Ladd of the Greenback Party. He was elected Maine representative-at-large to the 48th Congress by a substantial majority in the 1882 election, and he was subsequently elected 4th District Representative in every election after that, until his resignation in 1901. Congressman Boutelle drew on his maritime background, serving as the Chairman of the House Naval Affairs Committee in the 51st, 54th, 55th, and 56th Congresses. During his tenure in that position, he provided powerful leadership in modernizing the navy and was instrumental in the development of the first steel battleships, along with the industries that supported their construction and outfitting. The growth of the Bath Iron Works can be partly attributed to his leadership position. No less charismatic a speaker than he was a writer, Congressman Boutelle was relentless in his support of Republican positions in the great debates of his time. He is especially remembered for speeches on the question of Hawaiian annexation (53rd Congress) and the border dispute between Great Britain and Venezuela (54th Congress); these were the two great foreign policy issues of the second Democratic administration of President Grover Cleveland (1892–1896). In April 1898, Boutelle was among the six representatives who voted against declaring war on Spain. Illness and death Boutelle was at the peak of his political popularity when, on December 21, 1899, he suffered an apparent seizure during a stay in a Boston hotel; the seizure left him unconscious. He was treated briefly at his home in Bangor, but he was soon moved to the McLean Asylum in the Waverley section of Belmont, Massachusetts. Under the care of the superintendent, Dr. Edward Cowles, he was diagnosed with "brain trouble" arising from the seizure, as well as underlying renal and cardiac disease. Although he made slow progress toward recovery, he never again fully regained his faculties and remained hospitalized for the rest of his life. Despite this, however, the loyalty he commanded from the voters of his district, as well as the state party chiefs, was so great that he was again nominated, and elected, to the 57th Congress. In addition to his poor health, his last years were plagued with financial troubles. In response to his situation, as well as in tribute to his long service to the nation, the Maine Republican delegation led a joint resolution of Congress January 16, 1901, naming him to the Naval Retired List with the rank of captain,