Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-03-14
rhe Chinese Subsidy

| tOA1Ofsl VI SOAoeLA SdlecS W Guc OHtJtu
States Court.
The Chinese Subsidy.
The House went into Committee of the
Whole on the post Office appropria-
ton bill. The pending question being the
amendment increasing the subsidy to the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
Mr.. Potter spoke in favor of the amend
ment. He looked to the only great foreign
commerce left to the people of the United
States, the commerce of the Pacific Ocean,
and the question was whether the proposed
subsidy was necessary TO retain it. If it
was, the expenditure was warranted.
MIR. Coburn opposed the amendment, and
suggested substitute for it admitting for
eign built vessels to American registration.
He understood that iron steamships could
be purchased abroad for three foIlrths of
what they would cost here; "a voice-"FOr
one half, y that was the shape in which he
favored subsidies. Why not let the Pacific
Steamship Company buy the four greatships
that it required wherever they could get
them cheapest, instead of taking half
million year from the treasury. He Of
tered his amendment reducing the subsidy
to S5OO,OOO, allowing the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company to purchase four iron
ships abroad, to be registered in the United
States. =
Mr.. Sergeant made point of order that
| the amendment changed an existing law
and was therefore not in order.
The Chairman sustained the point of Or
der
Mr.. Coburn appealed and the decision of
the chair was sustained: -4....-.- n
Mr.. POmeroy, of Iowa, advocated an in
crease of subsidy and was anxious to do
| what he might so that the American fac
| shall show itself on all seas.
Mr.. Crebs opposed the amendment. He
| had always found that when great wrong
was about to be perpetrated great outcry
and pretense Of public necessity was sure
to be raised. The present case was an il
| lustratiOn of that truth.
| MIR. Farnsworth offered a substitute re-
| ducing the subsidy to a half million pro
! vided the company perform service semi
annually[?l and may perform it in ships of
| foreiy N construction.
COnger and Sargent opposed the substi-
tute and Herford and Morgan opposed the
| increased subsidy. The latter expressed
surprise at seeing the Chairman of the
! Committee of Ways and Means and the
Chairman of the Committee on Appropria-
! tiOns sustain increase of subsidy, after all
| their prOtestations in favor of economy.
Mr.. Sargent opposed Farnsworth's
amendment and showed that English
] steamship lines which bought their ships at
! the cheapest rates had still to be subsidized
| by the English government. He reminded
representatives of agricultural interests that
the Pacific mail steamship line gave an out
let of wheat and corn to the east
Mr.. Morgan opposed increased subsidy
and referred to statement made him by
Collins when he got his first subsidy of
$4,000 that
It'll Had Cost Him
more than that to get it. He would not
! charge corrupt practices ON members, but
all knew that the lobbies were packed with
| plunderers. This scheme was not Repub-
lican, it was not Democratic, but would not
the country believe it was scheme of plum
der devoid of shame? He denounced it as
| conspiracy against the Treasury and
against the people.
Mr.. Brooks, Of New York, replied to Mr..
Morgan, and reminded him of the great
men of both parties who had voted for the
Collins subsidy, and asked him whether he
dared to insinuate corrupt motives against
Clay, and Webster, and Crittenden.
MOrgan-LL Loudly and excitedlyl dare
do anything that is right; dare to say that
this is a scheme to plumber, that it
Taints the Atmosphere.
The gentleman may make the most of my
remarks.
Mr.. Brooks, with display of great feel
ing-l will go down TO pOsterity with Clay,
and Webster, and Crittenden, for that ap-
preparation to support the flag of our coun-
try on the ocean. [Applause.l The Dem
Ocratic party had always been in favor of
commerce and trade. It looked not only
to the agricultural and manufacturing inter-
ests of the country, but to its commerce.
He would tell the gentleman from Ohio
(MOrgan), that the Democratic party never
could be maintained and never ought to be
maintained when it arrayed itself against
the commerce and trade of the country,
and when its situation was such as to up
hold the Cross Of st. George in preference
to the flag of the country. Applause on
floO-. This was a war mainly between
the Stars and Stripes and the Cross of St.
George for the trade of six hundred mil
lions Of people on the Pacific Ocean. That
was the reason why he threw himself so
earnestly into the debate. BE did not
know that he ever felt so deeply interested
in question as he did in this. This COM
pany could not maintain itself against the
subsidies of England unless it was sup
ported by Congress.
The debate was continued by Messrs.
Burchard and Beck against, and Potter and
Dawes in favor of increased subsidy.
Mr. Burchard expressed the hope that
The Spirit of John Hampden
would arise and resist this exaction on the
of
subsidy,which had aroused the English peo-
pie and driven Charles from bis throne.
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, also op-
! posed the increase, and in reply to remarks
| previously made by Mr.. Conger, denied
that he ever voted for a bounty to fisher
men. He said he never even wanted to
vote for it, if the fishermen were not to be
sold out to Great Britain. He referred to
| the fact that the Presidents recommenda-
| ton to buy ships abroad had been opposed
| by Messrs. Dawes and Brooks.
| Mr.. Kelly remarked that the adoption of
| the Presidents recommendation would
| have been the burial of American ship
| yards.
The discussion was further carried on by
! Messrs. Spear, of Pennsylvania, Wood,
| Kerr and Bird, against increased subsidy,
/ and by Messrs. Bingham, Kelly and Hall IN
! favor.
Mr.. Farnsworth called attention to a
combination which existed in the House be-
| tween the extreme high tariff men and
! ship builders. He maintained that the
/ representatives of ocean commerce are all
| combining against the proposition to pur-
chase ships where they can be purchased
cheapest.
Mr.. Townsend, of Pennsylvania, said
| the doctrine to buy where you can buy
cheapest was the free trade doctrine of mem
bers who wanted to apply it to ships, and
everything else-would be to destroy the
ship building and coasting trade Of the
! country.
Without disposing of any of the pending
amendments, the Committee rose, and the
House adjourned.