Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-05-05
OUR FOREIGN MAIL SERVICE.
The Senate Of the United States
Devotss . Day To Its Elabo.
rate Discussion.
Senators Vest and Eustis.. Air Their
Respective Opinions on the
Important Subject.
A Slow Day in the House-Nomina.
lions, Combinations, and other
Capital Topics.

Senate took up the Postofice Appropria.
ton bill, and Mr.. Vest proceeded to speak
upon the amendment appropriat.ng $780,
900 for the transportation offoreign mails.
He maintained that the provision would
prove destructive to the American mer-
chant marine, az it wal now proposed to
change the exiet ting statute. which permits
competition and substitutes in its place a
declaration that none but American steam
ships shall carry mails. To-day he
said, we have but two routes
upon which there are more than two lines
of steamships. one from San Francisco to
England and one from New York to
Havana. No competition could come ex-
cept upon these two lines. He cited sta
tistics to show that in recent years we
have paid four times as much to Ameri-
can steamships as to those OF other coun-
tries for transportation OF foreign mails,
yet Our merchant, marine and our navy
had steadily dwindled away. Since 1866
Congress had appropriated 1885,, 100000
for navy pu, poses and to-day We have
these old wooden hulls that would not
last one half-hour before one single ar
nored vessel of asecond-clasa navalpower.
Chill had two ships built in England which
could reduce to ashes every seaport
city in the United States without
receiving injury. It also could send one
vessel that could lombard our cities and
destroy our navy and j. would be only
amusement for the Italians.
Mr.. Mcpherson said the English to-day
subsidize q mail line to South America to
the extent OF $3.50, 900. He asked Mr..
Vest how he would get the trade OF South
against such odds.
Mr.. Vest said he would repeal our in
navigation laws. No other civil
ICED nation had such laws. He would also
reform the tariff and place it on u revenue
basis so as to not handicap one man for
the advantage OF another. He believed in
honest mail service, but this amend
ment violated a sound principle. So
were Republicans to a pro-
tective tariff that they were unwilling
to break even one link in the chain of prf,-
lection, but they were compelled to
that after a long season Of
protection change raj indispensable. Mr..
Vest read a printed notice from q SO called
working man whose name was not printed.
The workingman, among other things, sale
that all Congressman ~favoring q low tariff
" GIG AOU lllCAO6 W IA oAhAu6ASAAs 40
Vest said he would give a years salary in
the Senate if that alleged 'workingman'
did not turn out to be a man who wore y
silk hat around the streets and
French boots. No doubt, too, that
the "workingman" boarded at the Fifth
Avenue Hotel and bis board was
paid by the manufacturer and ship
builders of this country who wanted the
high nrOtective tariff continued,
Mr.. Eustis wished Mr.. Vest had explained
his idea of a subsidy. "He did not think
Mr.. Vests proposition consistent and he
(Mr. Eustis) did not see how Mr.. Vest could
reconcile his opposition to subsidy with his
of q bill to guarantee the pay
OF $37, 5OO,O 600 to build the Ead's
chip railway ON foreign soil. Mr.. Eustis
inquired whether the United States were to
in the future as in the past with
speeches. Undoubtedly able speeches on
the subject of free ships and free trade were
while our with South and
Central America was stationary. Must we
be content to see all the other nations OF
the earth supplying the markets
OF those countries while we listen to
speeches? Why even Italy, a nation
born but yesterday had closer and better
commercial relations with the nations
SOOCu Oh Vic OLIVcu 0VdsCSs 0AAPos AMA'
Eust.s said, were not like wagons notwith-
standing the assertion OF MIR. Beck. The
question of our shipping and foreign trade
relations to-day are different from that OF
local manufactures. Shipping represented
other people wealth, power and prestige.
Our people believed, he added, tina the
trade control belonged to the United
Sta ties, and could be lad with a little
effort. 1t was o a political question.
The largest subsidies ever granted by the
American Government were by a Demo-
cratic Administration.
Mr.. Miller severely criticised the Post
master Generation his failure to execute the
law passed by Congress. There was, he
said, no excuse-no palliation for it.
Mr.. Colquitt opposed the amendment.
Mr.. Beck desired to explain an incident
referred to by Mr.. Hale on Friday, relat-
ing to seventy-two bags of American mail
for Rio de Janeiro, said to have been
''dumped' on the dock at Pernambuco.
Mr.. Beck said he had been told by q well
informed officer OF the Postoffice Depart
ment that the mail referred to wasnot sent
by Inv ocean steamer, but by q ship OF the
Red Cross line OF mail steamers which made
the regular trip from New York to Pernam'
buco and which had been regularly en-
ployed by the P~ostofice Department for
the past ten W ars. The mails for Rio De
Janeiro had been sent regularly by that
line to Pernambuco there to conaect Will
the Brazilian mail steamer for their des'
tination. After an executive session the
Senate adjourned.
H0us0.