Daily Kennebec journal., 1884-05-03
FORTY-BIGHTR CONGRBSS.
WASHINGTON, Nav 2

WASHINGTON. May 2.
The chair laid before the Senate tele-
graphic communication from Mr.. Wicker,
iate collector of customs At Key West, Fla,
asking that full Investigation may be made
into his conduct in connection With his offi-
cial duties.
Mr.. Garland reported adversely the House
bill requiring the government of territories
to De for two years residents of the terrific
mes IN which they may be appointed.
Mr.. Cullom, from the committee on terri
tories, reported adversely the memorial and
joint resolutions of the Wyoming legislature
asking for additional compensation. The re-
port was agreed 10.
The consideration of the shipping DILL was
resumed, and Mr.. Vest made a formal offer
OF the amendment permitting the admission
to the American registry of ships bought
abroad, and the admission free of duty of
ship building material
Mr. Mcpherson offered an amendment ex-
cluding ships bought abroad from coastwise
trade.
Ir Hale spoke in support to the bill and
IN opposition to the amendment of Mr.. Vest.
he agreed with that gentleman. No act of
Congress would bring the carrying trade
back to its original condition but what there
was left of it would be promptly annihilated
by MIR. Vests amendment. II free trade
should get possession of the Senate, Mr.
Hale continued, as it had got possession of
the House, we NAV bid farewell to all pros
poets of seeing the revival of the American
mercantile marine in our lifetime. In con-
clusion he remarked that nothing tended so
much to keep the peace of Europe as the
condition of the English shipping but if war
should break out between England and any
nf hDr thA rhnla ttnn
force of England, if Mr. Vests amendment
should prevail, would come under the Amer
lean flag in the name of some partner or fac
tor of the American nation, and we should
present to the world the spectacle of great
nation having the carrying trade under our
our own flag without our people realizing a
dollar from it. Such a condition of affairs
would, in Mr.. Hales opinion, be intoerable.
Pending the debate the Senate went into
executive session and when the doors were
reOpened adjourned to Monday.
HOUSE.
The House went into committee on the
tariff bill
Mr. Nuttipg of New York opposed the bill.
Mr.. Deuster of Wisconsin gave notice of
an amendment which he proposed to offer,
providing that on an after July first, no duty
shall be levied or collected on any kind of
raw material which may in any manner be
consumed by the people or by the factories
of the United States.
Mr. Belmont of New York favored the
bill. He said the democratic House was
undertaking to carry out by legislation what
the administration of President Arthur was
doing through the use of treaty-making
power-and cited the reciprocity treaty with
Mexico. and that foreshadowed with Spain
and Cuba for examples, claiming that both
political parties were being compelled to the
same course by the demands of the country
for freer commerce and foreign market.
Mr.. Mcmillan of Tennessee, said the ques-
tion presented was not as to whether there
should be q reduction of taxation. He de-
nounced the present tariff as . mopsterous
piece of injustice, inequality and false pre-
tense.
Mr. Cox of North Carolina regretted the
tone of the speech made yesterday by Mr..
Eaton of Connecticut, Who, in order to secure
the applause of the republican side and to
draw odium in the measure which his party
was advocating, had appealed to sectional
prejudice. Directing his remarks to Mr..
Eaton's arguments. he said the gentleman
would be unable to recognize any bantling
but his own. The democratic party proposed
to make horizontal reduction because there
Dy IL cOulu uO WuAt tile i&et ICpuoiSdh hOuSS
had failed to do-to reduce taxation.
Mr.. Cox briefly replied to some of the
propositions advanced by Mr.. Kelley of Penn
sylvsnia One of Mr. Kelley's proposals was
that the chespening of goods which involved
a reduction of wages could not relieve any
stagnant American industry. This assumed
the cheapening of our products of manufac-
ture, which must result in . reduction of
wages. and in this assumption, Mr.. Cox con-
tended, wages depended on the supply of
labor and on the ekil of the laborer. He
saw no other result from the cheapening of
goods than the enabling of 5,000, 900 people
to consume the products of manufacture.
Mr.. Hoblitzell of Maryland deprecated the
agitation of the tariff question at this time.
The present system was full of incongruities,
inequalities and anomalies, but the pending
bill would have the effect of making the in
iauitous system more incrongruous, more
UNEQUAL and more anomalous. He admon-
ished the democratic party that If it wished
to formulate a measure which would give
the earnest wish to the people that it de-
sired--to reduce taxation-it should turn Its
genius and craftsmanship against that undem-
ocratic, unrepublcan monster, the internal
revenue system, and at one full stroke uproot
the odious excise legislation
Mr.. Springer of Illinois said the pending
bill did no more than what had been recon-
mended by the tariff commission. 1t went
no further than the commission had said was
demanded by the best interests OF the coun-
try. Certainly, the democratic Congress
would not hesitate to enact such measure
and bring some relief to the people He ex-
pressed sympathy with the masses of work
inemen of the country, and denied that they
were protected against the labor of foreign
countries by the present high tariff
Messrs, Brainard and Brown of Pennsyl-
vania briefly opposed the bill, and the COM
mittee rose.
The House then took recess entil eight
o'clock, the evening session to be for the con-
sideration of pension bills.
At the evening session l3 pension bills
~pre Ds ssed