Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 29.djvu/409

 FIF'1‘Y-FOURTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. Ch. 399. 1896. 379 for said vessels, their engines, boilers, and machinery, the contracts _ under which they are built, except as to premiums, which are not to be No premium. offered, the notice of any proposals for the same, the plan, drawings, and specifications therefor, and the method of executing said contracts, shall be observed and followed, and said vessels shall be built in compliance with the terms of said Act, save that in all their parts said vessels shall be of domestic manufacture; and, subject to the provi- uPl¤¤¤ <>*` ¤¤¤¤*r¤¤- sions hereinafter made, one and not more than one seagoing battle ship °°' and three of said torpedo boats shall be built on or near the coast of the Pacific Ocean or in the waters connecting therewith, provided that said battle ship or torpedo boats can be constructed at an additional cost not exceeding four per centum of the lowest accepted bid for the other battle ships or torpedo boats provided for in this A0t,`and one torpedo boat on the Mississippi River, one torpedo boat on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and one torpedo boat on the Missouri River: Pro-  _ and, not it it shan appear to tiio satisfaction or tiio President or ,}.I‘;2}21‘;'}“*°”“'“° the United States, from the biddings for such contracts when the same are opened and examined by him, that said vessels can not be constructed at a fair cost on or near the coast of the Pacific Ocean, on the Mississippi or Missouri River or the Gulf of Mexico, he shall authorize the construction of said vessels, or either of them, elsewhere in the United States, subject to the limitations as to cost hereinbefore provided: Provided further, That the contracts for the construction of the Contracts. vessels herein provided for shall be made within one hundred and twenty days from the passage of this Act: And provided further, That ,£;P°"* °¤ •”¤°’ the Secretary of the Navy is hereby directed to examine into the actual P ' cost of armor plate and the price for the same which should be equitably paid and shall report the result of his investigation to Congress at its next session at a date not later than January first, eighteen hundred and ninety-seven, and no contract for armor plate for the vessels authorized by this Act shall be made till after such report is made to Congress for its action. h The Secretary of the Navy is hereby authorized to contract for the TM H¤11¤¤<1¤>r1>¤•i•> building of two submarine torpedo boats of the Holland type, atacost l°°°"' not exceeding one hundred and seventyhve-thousand dollars each; said boats to be constructed and delivered to the Navy Department _ within four months from the date of contract: Provided, That the Hol- fgfgfgmce 0, but land boat now being built for the Department shall be accepted by the being built. Department as fulfilling all the requirements of the contract, and as being satisfactory to the Secretary of the Navy; but no action shall be taken therein until said Holland boat now being built for the Department shall have been fully tested to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Navy, and thereupon accepted. Consriwcrroiv Ann maoumnnvz On account of the hulls and out- Ey>¤¤¢r¤¤¤•>¤¤¤·1¤¤¤· tits of vessels and steam machinery of vessels heretofore authorized, " `”°"` and of the vessels authorized under this Act, six million eight hundred and seventy thousand six hundred dollars. Aimou Ann ARMAMENT: Toward the armament and armor ofdomes- .-mm anu amatic manufacture for the vessels authorized by the Act of August third, ""{$‘,f;_·,,_,,_2,5_ eighteen hundred and eighty-six; of those authorized by the Act of W1- 2*1 v- 205 June thirtieth, eighteen hundred and ninety; of those authorized by the Ae-t of July nineteenth, eighteen hundred and ninetytwo; and of V<>l·¤1r·25<>· the vessels authorized by the Act of March third, eighteen hundred V¤1.2‘r.p.¤1. and ninety-three; of the three torpedo boats, Act of July twenty-sixth, Vol. a, p. 140. eighteen hundred and ninety-four; of the vessels authorized under the Act of March second, eighteen hundred and ninety-nve, and of the - VM- 28- r-B41- vessels authorized under this Act, four million three hundred and seven ty-one thousand four hundred and fifty-four dollars. _ Eouirnnnrt Toward the completion of the equipment ontnt of the E•1'"P’°°¤*- new vessels heretofore authorized by Congress, two hundred and thirty- seven thousand dollars. _ _ Sec. 2. That the Secretary of the Navy is hereby directed to examine, m§{;°,{f“l°‘°“ by d“'°°‘ through a board composed of line and staff officers, into the merits of