The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-03-30
xLvIth CONGREss-Ist Session.
SENATE.


cation of consular reports was referred to the
committee on foreign relations.
Communication from the Secretary of State
in response to the resolution calling for infor-
nation concerning the action under the Span
iSh claims treaty was referred to the committee
on foreign relations, with instructions to make
such recommendation as seems proper.
Messrs. Allison and Teller gave notice of
proposed amendments to the bill ratifying the
Ute agreement. Printed.
Mr.. Eaton, from the committee on appropri
ations reported with amendments the imlne--
date deficiency appropriation bill. Calen-
dared.
Senate proceeded with the calendar. Bill
providing for in irrational exhibition on the
anniversary OF the recognition OF lndepe1dence
was discussed.
After discussion, the morning hour expired,
and the anniversary exhibition bill went over.
j pint resolution for a board of survey on
double-turreted monitors was taken up.
Senate resumed consideration of the Geneva
award bill
Mr.. Thurman moved to amend by striking
out the clause providing that the court of COM
missioners shall consider and allow as second
GLASS; claims for payment of premiums for war
risks He said war premiums were expressly
excluded by the Geneva tribunal. Further on
in the discussion Mr.. Thurman said he had
never been able to see how any man stood bet
ter because he had insured his property and
paid enhanced rate, than does the man who
was his own insurer.
Biaine-Where is there any conflict between
those two classes?
Thurman-Every one of the proposed amend
ments provides for the payment Of war premi-
umS.
Blaine-But does any advocate of paying
war premiums say or imply that they are
better claims than those for loss of ships?
Thurman-Why, when the vote comes the
senator will find that senators will vote for
war premiums and not vote for exculpated
cruiser claims. The owners charged premiums
on the price of goods and made profit on
them when they sold them to the people. 1t
is the people who have paid war premiums and
not the merchants.
Blaine-Now to show how utterly fallacious
that is let me state an actual fact. Here are
two ships side by side at Liverpool or any for
eign port. One flies the British, one the
American flag They are competitors for
freight to any port on the surface Of the globe.
When an American ship has to pay large
premium for insurance does the honorable sem
ator, as a practical business man, say the mer-
chant who has freight to send will agree to
pay that much more than an English ship is
charging? And yet he tells us that all the man
had to do was to charge it in. The American
ship not only had to pay that and get no extra
for it, but even after it paid insurance it did
not stand on par with the British ship, as the
latter was in no danger of capture. Mr.. Blaine
risked everything in sending their ships to sea
under the American flag, and said these men
were bled to death. He instanced case where
cargo from Buenos Ayres to Portland was
shipped in an English vessel instead of an
American ship, as the shipper was not sure
the latter would reach the port, and said: Not
only in this case but in all cases the navigation
interest is one which received no protection
from the government of the United States.
The man who builds and sails United States
States vessels in foreign trade derives and re-
ceives no advantage whatever in any direction
either in peace or war, and in war he was liter
ally trampled out, because of his devotion to
the flag and his determination to uphold it.
AS to those who will vote for war premiums
and refuse to vote for losses by exculpated
cruisers, 1 have never met them.
MIR. Blaine went on to give his opinion that
the amount of $15,50O,0O0 was fixed on
on the principle of "split the difference.
Mr.. Thurman said there was nothing in the
proceedings of the tribunal to show the
amount was fixed upon in such way. AS
matter of fact claims for consequential dam
ages were excluded. The Senator from Maine
had not met the point to his satisfaction. He
argued that if cruisers had not made profits
they never would haye carried on the business.
Mr.. Blaine inquired if he did not know
enough of navigation to know that ship own
er will keep vessel afoat rather than let it
rot in the harbor if he does not make q cent,
tn us giving employment to sailors and helping
continue the commerce of the country. He
also called attention to the fact that 100000
tons of American shipping took refuge under
the British flag rather than run the risk and
pay high insurance premiums which would eat
master along the Atlantic coast who
did not believe in his heart that at
the time he paid a premium that it would be-
made good to him after the war was over.
These claims were withdrawn before the tribu-
nal to secure advantages to other claimants
and should not be denied now because of this
technical denial.
Mr.. Thurman said if ship owners preferred
to risk the loss of their ships rather than per-
init them to rot at the wharves, he did not see
where the patriotism came H.. They made
mere calculation of profit and loss and thought
it better to run the risk of destruction on sea
than await certain destruction at the wharves
1t that is not taking the patriotism out of the
argument do not know what is. But what of
the man who freighted the ships? He had no
goods to rot at the wharf. The American mer-
chant that did that did it because there was
| money in it, Now what better position is
man in who has paid war risk to an insur-
ance company than a man who owned his ship
and took out no policy at all? Take the case
OF an uninsured ship that was not captured
Why should not her owners tie paid war prem
iums? He was his own insurer.
Mr.. Blaine-We are here to indemnify some
body. The Senator thinks it is indemnity to
give money to the insurance company that
made profit or to the ship-owner who sailed
his ship at profit. l submit to the Senate
that when you come to indemnify man he
muSG SHOW loss. You never noard OF a man
asking to be Unidentified for profits. The old
rule was that the man who had an interest in
fourteen ships in the time of peace could af-
ford to sail without insurance, but the man
who owned his all in one vessel was ruined if
that one went down. The whole argument of
the Senator from Ohio applies only to the
owners of large numbers of ships, and not to
the poor owner of one or two.
Argument was continued at some length I'M
til Mr.. Thurman was taken with a rush of
blood to the head, and taken to the cloak
room.
Bill for board of survey on double turretted
monitors was then passed, and after and exc
cutve session the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
Bills introduced and referred:
By Mr.. Herbert, prescribing and defining
the manner of guaranteeing to each state
Republican form of government.
By Mr. Robertson of Louisiana, reaffirming
and applying the Monroe doctrine in connec-