The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-05
WEDNESDAY, August S, 1916.
IN SENATE.
The journal having been read

The journal having been read
Mr.. JOHNSON, Of Louisiana, submitted the fol-
lowing resolution; which was agreed to:
R,soVd That the Secretary of the Navy cause to be
completed exact survey Of the southwest pass of the
Mississippi river and the OF the great bay
of Barrataa with examination Of the character of the
marsh land separating those waters between the pilot sta
ton the bar AMI bayou Bull marked the opo-
graphical chart in Senate document of LIST session Goth
Congress No 1853 in order to ascertain the prsctcaby
excavatng ship canal of not less than thirty feet water
from the said southwest pass TO athoms 42
beakwater to reach athoms and estimate Of said
canal and breakwaer also that he report upon the
would have in strengthening otherwise the deiences OF
the Mississippi rivers and that the result Of said survey
examination he laidbeore Congress at the
of its next session.
[ A message was received from the House of Rep
resen tatves, announcing the action of said House
on the river and harbor appropriation BILL also, that
said House had passed the French spoliation bill
REPORTS FROM COMMITTEES.
Mr.. JOHNSON, of Louisiana, from the Commit
tee on Pensions, asked that said committee be dis
charged from the further consideration of the petit
ton of citizens of New Hampshire, presented the
22d December, 1S45; which was agreed to.
Mr.. ]. also, from the same committee reported
without amendment the House bill for the relief of
Silas Waterman, Of the county Of Washington,
Vermont, with a recommendation that its further
consideration be postponed indefinitely which re-
port was csncurred IN.
mT. Shm TOrU Tue oOHlnlttee on HatenS
and the Patent Office, reported with amendments
the bill declaraory Of the powers and legazng GER
| tan acts Of the chief clerk of the Patent Office
Mr.. EVANS, from the Committee on Finance,
submitted an adverse report upon the memorial of
Edwin Bartlett; which was ordered to be printed.
Mr.. ATHERTON, from the Committee on Print
ing reported in favor of printing the letters of Sam
uel Knox, William Reynolds, and Charles Wilkes,
in relation to the harbor at the mouth Of the Colum
ba river, submitted by Mr.. BENroN; which report
was concurred in and the document ordered TO be
printed.
GENERAL ORDERS.
Mr.. RUSK moved that the Senate proceed to the
consideration of the bill to pay the debt ascertaned
to be due to Texas, when an independent State
by tho United States; which not agreed 10.
On motion Of Mr. LEWIS, that 5000 adj.
dtona copies of the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury, showing the articles in which a large
amount per annum has hitherto been paid to the
protected classes, the motion was referred to the
Committee on Printing.
Mr.. HANNEGAN moved that the Senate pro-
coed to the liberation of the joint resolution for
the TeIief Of Seth NJ Leavenworth
Mr.. BENTON then rose and said that he desired
to call the attention of the Senate to bill introduced
by him six months ago. and thus far passed over
by the practice Of taking up bills out Of order. He
spoke Of the bill for the abolition ofthe salt tax and
OF the fishing bounties and allowances founded up
on that tax. Mr.. B. wished to give a new and ex-
raordnary for the passage Of that BILL grow
ing out Of great oversight in the new tariff bill.
BY this new bill the duty on salt is reduced to
twenty per centum on the value, and the bounty in
lieu Of drawback is reduced correspondingly on the
picked fish exported, This is very we'll as far as
il goesl but II happens to go almost no distance at
all. The bounty payable on that description Of ex-
ported fish is almest nothng-only about four or
FIVE thousand dollars per annum. Last year il was
"a, TIA; while the payments on account Of dried
fish exported are usually 100000 dollars per
annum. Last year it was 100000; but in l84l, it
was 1856, 600; and the sum total already paid on
this branch Of the fishing business, is about nine
millions Of dollars, and will go at that rate un-
der the new bill. The whole Of these bounties and
allowances are bot,omed on the salt duties and are
drawback Of the duty supposed to have been paid
on the salt put upon the fish exported; and there
fore, cassed with rc-exported SALT entitled to draw
back, like other re-exported merchandise Though
clothed with the name Of "bounties," and Of cal
lowancesto fishing vesselsp still it is all founded on
the salt tax and IL declared in the acts upon the
subject to be in exchange and Communication Of the
drawback, and an equivalent therefor. In all the
early acts Of Congress these bounties and allowan-
ces rose and fell with the rise and fall Of the salt