The Portland daily press., 1881-01-28
xLvIth CONGREss-zd Session.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, Jan.

WARRINGTON, Jan. 81.
Mr.. Davis presented petition signed by
1900 individual Slgners with signatures of
churches, benevolent and other societies, rep
resenting more than $4,000 citizens, praying
Congress to observe the treaties heretofore
made with the Indian tribes, and in the future
to do justice to the remnants of that people.
Referred to the committee on Indian affairs
The following bills were reported from COM
mittees and placed on the calendar
By Mr.. Conkling, from the committee on
commerce, with one amendment, to authorize
the construction and maintenance of rail-
way bridge across the Niagara river.
By Mr.. Allison, from the appropriation COM
mittee, favorably, House bill providing for the
deficiency in the appropriation for interest of
the 800 loan of the District of Columbia and
other purposes.
Mr.. Beck addressed the Senate in advocacy
of free ships, taking as text his resolution
submitted Monday for the repeal of all laws
prohibiting our citizens from purchasing ships
to engage in the foreign carrying trade, or
which prevent the registration of them as
American ships when owned, commanded and
differed by U. 8. citizens.
Mr.. Blaine followed Mr.. Beck. He spoke
without notes and carried his hearers with him
through every utterance from the opening to
the close.
He said if INDUCED he would take a few
moments, not to reply to the Senator from
Kentucky with any elaboration. but briefly to
answer him, at least in part, as he did not like
to have speech of that kind 60 out from the
Senate of the United States unanswered for a
single day. That the Senator admitted and
did not attempt to argue the other side of the
nent dependence Of the United States upon
England for her ships his entire argument
went to show. That was the presumption
The only slight attempt made by the Seuator
to refute that was his statement that he hoped
that out of the repair shops that would grow
up on this side there might some time grow
up machine shops and shipyards enough for
US to construct steam vessels. Mr.. Blaine did
not believe that the people or Congress of the
United States were prepared to make that
for 20 years, or from the time of the war to
this hour, Congress had not done one solitary
thing to uphold the navigation interest of the
United States A great march forward of
our old commercial rivals had been
witnessed and everywhere recognized
ed States had sat in their two halls of legisla-
ton as dumb as though they could not speak
and had not offered a single remedy or single
aid until the Senator from Kentucky (Beck)
lamation of the perpetual dependence of this
country upon England for such commerce as
she may enjoy, holding up to Germany, Italy,
and other European countries that are abso-
lutlely dependent upon Great Britain for the
commerce they enjoy as is the District of Co.
lumbia upon Congress.
During these twenty years our Congress had
passed 90 acts in aid Of internal transmission
by rail- 1t had given 200, OOO.0 900 acres of pub
lie land worth today 81, 900, 100000, to which it
had added $40, 000, 600 cash to the same end
and yet it had not extended the aid of scarcely
single dollar to that vast external transportar
ton whose importance had not been exagger-
ated by the Senator from Kentucky. But an
energetic man who found a great ocean high
way unoccupied and had the enterprise to put
na~san st 49, n,.I
great power upon it, had been attempted to be
made scorn and byword of reproach because
he came to the American Congress and said,
eff you will do for this line what the empire
Of Brazil will do will give you great line"
The empire of Brazil had said to this enter
prising man eve win pay you 500, 900 year
if you will run this line"
But he (Blaine) regretted to say that New
England sense, representing the protective
system of this country, said with quiet COM
placency, eff Brazil is willing to pay for that
we need not" Brazil, however, got tired of
paying all, and we paying none. just as soon
as it was found we would not pay a combina-
ton of English shipbuilders said. eve will
put on our ships and run that line off. We
will carry the coffee of Brazil to the United
attempt of the United States to begin race
upon the ocean," and they have pretty nearly
succeeded.
Yet during the whole of Great Britain's
mastery of the sea, when she had been seeking
every line that could be found on which a
steamer conld float, she had never put on lines
to carry from New York to any foreign ports
except to her own. You cannot get British
steamship line, except on triangular system,
that will 60 from New York to Liverpool, tax
ingibreadstuffs from Liverpool to Rio de Ja-
metro, taking British fabrics from Rio de ia
metro tot New York, bringing coffee and dye
woods, but when the proposition is made that
they shall go back from New York to Rio they
don't want to interfere with the prosperity of
England at home by furnishing transportation
to any point for American fabrics here. The
result is that if the Brazilian subsidy be taken
off, as in all probability it will, if the United
States extend no aid to them the letters of the
United States, of merchants of New York and
Philadelphia and Boston will be conveyed
to Rio de Janeiro via Liverpool and reach
that point over two great lines Of British steam
ships. The frank admission of Senator Beck
had taken away large part of the argument
which he (Blaine) thought he should have to
use, and that was to prove that the United
States to-day is incompetent to compete with
Great Britain in the manufacture of iron ships,
and if you admit the iron ship from Great
Britain absolutely free of duty it will be still
more incompetent to do it next year. 1t takes,
in the language of trade, what is called great
"plant" to manufacture steamships. 1t takes
a large outlay of money, huge and powerful
machinery and investment of millions to begin
| with If in addition to all that has been done
abroad to build up the English shipyards, we
pour into the lap Of that patronage all that can
come from this country, he (Blaine) would like
the Senator from kentucky or any other Sena-
tor to tell him exactly at what point OF time it
came to pass that any feeble efforts on this will
begin to compete with those great yards. If
you abandon it this year because you are una
bic you will be far more unable next year.
You will be still less able the ensuing year and
every year adds to the monopoly OF British
power in that respect, and to the absolute weak
| competition, but the frank admission of Mr..
| Beck of our future and perpetual dependence
| upon England removed the necessity OF argu-
| ing that point.
It is always lawful to be taught by an enemy.
Great Britain has been our great commercial