Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-02-23
Bath Custom House.

ation, in COMMITTEES Of the whole, Mr. BENSON,
Of Maine, offered 4he following amendment,
accompanied With afew remarks, necessarily
brief, under the.fve tninmes' rule:
Mr. Benson. offer the following amend
ment -
For completing the custom house az Bath,
Maine, $4,000.
Mr. Chairman, regret The necessity Of off
ering this amendment. the COMMITTEE on
WAYS and Means had not seen TT to omit this
just appropriation, should have been saved
from tie necessity Of presenting II Tor Inc con-
sideraiion Of this committee. 49, r.4
In the first place, allow me TO say that the
amendment comes Before you with the same
recommendation that has been presented ~
favor of all the other amendments OF ms nature
that have been oflered--ihe recommendation OF
the Secretary Of the Treasury. 1T gentleman
will turn 40 the third page Of the Secretary o
letter Of estimates, they will find that ne mere
recommends this appropriation IN the precise
| language of The amendment ana IL tney VIII
refer 10 miscellaneous document NO. pa doc
ument apparently designed e communicate IN
| formation to this same Committee on ways
and Means--they will find that ne there not
only recommends it. but gives reasons tor the
reco mmendaliOn. IL seems 10 me that there
are not only these reasons, but, 1t gentlemen
will listen to me for the remainder OF my i've
minutes, think | can show that there are
other reasons than those presented by the Sec
Rotary Of the Treasury. And, In the outset,
allow me to refer for moment TO the Oblec-
tions which have been offered TO all these
amendments By the Committee on Ways and
Means. .rr nff H
| The appropriation for Wilmington, Della
| 49,, ~ Wavc
| and Means becauseNhe amount Of revenue col
lected there was so smal-some;hing less than
81 ,OOO-during the year ending on the 3Olh of
June last. But if you will look at this same
document, You will find that the amount of
revenue collected at the port Of Bath was $l9,-
TAG 50. The appropriations for Louisville and
Cincinnati were objected to on the ground that
those cities are not ports Of entry. The port
Of Bath is a port Of entry. Another objection
is, that no foreign vessels are entered at the
custom houses at Louisville and Cincinnati. If
Won will refer to this same document, You will
fnd that eighty foreign vessels entered at the
port of Bath last year. m
But, sir, il is designed that this custom
house building shall also accommodate post
office; and if you will refer 10 the Blue Book,
you will find tha, the net proceeds of the post
lrOLlcO dI lOdlI dlllubut ~ ,OOf ~ dhu JOu
will find further, if you will look at the statis-
tics which are within your control, that the
district of Bath is the largest ship-builJing
district in the Unired States. ea
Mr. Fuller What was the tonnage last
year, trr
Mr. henson. During the year ending the
31st of December, l853-and I have Demo
cratic authority, the Eastern Times of January
I a. - ..c.. A.
built in the district of Bath was sixty-nine, and
the tonnage was 40, 1l9 1895, and the tonnage
Of vessels registered, enrolled, and licensed, in
this district, on the 3lst Of December last, was
Isl ,498 1896 tons. r. 1850. fH.n-
Mr. Dean demanded tellers. TeIIers We're
ordered /; and Messrs. Harris, of Alabama, and
Vail, were appointed.
Mr. Fuller Is it in order to move an amend
mentl 7
The Chairman. Il is not, in the opinion Of
the Chair, in order 10 submit an amendment
while the committee is dividing.
The question was taken, and the amendment
was agreed to, the tellers having reported
ayes ~ noes 55. -E
The amendment was afterwards adopted in
the House, and motion to reconsider laid on
tie table on motion Of Mr. Benson The de.
iClCHCy Viii nScIl, was, nuWeN6T, UelGdteu OH Z
subsequent day SO that the appropriation must
be obtained in some ether mode.
We are under obligation to Mr.. Benson
for his exertions in behalf of the Bath Gus
tom House. His speech was well-timed and
appropriate and although the deficiency bill
failed, he is none the less entitled to credit
Mr.. Benson is working man, and will no
doubt represent this district, since we have
had the misfortune Of having our district des-
tiny joined with old federal kennebec, as we'll
as could be expected Of man Of the excru-
ciatingly bad politics, connected with Kenne-
bee extraction. We went against him s'tooth
and NALL in the congressional canvass, not
because we thought another man of his party
was better entitled to the nomination, but be-
cause he was the representative of party at
war with the time-honored principles of democ-
racy. Mr.. Benson was right in referring to the
/ Eastern Times as good democratic authority.