The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-01-25
DlNcLEY's SHIPPING BILL.
Its Provisions as Finally Agreed Upon
in Committee.


WASHINGTON, Jan. 23-The shipping COM
mittee of the House today finally considered
Mr.. Dingley's bill to abolish certain fees for
officials services to American vessels and for
other purposes The bill was considerably
amended, and Mr.. Dingley was instructed to
report it to the House and secure action upon
it at the earliest opportunity. The bill, as
agreed upon by the committee is substan-
-eirtiiJ oe follows
Section abolishes on July l., 1886, the fol
lowing fees to collectors and other officers OF
customs, inspectors of steam vessels and
shipping commissioners for services to yeS-
sells of the United States, to wit: Measure
ment of tonnage and certifying the same;
issuing of licenses or granting certlhcateS
for registry; record of enrolment, including
all Endorsements on the same, and bond and
oath Endorsement of change of master; GER
tifying and receiving manifest including
masters oath; granting permits; granting
certificate of payment of tonnage dues; re-
cording bill of sale, mortgage, hypotheca-
tion or conveyance, or the discharge OF such
mortgage or hypothecation furnishing the
crew list, including bond; furnishing certii-
cation of title; certificate Of protection to
seamen; bill of health, shipping and dis
charge of seamen, as provided by sec. 81, Il.
S., and sec. OF the same; apprentlclng boys
to the merchant service; inspecting, examin-
ing and licensing steam vessels, including in
spection of certificate and copies thereof,
and licensing of master, engineer, pilot or
mate Of vessel. (The fees amount to about
$3OOO00) 1t is provided that these officers
shall make a return to the Secretary OF the
Treasury of their services performed, and
where paid, wholly or in part by fees, that
the Secretary shall grant them compensation
from the treasury, so as to make their COM
pensaton what it would have been before
the passage of this act.
Section 2 authorizes shipping commission
ers to ship and discharge seamen for the
coastwise trade.
ping act of 1880, so as to authorize the pay
ment of advance wages to liquidate any just
debt for board or clothing contracted prior
to the shipping, not to exceed two months
pay.
Section extends the provisions of the
limited liability section of the shipping act
of 1884, so as to cover all vessels in the in
land trade, excepting canal boats, lighters
and barges.
ties for certain violation of the navigation
| laws, where now forfeiture of the vessel is
involved.
Section provides that foreign vessels
found transporting passengers between
places or ports in the United States, when
such passengers have been taken on board in
the United States, shall be liable to fine of
81 for each passenger landed.
Section empowers the Secretary of the
Treasury to remit the hneS provided In tne
previous sections, when the offences are not
wilfully committed
Section 10 construes the provision of law
allowing drawback on bituminous coal
used as fuel by steam vessels, to apply only
| to vessels of the United States, and to YES
| sells of such foreign countries as allow sim
| liar drawback to vessels of the United
| States
! Section II amends the tonnage tax section
| of the shipping act of 1884, which authorized
the President to suspend the collection Of
the tonnage duty on vessels entered from
any foreign port in North and Central
America, etc, that had abolished similar
taxes on American vessels. and extends this
tender of an abolition of tonnage tax and
lighthouse dues to all other countries that
| have abolished or will abolish similar light
| house dues and taxes on American vessels
| entering their ports.
Section IL directs the President to cause
this tender to be made known to foreign gov
| ernments.