The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-20
ate. and after an Intellectual attempt Of Mr.. Rid
dleberger to secure an executive session, the
Senate adjourned.
THE HOUSE.
Continuation of the Debate on the Proposed
Mail Steamship Subsidy.

Mail Steamship Subsidy.
| WASHINGTON, May 19-Mr. Weaver, of Ne
| braska, from the committee on commerce, re-
ported bill authorizing the construction of
bridge across the Mississippi at Dubuque, la.
Placed on the House calendar.
! Al. Yer ar. Eaton of Mississippi, from the COM
mittee on public lands repor . "a hAAk Senate
bill forfeiting certain lands granted to the State
of Iowa to aid in the construction of railroads.
Placed on the House calendar.
| Mr. Dibble, of South Carolina, from the COM
mittee on laws regulating the election of Presi
dent, reported joint resolution proposing a
constitutional amendment creating and defining
| the office of Second Vice-president of the United
/ States. Placed on the House calendar
/ The House then went into committee of the
| whole-Mr Hammond, of Georgia, in the chair
-on the Senate amendment to the postofficc APP
! preparation bill
| Mr. Willard, of New York, briefly advocated
/ the foreign mail service amendment, contending
| that it would have beneficial effect on Ameri-
| can commerce.
/ Mr. Phelps. of New Jersey, said that the
amendment and the vote by which 1t was
adopted in tins Senate were encouragement to
| the friends of American shipping. He was pro-
| ceediDg to make summary OF the vote, when
| he was interrupted by Mr.. Blount, of Georgia,
with the point that it was not in order to refer to
| that the gentleman should be proud that eight
/ Democratic Senators had had the courage to vote
| for the amendment. He had read from the pub
| lie prints that eight Democratic Senators had
| voted to give new steamships to American COM
merce and new ports to American manufacture
| ers. The Senate having performed its duty, the
| House had presented to it an opportunity to pass
| a measure full of advantages to the country.
| What the country needed was new steamships
and foreign markets. This measure could give
| them The country wanted its seacoast de-
| Tended. This measure would do it, by giving
| this country merchant marine, which was the
/ militia of the sea. This measure was advanta-
geous and ought to be passed, and it would be
passed unless members were frg htened because
some gentleman had called it a subsidy. 1t was
not subsidy. A subsidy was gift or an ex-
/ cessive payment
| Mr.. Hscock, OF New York maintained that
| the amendment was not subsidy. When gen.
| tlemen insinuated that the lobby was full of
| men pushing the Senate amendment, he might
| as we'll retort that as strong influences were at
/ work. emanating from the other side of the
ocean, to strike down the American steamship
| lines. Measured by the prices that were paid
| for carrying domestic mails on railroads.
| steamboats, and star routes the United States
| would be paying, under this Senate amendment,
! a very low rate of compensation indeed. Meas
ured by the rates paid by every European power.
it would be paying very small compensation,
/ indeed. If there was governments policy worthy
| of support it was contained in this amendment.
/
than any other, would advance our prosperity,
| it was this. There was no donation of money to
1 any corporation 1t simply proposed to pay for
a service rendered what it was worth, but it
| carried with it the extension of American trade,
! the extension OF American markets and saving
| to the country, yearly, in the way of exchange,
! of $40 900 900 which we to-day paid South and
| Central American states. The balance of trade
! was against the United States. If the United
| States entered on the policy contained in this
| ha AS a tv
| man, as a citizen of the United States. he found
| nothing in the Senate amendment that he could
| not support.
Mr. Peters, of Kansas, said that in the last
/ Congress ne had voted against proposition SIM
| liar to the one now before the House He had
| been so strongly prejudiced against anything
| like subsidy that 1t was with difficulty he had
| brought himself to review the question in any
| thing like fair light. But thorough examra-
! ton had convinced him that the cry of subsidy
| was Unjust and put forward in the interest OF
/ English aristocracy and English money. 1t was
| to the interest of the farmers Of his district to
| indorse and uphold the policy inaugurated by
| the Senate amendment Whatever would in
| crease the consuming power would free the prod
| ucts of our soil from the control of the Liver
! pool monopolists. He was believer in the Mon
| roe doctrine that gave TO the United States the
| American continent The tine would come
/ when Canada and Mexico weuld be under the
American flag. aud he believed that by this kind
of legislation the time would come when the
| united STATES instead OF Oreab BRITAIN, WOulQ
| control the trade of South America.
| Mr. Dockery, of Missouri, announced his op-
! position to the amendment because it
Give legislation; because it assumed to aid com
| merce at the expense Of the foreign postal serv
/ ice; because it held out the persuasive idea of
! competition when, in fact, there was no compet-
| ton except on two liLes; because it would oper-
ate as hindrance to the restoration of Amer-
| can commerce.; because it was positive viola
tion of the international treaty OF Berne because
va off of no Yl11h1 liz 10
| porations, the largest part OF which would go to
/ the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Offered
owned and controlled by such men as Jay Could
Russell Sage and Sidney Dillon. Criticisng the
| amendment in detail. he called attention to the
| fact that even England did not restrict the trans
| porta.ion of her mails to English vessels, but
| placed many of them upon the ships of the North
| German Lloyd Company. He also commented
| severely upon the action of the Senate in adopt
ing the amendment in violation of its own
rules Was not. he asked, the amendment
strong enough to commend itself to
Congress and the country without
having behind 1t the pressure and the power of
| an appropriation bil This proposition came
| here from the Senate as its smaller twin brother
| had come from the Senate last year Glad as he
would be to go home to the free air of grand old
| Missouri-not however, to look after his fences;
/ they were in good repair-strongy as he desired
to hail the hour that should witness the close of
| the session. he was willing to stay here until
| the snow of winter should mantle the highlands
| of Arlington before he would be coerced into
ceptng legislation of this kind. He then pro
ceeded to argue that subsidy would not have
the effect OF building up the commerce of the
country, and in support of his argument he
quoted statistics to show that from 1866 to 1877
| (which he termed 'the subsidy period"l the tom
mage and commerce of the United States had
steadily fallen. He had heard it said that the
Pacific mail line was owned by 700
different persons, but he learned that
it was largely owned and oficered
by Jay Gould. Sidney Dillon, Russell Sage and
Huntington. These the men who were to
get this appropriation. which assumed to go to
the building up of the commerce OF the country
and the merchant marine. No man would go
further than he in restoring the merchant ma.
rine, but If this could only be done now by
means of contributions to the Pacific Mail