National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-10
THE NATIONAL LAWMAKERS.
The Decay Of Our Merchant Marine Considered
in Both Houses.
Mr. BeIford's Pointed Opinions Con-
cening the House Rules,
The Senate Refuses 10 Give tho District Committee
Charge Of tho District Appropriations.
Important Committee Reports Returned
in each Body.
THE SENATE.

meat &c, TO the Grow Indians may be increased
from $4,000 to $4,000. The agent states that 1
this increased relief is not afforded the Indian,
will be compelled to kill their cattle to avoit
starvation. The chair also presented com
munication from tire secretary OF the treasury
transmitting the Information called for I'm II re-
cent resolution OF the senate offered by Mr.. Beck
relating TO the sinking fund ana the bubble dGi't
The communication, with accompanying papers
Mr.. Plumb presented petition from 10000 OK
soldiers of the union army, representing 100 regl-
ments or 100000 men, residing in seventeen states
and territories, asking for the establishment OF Il
soldiers home IL Kansas. Mr. Plumb also pre-
sented preamble aud series OF resolutions
passed by convention OF eS-sOldiCrs, held III
IeavenwOrth, III october last. In the preamble
Instances of hardship Of dis bled soldiers are
given, one being that OF u soldier who sufeto
from wounds for twenty yeas, and was for six
years totally helpless and dependent for existence
upon the abors OF his wife, ana on the uay OF his
death news came from Washington that he had
been granted II pension OF 81 a month.
Several petitions were presented praying for APP
propriatioms to pay the tobacco rebates.
Other petitions were presented by Mr.. Slater
from citizens of Oregon, praying that tue lands
granted TO the Oregon Central Railway company,
aud which have not been earned, may be retaken
by the United States, and by Mr. Logan, praying
for the passage of an act pensiOning eX-prsOners
Of war.
MIR. Anthony offered resolution instruoting
the committee on foreign ana rs to inquire into
the eSpediency of SUCH legislation as shall enable
the executive department TO project our Interests
against governments which have prohibited or re.
strained the importation OF henlihiul meats from
tue United States. on the objection of Mr.. Van
WycK, the resolution was laid oyer for one day.
MIR. Plumb presented "a bill to authorize the
location of branch home for volunteer disabled
soldiers.
Mr.. Morgan offered the following resolution,
"Resoited, That the attorney general lie In
structed TO transmit to the senate copies of tue
reports, with the accompanying papers, ina 10 by
different examiners of the department OF Justice
Cuncernng the business of the courts of the United
States in Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas ana Texas.
which reports relate ~ abuses Uy the officers OF
said courts and the matshals of said districts in
the charging, collecting, and accounting for of
fees and other abuses referred 10 in tue report
Brewster Cameron, general agent OF the depart
B is JUSTICE n"u' to SAID department jan o.
Mr.. Hoar, from the committee on claims re-
ported bach senate bill 264 Tor the relief OF H. j.
Schwatka and wife. the IUreuts of Lieut..
Schwatka, the Arctic explorer. The claim arises
out of the taking OF MI. SUnHatkLs LANDS ~ 1850
by the United states government for military
reservation. An adverse report had already been
made in the senate OH the claim, because of the
presumption of lhches in its presentation, but that
Presumption having been removed, the commit
tee now recommends the passage OF the bill. 1t
provides for the payment OF $4,000 to Mr. and Mrs.
schwatka. The bill was read third time and
passed.
The bill authorizing the First National bank of
Fort Worth, Texas 10 increase It's capital stock
was read Il lhild tinlG and passed.
The senate then resumed consideration OF the
new rules.
The first question was the amendment of Mr..
Hale 10 the rule relating IN appropriation biils to
strike out the clause permitting the References vi
District Of Columbia appropriations to the senate
committee Oh the district.
This amendment was agreed to by vote OF "a
yeas ~ % nays
> The question recurring on Mr.. Plumbs amend
ment referring appropriation bills Tor the differ.
ent departments Of the government in the first
place to the committees respectively having
charge in the senate OF the interests of those de-
partments, 1t was not agreed not.
Further DDgtDgnpu
until after the consideration OF the next reserved
rule, which was No, 70.
This Is the rule which designates the standing
committees of the senate.
A similar clause relating TO the district npprO-
priaiions being in this rule, Mr.. Haze moved to
amend by striking out the direction TO refer, but
the vote being tie-2o ~ 25-thU motion filled.
