, 1880-12-19

| CuiltIHudl LnTe1t udlle Ill tlliS Auuoes Ila
the people should 60 and buy free ships, ant
thus endanRer the establishment
American shipyards, ships could be manu-
facturcd here cheaper and better than the.
| were to-day, and to-day they were the fines
! ships in the world. The people had In ad
| vance told the gentleman from Mississippi
] (Singlcton), If he had diplomatic bill to in
| troduce it, but to close the portals of hi
| speech on the subject OF free ships. III
criticised the Committee on Appropriation
for not increasing the salaries OF Consular
officers, which criticism called forth tht
sarcastic remark from Singleton that he re
GREETED Mr.. Conger had not been called II
the position Of Secretary OF State, Instead 0!
Mr.. Erarrs.
Mr.. Conger replied that he regretted that
like all other attempts made by the other
side, the effort to have him promoted to thai
high position
CAME TOO LATE.
Continuing his speech, he said that q con-
tfnuous, willful, lie had almost said mali
clous, attack on the Diplomatic and Consular
system had been made for the last six years
by the Democratic side OF the House.
Mr.. Sparks asserted that though attempts
had been made to trim the Diplomatic Serv-
Ice, no attack had ever been made on the
Consular Service.
MIR. Monroe, member of the Appropria-
tions Committee, said that in the bill IN hon
est attempt had been made by the Secretary
of State and the Committee on Appropria-
tions to meet the growing wants Of CON-
merce. not a broad and fundamental effort,
but fair one, oil the basis Of the present al>-
preparations. There were several points
where lie would cheerfully have voted to i'll
crease the Consular salaries, but still he
considered the bill to be a good one. One
difficulty in recognizing the service this
winter was that all the necessary information
on the subject was not in possession OF the
Secretary of State, and that officer did not
think it expedient at present to go into the
business Of recasting the whole Consular
Service.
8m. DuSSELL,
Of Minnesota, thought that If the laws Of
which the gentleman from Mississippi
(Singleton) complained were repealed, the
entire coastwise trade Of the country would
fall into foreign hands.
Mr.. uubbell thought the navigation laws
and the low salaries paid to Consu1s had very
little to do with the fact that the carrying
trade OF the country was so small. The way
to build up trade was to encourage it as
statesmen had formerly encouraged it by
what was called subsidies. Great Britain,
France, Germany, and Spain, and every other
country that desired to build up the carry
Ing trade subsidized their lines of steamships,
The United States did not get trade because
Congress did not have the courage to come
to the point and pay fair remuneration to
steamship lines.
A1r. Springer said, notwithstanding the
lamentations Of the gentleman from Michi-
gan (Conger). the times had never been as
prosperous, exports as large, or business so
remunerative as during the time that the
Democratic party had a majority in Con-
gress.
Mr. Heilman inquired whether the pros
perity of the country had not been brought
about in spite of the Democratic party.
Mr.. SpriDger-1t has been brought about
in spite of the legislation OF the Republican
party.
Mr. Hetlman-You know better, and
THE COUNTRY KNOWS BETTER.
Mr.. Sprlnger-It was under Republican
rule, and when Republican tariff laws were
in,full force and effect in 1873, that the great
financial crisis came On US.
MIR. Heilman-Was it not brought about
BY the Democratic: Rebellion which involved
the country in Immense expenditures ?-''s.:
3lr. Springer-Stili harping on my
daughter. [Laugiiter.] Nothing can be
said in reference to business or exports or
imports that some gentleman does not say:
"a Did not that happen on account of the late
Rebellion ?"
Mr. Hawk inquired in what particular
Democrats had modified the tariff since
1873 :?
bfr. Sprtnger-1n. only one respect, and
that was to take duty off quinine, so that
the Republicans could get free Qufnfne in
tile midst of their shaking.
Mr.. Keifer asserted thatquinine was higher
since the Democrats had taken the duty off
than 1t had been before.
General debate then closed, and the bill
was read for amendments, but none being
offered, the Committee rose and reported the
bill to the House.
The vote resultcd-yeas, 40; nays, (Mc-
MILAN and 0. Turner),-no quorum. !
Adjourned until Monday.