Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-12
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS-.
FREE SHIPS FOR OUR FOR
EIGN TRADE.

Qualified Registry for Foreign Built
Nessels-The Fitz John Porter Relief
Bill Through the Senate-The Tariff
DiscussiOn-The Mississippi Improve
ment.
W WAsHINGTON, Jan. 11.-In the Senate,
Mr.. Butler presented the remonstrance of
the business men of Charleston, s. c.,
against the high duty now levied on ma
terials for making tin and sheet iron ware.
AT the close of the mornings business
the President laid before the Senate, ac-
cording 10 the agreement made last week,
the bill for the relief of Fitz John Porter.
An amendment reported from the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, providing that
Porter shall receive no pay or allowance
prior to his reinstatement in the army.
was agreed to.
Mr.. COnger moved to indefinitely post
| pone, and upon this the debate began
/ anew.
/ Mr.. Logan spoke at considerable
/ length against Porter, as also did Messrs.
/ COnger, Lapham, and others, and Mr..
/ Cameron, of Pennsylvania, spoke strongly
| in favor of Porter.
The motion to indefinitely postpone was
l lOst-yeas a, nays 81.
| At 2:l0 the Porter bill was passed by a
/ vote of 33 yeas to 81 nays, Messrs
| Cameron, of Pennsylvania, HOar and
/ Sewell were the only Republicans voting
/ in the affirmative.
Mr.. Ingalls, resolution, offered yester-
! day, directing the Committee on the Judi
| ciary to inquire and report what legisla-
/ tiOn is necessary TO provide for ascertain
! ing the existence and termination of
| Presidential inability, was passed.
The Senate then resumed consideration
/ of the tariff bill.
The provision for collection of duties on
/ nOn-enumerated articles resembling
/ equally two or more enumerated articles
| was amended so as to provide that a nom
enumerated article shall pay the lowest
/ rate of duty chargeable on the article il
resembles instead of the highest. In
| schedule A the duty ON hard and soft and
CASTLE sORp was changed from cents
/ per pound to 90 per cent. ad valOrem.
On motion of Mr.. Malone, sumac ex-
tract was inserted and the duty fixed at
20 per cent. ad yalOrem. The duty on
castor beans or seeds was raised from 80
I to 90 cents per bushel, and on castor oil
from 90 to 80 cents per gallon.
Adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, after the transaction of
some miscellaneous business cOnsidera-
! ton of the shipping bill was resumed, the
section under discussion being a draw
back to the amount of tonnage collected
To this substitute Mr.. Candler's free shin
amendment is pending.
At 3:45 Mr.. Candler's free ship amend
ment to the committees substitute for the
| eighteenth section was agreed to-yeas
/ 125, nays 1O4. The committees substi-
| tute provides that the drawback shall not
/ exceed $40 per ton on sailing vessels and
| $25 on steam vessels, and that in case the
I easan NfaF. .l..uw -l,s,.1
| ceedS the amount Of tonnage tax collected
in that year the amount collected shall he
distributed pro rata among the ship build
] ers presenting claims.
Mr.. Gamblers amendment permits the
! issue of an American register to vessels
| purchased anywhere by American citi-
| zens, provided that this shall apply only
/ to vessels exceeding l,50O tons register, to
/ be employed in the foreign CARRYING trade
! exclusively, and not in the coastwise
/ trade, excepting between the Atlantic and
! Pacific coasts. Without coming to a vote
ON the substitute, the House adjourned.
THE MISSISSIPPI IMPROVEMENT.
The special committee on the improve
ment of the Mississippi river this morning
head Prof. Mitchell, of the Coast Survey.
! He unqualt1edly pronounced in favor of
| the works in progress under the direction
/ of the commission, eand gave il as his
/ opinion that the entire work of improving
| the river may be done for $4,000, 600.
! During the week different witnesses have
1 put the probable cost at these various
figures: $4,000, ,000 $33, ,OOO0 900, $40, 600, 600
and $66, 900, 600.
LEE VS., RICHARDSON,
! The House Elections Committee to-day.
by a vote of to g, gave leave to the con-
testant in the case of Lee VS.. Richardson,
from South Carolina, to withdraw his
papers, and the case was dismissed with
out prejudice.