Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-05-19
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
STATEN ISLAND BRIDGE BILL.
Under Discussion in the Senate
POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL
House Debate ON the Subsidy Amendment
The Senate.

House Debate on the Subsidy Amendment
| The Senate.
After routine business in the Senate to-day
| Mr.. Hoar gave notice that tomorrow morning
| he would call up the bill disposing of the Ala
| bama awards.
! THE STATEN ISLAND BRIDGE BILL.
Mr.. Frye called up the Staten Island bridge
| bill.
| ing the morning hour
Mr.. Frye moved that the bill be taken up
notwithstanding the objection. The motion
| proceeded with,
Mr.. Mcpherson moved an amendment pro-
viding for r tunnel instead OF a bridge. He
| spoke IN support of his amendment maintain
| ing that tunnel and not bridge was the most
feasible and proper thing tor railway transit in
| the place indicated. He said he would vote
against the bill unless properly amended. In
| doing so he would be obeying the instructions
OF his state, whose behests he respected. The
bill ought to be called "a Bill to DESTROY Water
| ways in the Interest of Railways He did not
oppose the bill on account of its favoring any
| particular railroad, but because ii would inlure
| the facilities for commerce which had been
afforded by the waters OF New Jersey. Refer
Ing to the constitutional point involved, Mr..
| Mcpherson said many able lawyers doubted the
power OF Congress in the matter. He admitted
| that of late the tendency of the decisions OF the
! Congress and restrict the authority OF the
| states, even in matters over which the states
| Claimed exclusive control.
| Mr.. Mcpherson cited figures to show that an
| immense commerce passed through the stream
which 1t was proposed to bridge, and contended
! that no bridge at that point would carry one
| tenth the commerce now carried by the stream.
! He read communications from manufacturers
| and others in the vicinity of the stream to
show that n bridge with its piers would be a
| serious obstruction to the commerce OF the
stream and an injury to the commerce OF New
| Jersey.
THE PENSION BILL.
| AT o'clock, Mr.. Mcpherson not having. con-
| cluded his remarks the matter went over.
The pension bill was then placed before the
Senate, the pending question being that of Mr..
| McPhersons to recommit the bill to the com
| mittee, with instructions submit to the Sen
| ate an estimate of the expense that would be
| incurred by it's passage.
House Of Representatives.
| Mr.. Dibble IS. CO., from the committee on the
| the laws regulating the election of President,
report ed joint resolution proposing consti-
tutional amendment creating and defining the
| office of second Vice President OF the United
| States. House calendar.
p. o: APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House then went into committee of the
| whole (Mr. Hammond, of Georgia, in the chair
on the Senate amendments to the Post Office
| appropriation bill.
Mr.. Willard (N. " briefly advocated the for.
eign mail serV ice mendment, contending that
it would have beneficial effect on American
| commerce.
I ot
and the vote by which it was adopted in the
Senate were an encouragement to the friends
OF american shipping; He was proceeding to
| terrupted by MIR, Blount (GaD with the point
that it was not in order to refer to the action of
| the Senate. Mr.. Phelps suggested that the gen.
| tie man should be proud and not ashamed that
eight democratic Senators had had the courage
read Tor the the pune ppes that
democratic Senators had voted to give
new steamships to American commerce
! nd To Ann
| The Senate having performed Its duty, the
House had presented to it an opportunity to
| pass Il measure full of advantages TO the coun-
| try. what the country needed was new steam
| ships and foreign markets. This measure
would give them. The country wanted It's sea-
coast defended. This measure would do it, by
! giving the country merchant marine which
was the militia OF the This measure was
advantageous and ought to be passed, and it
would be passed unless members We're fright
| ened because some gentlemen had called it a
subsidy. 1t was not subsidy. A subsidy was
| a gift or an excessive payment.
| Mr.. Hiscock On. ~ maintained that the
amendment was not a subsidy. He did not
not vote for a liberal subsidy if the effect of it
| would be to extend American commerce and
build up foreign markets for the products of
| our farms and markets. Usually the word SUBJ
| sidy was invoked in this discussion because it
| might have the effect of frightening some ,uen
! from their convictions and changing their votes
| Ii it were necessary for the development of
| American Industry he would as soon vote
| carrying the American flag vote it for the
| monopoiists who controlled the lines on the
! other side OF the ocean. When gentlemen in
| ing the Senate amendment he might as wei
retort that as strong influences were at work
Ocean to strike down the Amer,c se
| steamship lines. He had felt neither home nor
| foreign influences. Those who spoke of them
doubtless spoke either OF their knowledge or
imagination. This question ought TO be, and
would be decided on Its merits outside OF in
tluences OF this kind. Proceeding to discuss
q BENEFITS which wOuIu To he mi
| States by an extension of her commerce with
| South America, he said the United States was
able, in nearly all the lines OF goods which were
sought by South American countries, to COM
pete with Germany, France and England. The
| effect OF the American line To Brazil had been
to reduce the freight on coffee alone 81 100000
Mr.. Blount suggested that the American line
District in Congress.
GRoCERs WANT OLEoMARGARINE TAXED.
In the Senate yesterday Mr.. Pugh presented
memorial from the Grocers' association OF the
| District, representing that at meeting Of the
| association on the 18th instant a resolution
was unanimously adopted, urging the passage
by Congress of the Scott bill, taxing oleomarg..-
rine. The memorial is signed by L. NJ. Bur-
chard, president, and l.. A. Dellwig. secretary
of the association.
CORRECTION.
The District Commissioners to-day sent a cor
rected version of their letter to the Senate on
the subject Of a bridge across the Potomac river
to Arlington. The original letter spoke of side
walks 2 feet inches wide, when it ought to
have been 2 6-fOot side walks. Senator Sher-
man sent word to the Commissioners that
official communications must hereafter be ad-
dressed to him rs president OF the Senate and
not to the secretary OF the Senate The letter
was referred to the committee on appropria-
tonS.
THE DISTRICT APPROPRIATION BILL.
The District Commissioners and Health
Onicer Townshend were before the sub-appro-
priarions committee of the Senate yesterday,
explaining in detail the needs of various de-
partments of the local government. The District
appropriations bill was considered in detail,
and arguments were heard In support of the
original items proposed by the District officials
and which had been cut down by the House. 1t
! is believed that the Senate committee is dis
posed to grant the requests made by the Dis
| Lrct Commissioners.
The sub-appropriations committee Of the Sem
ate will probably finish the District apprOpria-
| ton bill to-day and report it TO the full COM
mlttee tomorrow.
Capitol Topics.