National Republican., 1883-01-11
THE SENATE AND HOUSE.
An Effort TO Terminate the Fisheries Articles
in the Treaty with Great Britain,
Mr. Morrill, Opens the Debate on the
New Tariff Bill.
Lot Of Amendments TO the Shipping Bill Proposed In
the House.
A Committee Named TO Investigate John
Bailey.
TIE SENATE.

Mr. Lapham presented a petition Of mem-
bers of the New York board of trade and
and transportation for the passage of the
Lowell bankruptcy bill, and explained that
the remonstrance against the passage of q
bankruptcy law presented by him the other
day and signed by many of the same persons
had been prepared year ago and directed
against the bill as IL stood at that time.
In connection with the presentation of pc
titions for the passage of the bill TO give in
creased pensions to one armed and one legged
soldiers, Mr.. Platt said that the committee on
pensions had been unable to arrive at u con-
clusion on this subject at its last meeting,
owing to the absence of the chairman on ac-
count of sickness in his family, but hoped to
report very soon.
THE CANADIAN FISHERIES.
Mr.. Frye introduced u joint resolution to
provide for the termination of articles IL to
% inclusive and article 30 (the fisheries arti-
clos) of tho treaty between the United States
and Great Britain, concluded mt Washington
May s, 1871, and moved its reference to the
committee on foreign relations. lie said he
was very anxious that the committee should
act promptly in the matter. The articles of
in force another day if it could be avoided,
because the fishing privileges which we gave
to the Canadians were very valuable, while
those which they gave us were worthless,
though, by gross msmanagcment on our
part and skillful diplomacy on the part of
the Canadian authorities, we had been re-
quired to pay and had paid $5,5OOOOO for
them. In view of our refusal for almost n
hundred years to pay our own citizens for
spolations by the French, and our keeping
other rightful caimants-Ben Halliday, for
Misunderstanding many years for relief This
was very munifccnt gift to the dominion
of Canada--for every cent of il was a gift. In
1881 we caught in Canadian waters, under
the privilege granted us by the treaty, 400
barrels of mackcrcl, and no other fish while
the Canadians, the same year, under the priv
ilego given them to fish in our waters above
the forty-ninth parallel, caught 39l $50 barrels.
Where we took one barrel of macllercl in their
waters, under article Is, they took II hundred
in our waters. The privilege of getting bait
for mackcrcl fishing in Canadian waters was
also worthless, because our fishermen had TO
buy their bait and pay for it. Again, the
Canadians were permitted to export their fish
to the United States free Of duty during the
whole period of the treaty and during 1881
the amount of duties rcmitted under this pro-
vision, in the collection districts of Boston
and Gloucester alone, was over 100000. So
we paid the Canaelians n bonus of S5,5000O0
for the privilege of taking 40 barrels of
mackerel a year, and then paid them 100000
more year by duties remitted in only two
collection districts.
Mr. Frye discussed the provisions contained
in the treaty for its own termination, and
said he doubted whether we could even give
the notice until the expiration of the full
term of ten years from the time these articles
went into operation, which would be in July
next He thought however, that congress
might provide by law before the close of this
session that the President should give notice
on the second of July, 1883 of our purpose to
terminate this iniquitous treaty and he asked
the committee on foreign relations to consider
and report upon the question.
Mr.. Morgan, member of the committee
said he had no doubt of our power to abrogatc
the treaty, though that would BE harsh
measure. Neither did he doubt the power of
congress to provide by law that the President
shall give notice of the proposed termination
of the treaty according to its terms. He
thought that the committee would prefer
however, that the resolution referred to them
should indicate how far the senate desired
them to go.
Mr.. Frye said he would introduce later
u more definite resolution on this sub
ject. Meantime the one introduced was re-
1Crfeu 10 inc COlnnlltce on lOfclgn rcllllOnS,
Mr.. ingalls, offered II resolution directing
the committee on the Judiciary to inquire and
report what legislation, if any, is necessary
to ascertain and determine when the powers
and duties of the presidential Office shall de-
Volvc upon the vice president in case of the
inability of the president to discharge the
same and in what manner the removal of the
disability may be ascertained under the con-
stitution, and TO report by bill or otherwise.
At the suggestion of Mr. Garland the res
olutiOn went over
The senate then proceeded to the calendar.
The joint resolution to refer TO the court of
claims the claims of certain members of the
New York Stock exchange, from whom mon
eys were collected Illegally, as shown subse-
quently by the decision of the supreme court
in the ease of Bailey vs. Clark, Dodge, and
Others, was passed.
At the close of themorning hour, on motion
Of Mr. Morrill,, the unfinished business, the
education bill, and the special order, the bank
ruptcy bill, were postponed and the senate
took up
THE TARIFF ELL,
and Mr.. Morrill, addressed thescnate. lie said;
At the outset permit me to say that tho report
OF this bill by the senate committee on finance
has not been made In any spirit of nntagOnsm to
or competition with the ways and means commit
tee OF The house, but in view OF the early terminus
tion of the present congress IL has been nude to
secure, with greater certainty re luctlon OfH too
the tariff by such timely consideration as would
permit favorable action on the part of the senate
as well us OF the house before the close OF the
present session, IT, with all the other important
measures pressing upon our attention, we ran
wisely accomplish this, we shall have deserved
credit, at least Tor diligence and honest effort.
The amendment reported nom the finance COM
mittae has for its basis the report OF The tariff
commission, which all lar-minded men, what
ever may be their theoretical opinions, must CJn-
Cede has been more of a success than was pre-
diced by either friends ceremonies,
The Internal revenue tax, ii the bill should be-
come law, viii hereafter bo limited to spirits.
beer, and tobacco Including snuil ana cigars.
As we colte 70 the amendment of the tariff, IL
cannot iail to be seen that II very substantial re-
duCtion is proposed ana In some cases possibly
more radical than The future may justify, The
reduction Of the rates On sugar, and iron aud steel
on Cott0ns and Silks and on wool aud wuOlens, Is
considerably increased, The reduction on the
manufactures of paper, OF bonnetS aud hats, ON
salt, on spices cuustic, soda, anlne cOlOrs, aud
many other articles is very pronounced.
Sections 29O7 and 2OuS OF the existing statutes re-
qulre an addition 10 the cost or value Of the I'M
ported articles upon which ad yalorcm duties are
TO be computed, of the cost OF inland trNuSpura-
ton Of packages and of commissions. Al this IL
Is proposed TO repeal, and this VIII OF course cause
a conspicuous reduction in many heavy articles,
especially Crockery and china ware; but 10 Will
greatly simplify the work of the customs officers
IN the asCertainment Of the precise amount upon
which duties should be levied, without some
very disastrous to the home industry in chiua and
crockery ware, of which we import about one half
of the consumption Of the country, The taut
commission therefore reported I'm favor Of 10 per
cent. addition to The present rates OF duty, but the
committee on finance have reported m addition
A AVllN FFnm ANtlN llFF ID