The proposed rule provides for COMMITTEES Oh
internal improvements TO consist OF nine senator's
TO whom snail be referred all subjects relating to
iMproVemenlS OF rivers and harDors ana also the
river aud ha,bOr bill.
Mr.. Vest moved to strike out this provision. Tho
committee OIL commerce. he said, had Away
faithfully performed Its duties and was perfectly
competent to deal with the river and harbOr bill.
The standing committees We're By this rule in
creased from thirty-four to thirty-eight, and he
thought that If some of the committees were dis
pensed with and greater activity required of those
that remained the country would DC better salts
fled and better served. 1t looked somewhat as
though committees were provided III order to
secure secretaries Tor senators.
Mr. Coke favored the amendment
Mr. Frye stated that the committee on rules had
no, increased the number of committees Of the
senate, but had changed some special comm tees
into standing committees and so far as tho whole
list was larger now than before, IL was made so
by the senaeiand not by the committee. With re-
gard to the river ami harbor bill, he thought that
measure which dealt with perhaps four hundred
different items Of expenditure was too important
- be disposed of within Il few days. That sort
Of work was just what the country objected 10.
Mr.. Mcmillan, chairman OF tho committee on
commerce. stated that the members of that com
,mitlee dgyoted night and day TO the river and
HI. NJ N
ate. The items were many of them roretitions
OF items, which have been in the bill year alter
yenr
: NJ. Frye snid that such bill ought to be ex.
hnustiycly Investigated so that the committee
would know whetuer II was dealing with an item
affecting navigation or merely the running of saw
mills. Referring 70 the decline of American snip
ping,whie discriminatory reflection on the com-
niiiteG on commerce us at present constituted, no
thOuent the committee mad MADE very colOrless
record Tor the last twenty years in proposing no
comprehensive, ori Sinal measures for the promo.
ton or revival OF our shipping. In 1861 we had II
merchant marine equal to that of any nation in
the wo'ld and ii II mud not then been checked
we woul in few years more have had more ton
mage on the sens than any other nation, while now
20 per cent. OF our commerce amounting 10 81 ,G0O-
100000, is carried ON in foreign ships.
MI, Frye said that the public men of England
had, in parliament aud out, kept vlgllant watch
upon their shipping, ami had originated meas.
urcs OF vast importance to their commercial in
teresS. III 1851 Great Britain passed her great
shipping act, and in that act provided for every
necessity of her shipping which the foresight OF
man could perceive; she established her great
board of trade and trinity house and created
marine board in every seaport within her do
main; gave them powers of regulation equal to
the laws passed by parliament, Thus has Eng
land gained victory, III the shipping liuo, over
every nation Of the world, And While Mr. Eye
could not help admirlng the steady purpose and
the manner in which England has gone To work
TO accomplish her end, he was constrained TO suy
that always and everywhere SHE WORKS Tor money.
She fought us for nearly fifty years because We
owned slaves, and when war came that promised
TO that slave on the one hand freedom and on the
other continued slavery, she saw her opportunity,
ana then, forgetting principle, she supplied the
south with munitions of war and arms of evvy
kind. We captured 1853 Of her blockade runners, |
VIII. s26OlO,OOO worth Of arms and ammunition !
She iiued out her Alabamag 10 prey upon our
shipping and she Joined Spain and France IN the |
nttutk Oh Mexico, ready to march on u If the Oo-
casion presented Itself and If it had not been tor
Ericsson and his 'choesc box" she would prODI- |
bly, have dsmemhcrod our country,
, Mr., Frye Nnlmadverted with some severity on !
the systcm of compulsory piotHge dues, watch he |
Dhhracter!2el as IL great hardship ON shipping,
Or, AIcM illun said there was much difference of
opinion with regard to such dues, and IL was not !
clear that they should be abolished. With regard |
70 the work of tho committee on commerce, Mr. !
MCMILLAN said that during the last congress II had |
muue eighty reports Oh great variety of subjects
and the merchant marine had not been by any |
larbor bill, he thought II one OF the most usciul
md beneficial bills with which congress to deal |
ma Criticisms made on river ahu hurbOr bills |
would apply to other bills also.
MI Miller, OF New York, did not see the wisdom |
d new committee for the consideration of tho |
aver ana hnrbor bill. Each senator is now Il |
member of tOur committees, andif a new one be |