The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-04-24
TOPICS FROM THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Army and Navy Officers Whose Pro-
molten is Confirmed.
what the Minority Say Regarding the
Dunn Bill.
The Tariff Battle to Recommence
Today Without Limitation.

WASHINGTON, April 23.-The Senate has
confirmed Lieut.. Col. G. B. Comstock to be
Colonel, Major j. A. Smith to be Lieutenant
Colonel, Brig. Gen. George Crook to be Ma
jor General, Col. J. r. Brooke to be Briga-
dier General, Commander w. S. Schley to be
Captain, and H. b. Lowering to be Marshal
of the District of Massachusetts,.
1t is practically decided at the War De-
partment to assign Gen. Crook to command
the Division of Missouri. with headquarters
at Chicago. 1t is said that Gen. Howard,
commanding the Division of the Pacific. de-
sired to be transferred to the Missouri, but
It was found the interests of the service
would be subserved better by retaining him
at San Francisco.
The Minority and the Dunn Bill.
The Dunn free ship bill. as reported to the
House Saturday by the committee ON mer-
chant marine and fisheries, is identical with
the bill reported to the last Congress, with
the exception of two amendments limiting
the business of the foreign built vessels adj
mitted to American registry to the foreign
trade and expressly prohibiting them from
engaging in the coastwise trade of the Unit
ed States. The majority report is also SINH
lar to that which accompanied the bill when
it was reported during the last Congress.
A minority report is signed by Messrs.
Dingley. Farquhar, Hopkins, FELTON,, Cum
minss and Clark. 1t says:
The bill originates in remarkable man
ner, for aside from the bare majority of the
members of the committee who voted to re-
port the bill favorably to the House and the
individual who. advocated the inclusion OF
coastwise tonnage in the provisions of the
bill, not person, nor company, nor mar,
itime association, nor board of trade, guild
or union of workingmen, nor single Knight
nor an American merchant, nor
an American shipper has by per-
sonal appeal or petition asked for the enact
the free ship" policy of reyiying and re-
storing the American merchant marine. is
unique. to say the least 1t Is serious In
Justice to the shipbuilding industry, in that
1t proposes to place on the free list COM
pleted manufacture of the most complicated
ufacture imported from foreign country is
left with a duty Of at least 30 per cent 1t is
true that section of the bill allows the i'm
portation of shipbuilding materials free OF
duty. But this is only amockery, for the
reason that the materials of even an iron
A free ship policy looks to the purchase
abroad of the vessels we may want for the
foreign trade, and would result in the de-
struction of the shipbuilding industry OF
this country. The average wages paid in an
American ship yard are at least so per cent
higher than in an English ship yard; with
this disadvantage no capitalist would invest
the money required to establish extensive
ship yards in this country with
the knowledge that he must compete with
Tn lioh hni dar in ha onn mo
While the bill on its face limits the free
importation and registry of foreign built YES
sells to such as are intended for the foreign
trade, yet every one practically acquainted
with The subject understands that no one
would import and register a foreign built
vessel unless he believed that the law would
be ultimately so modified as to allow him to
use the vessel in the coastwise as well as the
foreign trade. 1t would be impossible to re-
sist the appeal that would come from every
man who imported and registered such YES
sci to allow him to use the vessel in all trades.
Good lawyers maintain that when vessel is
granted an American register she cannot be
denied all the privileges which the laws grant
to American vessels, and that the law in this
respect would be void. Therefore the pas
sage of the bill would be justly regarded as
the entering wedge for the admission Of for
eign bnllt vessels to our costwiSe as well as
foreign trade.
Settling the Time for Talk.
The committee on ways and means held
long meeting this morning to finally agree
upon the length of time to be allowed for
general debate upon the tariff bill. The
Republican members of the committee asked
that ten days of five hours each, or so hours
in ALL be set for the purpose. The Demo-
cratic members held that shorter time
would suffice If evening sessions were held
for the debate. Evening sessions were not
to the Republicans.
The Fisheries Treaty.
The Democratic Senators held a caucus
this morning to further discuss the fisheries
treaty. 1t was proposed that in case the
evinced unwillingness to ratify
The treaty to suggest that action be delayed
until the fishermen should have chance to
test the moduS Uirendi.
This policy seemed to find general favor in
the caucus, but was not formulated into a
resolution and no vote was taken on that or
any other subject.
Notes.
Minister Phelps visited the Senate yester-
day and was introduced by Senator Hawley.
A Washington despatch to the New York
Herald says that the President desires to APP
point Mr.. Phelps chief justice, but fears the
irish, with whom Mr.. Phelps is not popular.
Influence, it is said, is being brought to place
Mr.. Phelps ON the bench, send Secretary En-
licott to Boston. and coRciliate the Irish vote
)y giving the vacant Cabinet position TO Con-
,ressman Collins
The President vetoed several pension bills
oday.