The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-09
duties unosr sucn regulations as may be prescribed


General Butler VIII tomorrow appear before the
same committee to urge his plans relative to dis
examinations in favor OF American vessels. The
committee IL examining into our maritime rela-
tons with other nations and the effect which they
have upon our material prosperity
A National sb.Rgisa Fss,..ry Proposed by
Senator renI0nS -. 80 >,
Attorneys appeared before the Senate Committee
on Commerce In order TO be heard In support of q
bill onered BY Mr.. Fenton to establish national
registry OF shipping. The American uoyds OF New
YORK was represented this morning. There are
two other bills pending-one offered by Mr.. Conk-
ling and the other by Mr.. wilson-one being in the
interests OF the Shipmasters' Association and the
other In that OF the American Universal Register.
The committee had already submitted Mr.. Wilson'S
bill to the Secretary OF the Treasury for
examination. Mr.. Boutwell, forwarded report OF
Mr.. Nimm0. CHIEF Of the Tonnage Division, on the
subject
Acting on the recommendations therein made, the
committee declined to hear argument declaring
the whole subject was one belonging TO private en-
terprise and to be made Of value by commercial
honor and interest Mr.. NimmO sketched the his
tory of the British Loyds and French verias bureau
and also referred TO the three American registres
that are at present maintained. All these, he said
were the result Of private effort and the growth Of
the insurance business. A government register
would, he argued. lack the most necessary element
inasmuch as that its registration would afford no
guarantee OF correctness. Besides the bills proposed
to make 1t obligatory on shipmasters to call a
board Of survey upon arrival In port thus creating
profitable business at their expense and often In
volvlng them in great delay.
Tho China Mail service Subsidy.
Mr.. Cole made the report to-day from the Senate
Committee on Post Onices and Post Roads accom-
panylng the bill authorizing an increase OF mail
service between San Francisco and China. The
report reviews the entire subject, and says, taking
the performance Of past service and its results as
promise OF the future 1t is lair to expect that the
increased service now recommended 4 and pro-
posed viii be followed by still further de-
velopment and augmentation of trade
on the coast Of China and Japan, and by
the early establishment Of first class American
steamship lines to Bombay. Calcutta, Java and
Manila as well as TO other quarters, thereby divert
ing much Of the trade that now seeks other and
foreign channels, while developing, as the existing
lines have done, new sources OF business and
wealth peculiarly their own. The Committee think
the passage Of the bill highly important as neces-
sary to maintain and control the commerce
which the present line OF steamships has
opened, and as conducive to the interests
OF the great railroad toward the completion OF
which Congress has contributed so munidclently,
and In which the government has 80 large an inter-
est. To secure Its passage may also be considered
as measure OF justice, since the inability OF the
company to help itself has arisen from the compile.
ton Of this railroad before the China line could be
firmly established 1t might have been had not the
profits from the Panama liae which mad sustained the
China enterprise in It's ORIGIN ceased to be avaia-
BILE. To see the development and control OF the
China trade, with all It's combined influences, now
within our grasp, pass into foreign hands could
scarcely be viewed In any other light than as O
national disaster.
The bill empowers the Postmaster General to con.
tract with the Pacific Mall Steamship Company for
carrying seml-monthly mail on the present estab-
hshed route at q rate Of compensation not to ex-
coed the rate now paid for the monthly service, and
upon the same conditions and limitations as re-
quired by the existing acts of Congress In reference
thereto and the contracts made IN pursuance
thereof provided that all steamships hereafter &C
cepted for said several routes shall be OF not les!
than 4, 900 tons register each.
| The Surplus OF the Chinese Indemnity {,
Increase International Comfy.
Hon. James Brooks has presented memorial O
| the Committee OF Twenty-Five. appointed by tn
| meeting held al Cooper Institute asking Congress
to use the surplus Of the Chinese Indemnity iund Il
| educate Chinese and American interpreters Al,
in other ways facilitate diplomatic and commercial
| intercourse with China. 1t was ordered TO b
printed. The memoir .srs show that at the Treaty
| Shanghai Nov. g. ressttne American claims agains
| China aggregated $1,2s6,s4S; that neither part,
| being willing to await legal adjudication OF thes
demands Mr.. Reed, our Minister proposed to settl
for 900 taes with provision that the surplus
| II any, should be refunded; but the chinese pre-
thnir
100000 without this provision. and Mr.. Reed as
scented. In 1862 after the payment OF all the claims
| over 100000 remained, which has accumu
| lated 10 $421, 200. The memorialists holt
| that the Chinese have an equity In thi
| fund.- fully justifying the recommendations O
Presidents Buchanan and Lincoln that 1t be appro
priated for their benent as well as ours In the pro
posed college, which, II rightly managed, would no
only provide interpreters and assistants to enable
both countries 10 discharge their treaty oblgation
| more Justly; but by exhibiting American science
anu inventions and removing Misunderstanding
and prejudlces would greatly encourage commercial
intercourse between the two nations.
Ocean Telegraph cables.
The House Committee on Foreign Affairs directed
MI. Wood to report his bill regulating ocean tele
graph cables TO the House, This measure was be.
fore the FortIeth Congress, and grew out of the
difficulty relative to the landing Of the French cable
at Duxbury, Mass. 1t allows all foreign cables tc
land on our shores, provided the same privilege Is
accorded to our citizens In the country from which
the cable starts. 1t provides rules for the general
order Of transmission Of dispatches 80 TO enable
government messages to receive que precedence.
The bill Is designed to prevent monopoly and guard
the public interests.
The Republican National Caucus-Prep airing
for the Presidential Nomin ati0n-No DeAni.
ton Of Principles.
The attendance on the republican caucus this
evening was quite slim, masquerade ball and
other festive scenes having more attractions.
senator Wilson presided. Reports OF the work
performed BY the Congressional Republican Com.
mlttee were read by the secretaries-Hon. J. III.
Platt Jr., and r. j. Hinton. The interest manifested