. A special to the Herald from Washington says: This year's naval appropriation bill will carry more money than has been voted by congress in any regular annual appropriation ap-propriation bill since the civil war, an I f probably will authorize expenditures a i- great as those under the regular ap- propriatfon and the allotments from the $r0.000,000 national defense fund in the fiscal year 1S99. ! The . estimates of the navy department depart-ment for the year footed up $75.oti0.000 and the department would like to have every cent for which it asked. Congress Con-gress will scale down the estimate-.- wherever practicable, but it is expect- ' ed when the bill becomes a law it will carry at least $", ooo.Otio. The first draft of the measure has been prepared by a subcommittee of the house committee on naval affairs and is now under consideration by the full committee. The subcommittee did " , not do anything regarding the authorization author-ization of new ships or regarding the-purchase the-purchase of armor for ships already authorized, leaving these matters to he-considered he-considered by the full committee. Even with these omissions the first draft of the bill carries a total of about $63,-000.000. $63,-000.000. It is the aim of the committee to bring the total in the bill, including the appropriations for new ships and armor, down to $(50,000,000, but it is doubtfui whether this can be done. Aside from the items under the head I of the increase of the navy, for which j the department estimated J22.9S3.10l, an i increase of more than $I2,ooo.ooo, thf j heaviest increases are under the head I of public works. Including improve-j improve-j ments at navy yards ami stations, new I dry docks and new buildings) at th I naval academy. The department's estimates es-timates for public works footed up nearly StU.ono.OOO. an increase of more than $9,000,000. ; . The house committee has not yet decided whether all the. new ships re- " ' commended by Secretary Long shall I be authorized this year or not. In I view of the fact that little progress has ; been made with the ships authorized 1 last year and as the ship yards of the i country are pretty well filled with i work, there is a disposition on the part j of S'me members of congress not to i authorize the full programme urged by j the secretary. The most troublesome question is that of providing armor for the ships already authorized. This subject has not yet been taken up. |