They insisted that they could not begin to supply armor for less than $442 a ton, and that then they would be making little profit on their work.
They reminded Congress that they had added costly machinery to their plants to oblige the Government, and that the country ought to be willing to pay them enough money for their work to reimburse them for the sums they had laid out.
Congress would not listen to this argument. It declared that the armor-plate people had formed a trust by which they hoped to force the Treasury to pay them any price they chose to ask, and finally declared that if armor-plate could be made at an actual cost of $197.78 per ton, the Government would no longer pay $558 to benefit the pockets of private individuals.
Further than this, Congress declared that if the Carnegie and Bethlehem people would not make the armor for $300 a ton, the Government would go into the business for itself, and leave these two companies with their machinery on their hands.
The committee appointed to examine into the cost of establishing government armor works is to be ready to hand in its report next December.
In the mean while the three new warships that are building will have to wait, and no new vessels can be commenced until this very important matter is settled.
Startling and terrible news reaches us from Spain.
Señor Canovas del Castillo (Casteelyo), the Spanish Prime Minister, has been assassinated!
The whole of Europe is greatly excited by this dreadful news.