St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-28
The House Makes a Move for
Free Ships and Free
Materials.
The Pennsylvanians' Exact Posi-
ton ON the Tariff Made
Public.
William R. Merriam, Of St. Paul, Awarded a
Large Bacon Contract by the Gov
eminent.
[special TeIegram to the Globel

4loLH Tue ueUatS lO-udy III lHe HOuoci Ih"' UhO
reason why the shipping laws have not been
amended and remain in the same condition
as enacted eight years since, is because the
policy Of free registry, free purchase of ships,
and free trade in the material used for ship
construction has not been adopted. Our
shipping laws were patterned after those OF
Great Britain, but that government changed
her policy, and modified her shipping. laws,
while the American congress chung to its
ancient landmarks. In consequence, Eng
land controls the carrying trade
of the world, while the American
flag has almost disappeared from the seas OF
trafhc. Great Britain maintains passage way
to ali parts of the world and find a market
for her manufactures by substituting ship
lines in various methods, sometimes by
b~ounties and rebates of shipping dues, and
sometimes by money payments direct. I'm
der the present laws no American is per
mitted registry for foreign built ships pur-
chased abroad, and foreign material neces-
sarily used in building our own ships pays
duty. For this reason We cannot compete
with other nations in the carrying trade, and
the bulk of our merchant marine is confined
to coast wise service. Attempts have
frequently been made in congress to remove
some of the restrictions now existing,
but they have failed to carry because they did
not wholly reach the point desired, and were
an~tagOnized by those who desired free regis
try, free ships and free material. These gen
tletHen, perhaps foolishly, preferred nc
bread to only part of a loaf, and hence no
amelioration Of the infirmities of our ship
ping laws has ever been accomplished. The
present bill, reported by the shipping com
mittee, did not pretend to remedy all the
evils, but only to take the first step in
the march Of reform. Sunset
Cox pointed out the salient
defects of the bill and made an able argu-
ment in favor of full registry, free ships and
free material. All these benefits, however,
could not be accomplished at once, but the
house succeeded in adopting an amendment
permitting registry to issue to foreign built
ships purchased by American citizens. While
this object was secured by a large majority
it cannot be claimed as wholly a party vote.
1t supervenes that several Democrats voted
for this amendment in order to weigh down
the bill, and, if possible, secure its rejection
by the senate. Some were actuated by dis
content in that the bill did not go far
enough in the direction Of free trade, while
Others were opposed to free registry or free
ships in the interest Of protection to Ameri-
can ship building. John Roach claimed in
argument before the last congress that we
could com pete with Great Briten in the con-
struction of iron vessels, Notwithstanding
the higher price of labor if congress would
allow rebate of duties upon all foreign ma
teriais necessary to be used; also that we
could compete in the carrying trade of South
America now controlled by England, if our
government would allow subsidies to Amer
lean steam lines to the extent granted by
Great Britain. 1t is doubtful whether the
bill in its present state can pass the senate,
but that body would beyond question agree to
the bill as reported from the house committee.
Unless the bill had passed the house to-day,
there would have been no chance for its con-
sideration at the present session.
A CURIOUS DECISION
was made to-day by Judge Wylie in a motion
for Il new trial in the case of Edward Brice
(colored), recently convicted of numbering
another colored man in a quarrel at the Bal
timore & Potomac railroad depot. One of
the jurors, named Frank, is an I~sraelite and
was sworn uncovered on the Christian Bible.
not on the books of Moses. A new trial was
asked on this account and overruled on the
ground that the juror stated he was not an
orthodox I~sraelite, but reformed Israelite
and the tenets of that denomination regard
ed the oath with uncovered head and on the
whole Bible as binding. Brice was sentenced.
to be hung.
IT WILL PASS.
Representative Talbot, of Maryland, who
supported Mr.. Rand Ill for the speakership.
and has agreed with him on the tariff cues
ton, said to-day: THE house is going to
pass the Morrison bill as sure as fate"
"With amendments?" he was asked.
"They will pass it pure and simple" was
the reply.
Glow do you account for that?"
"Oh, there has been Il good many chang
es, - answered Mr.. Talbot, ''more than most
people think"
a PENNS1LNANIA RESOLUTION.
TIL Eaening Star is authority for the state
ment that before the Morrison bill was taken
up for consideration, a caucus was held By
Democratic congressman from PENNSYLVANIA
at which a resolution was adopted that will
consider and vote to pass a bill which omits
the feature of horizontal reduction, and
which provides for the correction of irregular
tiles, defects and errors in existing tariff
legislation, for a moderate reduction of
customes duties and for the repeal of inter
nal taxes, except on spirits distilled from
grain and the abolition of internal revenue
officers, with suitable provisions for more
economic collection of taxes on spirits dis
TILED from grain" This was presented by
Gen. Curtin and Messrs. Mutchlcr, and
given to Speaker Carlisle and MIR. Morrison.
by whom it was declined. PENNSYLVANIA
members now refer to this rejection over
ture as evidence that they went more than
half way in order to avoid a division in the
party on the tariff question.
RANDALL's COMMITTEES.
The Washington Post, hostile to Tilden.
Payne and Randall, and fayoring Mcdonald,
Morrison and Pendleton, publishes following
attack to-day on Randall's committee, which
created q sensation at the capital: "Of four
teen regular appropriation bills only one, the
military academy bill, has become a law. The
postoffice and naval bills are in conference.
The Indian, pension and agriculture bills
are in secret committee. The District of
Columbia bill is pending in the house. The
legislative, judicial and executive, river and
harbor, consular and diplomatic, army, for
tifcations, sundry civil and general deficiency
bills have not yet been reported to the house.
This is utterly disgraceful to the house and