St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-04-28
A GOOD DAYS WORK.
The House Has About as
Much of Discussion
as Usual,
But Amounting to More than
Usual in Passage Of an
Important Bill,
Reducing Tonnage Dues and the
Tariff on Ship Building
Materials;
Also, Removing Restrictions ON Purchase of
Foreign Built Ships.
The House of Representatives,.

preparation Dill. hulcuIHs, hdnuaA anu
Calkins. On the postoffice appropriation
bill; Townshend, Holman and Horr.
Mr.. Cox, New York from tie committee on
naval affairs, asked leave to report, for pres
ent consideration, th~esenate joint resolution,
granting permission to Ensign Reynolds, U.
S. N, now on duty with the Greedy relief
expedition, to accept the decoration of the
royal and imperial order of Francis Joseph,
from the government of Austria.
Mr.. Robinson, of New York, objected, say
ing, however, he was willing to extend the
thanks of congress to this young man, an
honor compared to which these ribbons were
nonsense.
The house proceeded to the consideration
of the special order the bill to remove
certain burdens from the American mer-
chant marine, and to encourage the Ameri-.
can foreign trade. After reading the re-
port, Mr.. Slocum spoke in support of the
bill.
Mr.. Deuster pictured the decadence of
American commerce, and said the remedy
must be found in the adoption of Il wise and
judicious line of legislation inspired by the
necessities of a great people, ready and able
to avail themselves of the lessons taught by
the progressive advance of civilization. 1t
was necessary to confront the defects of
those laws, and strip off the fungus growth
which had come with the passage of time,
in order that wiser legislation might adapt
itself to the changed condition of affairs.
OMr. Cox, New York, thought the measure
was only a partial relief, as it could not re-
habilitate He trusted that the
Democratic house elected at least on some
principle of liberality might do what the last
Democratic house did on one occasion, and
repented of next day, adopt two propositions,
one for free materials to help the ship build
ers, the other for free ships to help the ship
owners. They would go hand in hand for
enhancing the maritime interest and for the
glory of the flag.
Mr.. Parker gave notice of several amend
ments he would offer, which would affect,
more especially the of the lakes.
The time had now COM when public opinion,
regardless of politics, was demanding that the
burdens which had rested so long upon
commerce, should be removed, and the re-
lief asked should extend as well to the lake
as to the ocean shipping.
The bill was then read by sections for
amendments.
Mr.. Hatch, Of Michigan, offered an amend
ment excluding from the provisions of
section II, vessels navigating the great lakes
or waters connecting same, the st. Lawrence
river or the Gulf of Mexico, and vessels en-
gagged in the coast trade. Mr.. Hatch as a
protective tariff man, declared himself in
favor of free ships. The amendment was
adopted. .t7,.ert rrd.a.r "a
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, moved to amend
the section which abolishes consular fees and
authorizes the secretary of the treasury to
allow such consular officers as are paid in
whole or in part by fees, such compensation
for their services as they would have received
prior to the passage of this act, by adding the
words, mot to exceed the aggregate in any
fiscal year the amount of fees collected at
each consulate, for such services for the fiscal
year which ended June 80, 1888" Agreed
to.
Mr.. Dunn offered as a substitute for section
IA, which reduces the tonnage tax, an
amendment entirely abolishing the tax both
upon American and foreign vessels, except
on such foreign vessels as enter from ports
to which vessels from the United States are
not permitted to enter for trade, and except
on vessels from such foreign countries as
impose a discriminating duty on vessels of
the United States.
Mr.. Dingley opposed the amendment.
Mr.. Ellis supported the proposition.
Mr.. Durham favored the amendment, de-
claring that the tax really came out of the
pockets of the farmers, especially the farm
ers of the west.
Mr.. Eaton took a contrary view. The sub
stitute was rejected 26 to rs.
Mr.. Adams, of New York, moved to
amend section Is, which abolishes the ma
rine hospital tax, by applying its provisions
as well as to vessels engaged in the coast
wise, as those in foreign trade. Adopted.
On motion of Mr.. George, an amendment,
which was adopted, providing that vessels
arriving at ports of entry in the United
States laden with coal, salt, railroad iron and
other like material in bulk, may proceed to
the place within that collection district, to
be speedily designated by the secretary of
the treasury, at the expense of the person
interested, for the purpose of unloading car
goes.
Mr.. Cox, of New York, offered an amend
ment, providing that from and after the
passage of the act, it be lawful for any citizen
Of the United States to import iron or steel
to build steamships of not less than 1000
ions measurement, free of duty, and such
ships shall be admitted to the American reg
istry, provided said ships shall be the exclu-
sive property of a citizen or citizens of the
United States, and, provided further, that
such ships shall be excluded from coastwise
trade.
Mr.. Dingley said the adoption of this
amendment would sound the death knel to
the building of American vessels by Ameri-
can workmen in American yards.
Mr.. Reed said the adoption of the amend
ment would be well calculated to ruin the
bill.
Mr.. Hammond thought to pass the bill
without the amendment would be like feed
ng an elephant on goats milk. In the
name of common sense, if the house intend
ed to encourage building ships, let it do
something that looked like encouraging it.
The amendment was agreed to. Yeas Ill,
nays SO.
Guenther, Hatch of Michigan, ochiltree,
Strait and York, Republicans, voted in the
affirmative, and Collins, Converse, Ellis,
Finerty, Hunt, Robinson of New York, Rose
Grams, Slocum, Tillman, and Warner of Ohio,
Democrats, in the negative.
An amendment was adopted providing
that the expense of maintaining the marine
hospital service be betrayed out of the re-
ceipts from the tonnage tax.
On motion of Mr.. Slocum, the fourteenth
section was amended to read as follows: