The Portland daily press., 1884-05-06
FORTY-EIGHTH CONGRESS-.
WASHINGTON, M

WASHINGTON, May s.
In the Senate today the following bills were re-
ported favoraby from committees and placed on
the calendar.
The agricultural appropriation bill from the COM
mittee commerce.
The House bill to adopt the revised internal regu-
lat1ons for preventing collisions at sea.
The House bill granEinga pension to Mrs LOUISA
V. Fitzpatrick, widow of Judson Fitzpatrick.
Bills were introduced and referred as follows:
By Mr.. Plumb to prevent the acquisition OF rear
estate by aliensto restrict aliens and foreign COM
panies and corporations in the ownership OF pupiS
lands and of any land in the territories. heIerred
TO the committee on public lands.
On conclusion Of the routine morning business
the Senate took up the shipping bill and Mr. Miller
OF New York addressed the Senate in favor OF tne
bill. He criticised Mr.. Vests position and insisted
that free ships would not solve the problem OF
merchant marine. All leading merchants who hao
been before the Senate committee that Investigated
the subject had, he said agreed that free ships
would be no relief.
Mr.. Vest asked whether France did not also give
bounty on foreign built vessels bought by French
men and used in the commerce of France .,4
Mr.. Miller replied that as he understood IL thaI
was not the fact France gave bounty for vessels
built in French yards, and bounty of nifty cents
per ton for every thousand miles run. The result
wasthat many English shipIbuiders had transferred
their yards to France. 1t would be we'll Mr.. Miller
continued for the Senate to lay aside the theory IN
Iegdru 10 Tree anu lake COUNSEL u paw
cal men. Why should we protect our iron, brass,
steel WOOL and everything else and not protect our
ships, the expense of whose construction consisted
OF 80 per cent of labor? So long as we maintained
tariff system we should maintain a fair tariff on
ships. For one he willing, if it would meet the
approval of the other side of the Senate to see such
change in the navigation laws as would admit
foreign built ships to American registry Just 9th
er articles of foreign manufacture weie imported,
but subject to a fair rate of duty,
Mr.. Beck said he did not see how that would help
since we had treaty giving foreigners the same
rights as our own citizens.
Mr.. Miller admitted that there was difficulty but
commended that protection of our shipbuding inter
ests was indispensable. If iron ships could be
brought in here Free none would be built here and
worthy of the name in the United States. Mr.. Mil
Ter continued at great length. He declared that
that section of the bill providing compensation for
mail transportation to be worth all other sections
put together, and pointed out the immense assist
ance given by other countries to their shipping by
subsidies.
tail to the amendment offered by Mr.. Vest, among
them to exclude free admission of engines used in
ships, but permitting the admission of material for
the construction of engines.
Mr.. Morrill, said that it had been absurdly con-
tended that the existing tariff laws prevented our
having shipping business. An American vessel
could go abroad and take freight from any portion
OF The world to any oGher port. protective tariff
increased American wages, but other causes also
contributed to that result. We give $50 acres of
land to every immigrant and so long we did that
no strong atheietic man coming to America would
go into tue occupation of sailor. Besides the bust
ness OF shipping vastly overdone If free ships
were permitted here ship building would become a
lost art in this country.
MIR Beck severely criticized the navigation laws
Our treaties he added containing the "most favored
nation" clause prohibited us from giving our own
ships any advantage of discriminating duties. 1t
was conceded that we could not build ships here as
cheaply as built elsewhere hence there was but
OF the Two courses to adopt either subsidise our
ships or permit people to buy ships where they
could get them the cheapest. The proposition 10
give high mail pay did not reach the difficulty. The
coastwlse trade while having good features, Mr..
Beck regarded as great wrong. 1t was an abso-
lutte monopoly, Its good point was that it trained
sailors who would be useful in case of war.
Mr.. Dawes said that everybody having money
enough could buildiships and everybody else could
use them There was monopoly in the thing itself
but there was just this in it: There discrima-
ton between our own citizens and foreigners, and
that was what hurt the feelings of the Senator from
Kentucky.
Mr.. Beck with great warmth replied that this
last piece OF meanness did not excuse the Senator
from Massachusetts Dawes from failing to answer
to the point notwithstanding the coaching of his
colleague (Hoar) but it was a cunning evasion. A
man that raises bushel of wheat could also build
a railroad but the bushel of wheat would not ena-
bic him to do it.
After some further remarks Mr.. Frye gave notice
that he would endeayor to have the bill acted upon
tomorrow.
The Senate then went into executive session and
later adjourned
HOUSE.
Mr. Richardson of New York, rising to ques-
eOH "a pAANhoS0, Sd1u budb Ou SATURDAY, HIS CUT
league, Mr.. Cox, in endeavoring to secure the pas
sage of bill, enabling Ensign Reynolds to accept
a medal from the government of Austria had stated
that the gentleman who had previously objected
had agreedto withdraw his objections. This was
mistake. He (Robinson) had made no such agree
ment. Hewould never withdraw his opposition to
this species of legislation, even though all dudsm
was in favor of it.
Mr. Lowry of Indiana called up the contested
Virginia election case of O'Farrell vs. Paul.
Mr., Miller of Pennsylvania said that the minority
of the committee had not had time to prepare its
report, and asked that the case go until We'd
nesday, and Mr.. Turner Of Georgia thought that
this request should be acceded to.
Mr.. Lowry refused to do so, however, and Mr..
Miller raised the question of consideration.
The House determined by a vote of 142 yeas
ag snst 50 nays, to consider the election case
Although this vote cannot be regarded as test
vote upon the tariff BILL it is not without its bearing
that measure, it is understood that O'Farreil
will vote against striking out the enacting clause
of the Morrison bill.
Mr.. Hepburn of Iowa, remarked that some re-
markable exigency must have arisen to induce the
gentleman from Indiana (Iowry) to outrage pro-
propriety and trample on decency by calling the
case up before the minority had had an opportunity
to have their views printed.
Us Wise of Virginia, spoke bitterly in ODD osi-
tion to the claims of 0'Farrel, denounced the Dem
ocratic party for its inconsistency and accused it
of attempting to steal seat in the House on testi-
moly which man would not shoot pointer
dog for eating eggs. He knew his own seat was in
peril but he defed the Democratic party. The
House was about to see Virginia Bourbon riding
into it on Barnums mule from Indiana. 1t was u
fitting time for Virginia Bourbons to come with
their hands smeared with the blood of murdered ne
groes with ballots strangled and stolen and with
every law violated. They come up to the fountain
head of the national Democracy, to be signed with
the cross of national fraud.
Mr.. Lowry replied sharply to Mr.. Wise, and
then demanded the previous question
The first vote which the min inv
ton, declaring that O'Farrel was not entitled to
his seat, was ost-yeas 81, nays 141 "a strict par
to vote, except that Mr.. Cook of Iowa, voted with
the Republicans in the sftirmative. The resolution
seating O'Farrell was adopted and that gentleman
appeared and took the oath of office.
Mr.. Laird of Nebraska introduced a bill for the
issue of patents for lands to any Pacific railroad
which shsl complete its road within 80 days from
the passage of the act.
The House then took recess until 8 O'clock
EVENING SESSION.
The evening session was devoted to speeches upon
the tariff bill, twenty members expressing their
views. The attendance was very small.