The Portland daily press., 1886-05-01
XLIXth CONGRESS- FIRST SESSION.
SENATE.

WASHINGTON, April 80.
The report of the conference committee on
the Indian appropriation bill was submitted
by Mr. Dawes, and was concurred in by the
Senate.
The postoffice appropriation bill was tax
en- up and Mr. Hale resumed his remarks on
it. Mr. Hale quoted variety OF statistics
to show the commerce of Central and South
America. The total annual commerce Of
those countries he said was $850,000,000, of
which imported goods formed some $420, ,000,-
600, and of this large sum the United
States furnished only $40,0OO,000 or ten per
cent. Those people were friendly to us; their
history was to some extent like ours; they
had revolted from European governments
and had modelled their institutions much af-
ter ours The Argentine Republic had Of
fered subsidy for direct and regular steam
ship communication with the United States
such was its anxiety for closer relations with
the United States. With this great COM
merce almost at our doors and the people
well disposed tOincrease their commercial
relations with us, the question arose would
subsidies to steamship lines aid in establish
ing larger commercial relations? In the first
place there was no case in which any Euro,
pean country had built up its foreign. trade
without subsidies. All those countries rec
ognized the necessity of regular, frequent
and speedy communication between the par
ties selling goods and parties buying them.
As business became greater In bulk and
more regular, subsidies were reduced, but
MI. I1dlb ku6W Ol uO CASE Ill w lllCu blc Ducl-
ness was not first built up by subsidies. Mr..
Hale quoted figures to show that Engl and
sold the South and Central American coun-
tries four, five or six times as much as she
bought from them and asserted that the
money that England got In payment for her
goods was that which the United States paid
the people of Central and South America
for the large balance of trade against us in
our dealings with those countries. He knew
the word Subsidy was not held in favor by
Int ba nupcti0p chOul6 w
make this first step or dc nothing.
After lengthy remarks from MesSrS.
Brown, Plumb and Mcpherson, Mr.. Plumb
secured an understanding that general debate
on the bill should close Monday at o'clock.
After some skirmishing to secure an exec
utiye session and also to secure session to-
morrow, the Senate at o'clock, adjourned
till Monday.
Mr.. Hatch called up the bill creating a
department of agriculture and the House
proceeded to it's consideration in committee
of the whole, but the morning hour expired
pending controversy as to the Limitation to
be placed on the debate.
The House then went into committee of
the whole on the river and harbor appropria-
tion bill.
Mr. Warner of Ohio offered an amendment
providing that the appropriation for improve
ment of the Mississippi river shall be ex-
pended under the direction OF the Secretary
OF war instead OF the MISSISSIPPI river COM
mission and providing for a Congressional
committee to investigate the work of the
Mississippi river commission.
Mr. Dunn of Arkansas defended the plan
of the commission and declared that three
Congressional committee had endorsed it,
AS system of improvement it was known
to be perfect and complete.
MI Warmers amendment after considera-
BILE discussion was rejected as was also vari-
Gus other amendments
A number Of amendments were agreed to
increasing the number of places where pre-
liminary surveys may be ma lie and then Mr..
LaFollette of Wisconsin moved to strike out
the entire section having reference to this
subject. Noquorum voting the committee
rose and the House at 6.45 adjourned.