The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-14

WASHINGTON, July l3.-Mr. Blount,
OF Georgia, submitted the conference
report on the Postollicc Appropriation
bill in the House to-day. An agree
ment has been arrived at on all the
amendments except that known as the
subsidy amendment. The rate Of post
age on seeds, plants, bulbs, roots and
sciOns has been fixed at one cent for
each two ounces or fraction thereof.
The report was agreed to and then Mr..
Bingham, OF Pennsylvania, moved 10
concur in the Senate subsidy amend.
mcnt, with an amendment reducing
that appropriation from SSOO,OOO TO
SijO,OOO, authorizing the Postmaster
General TO increase the mail facilities
not only between the United States and
Central and South America and the
West Indies, but between the United
States and China, Japan, Sandwich Is
lands and Australia, and providing that
American ships carrying the mails shall
be allowed four times the rate OF COM
pensatiOn they now receive. A long de-
bate ensued.
The question presented in the amend
mcnt, said Mr.. Bingham, was not only
OF subsidy or bonus, but question ~ to
the rradjustmcnt OF the compensation
under the law Of 1858 rs applied to the
sailing OF American steamships under
the existing conditions Of lSSS, after re-
adjustment OF the compensation allowed
10 American vessels for carrying the
mails should be- made.
Mr.. Blount, OF Georgia, opposed the
motion 10 concur and expressed his firm
antagOnism to the subsidy system.
Mr.. Dinglcy, OF Maine, supported the
amendment. Unless something were
done to increase the compensation to
the American steamship lines now run
ming to South and Central America and
to the east he predicted that before five
years had passed away there would not
be single American steamship line left.
Mr.. Holman, OF Indiana, attacked the
principle OF a subsidy, referring to the
Record to read the resolution Of in
quiry adopted in February, 1884, into
the charges that money had been used
to secure the passage OF the Pacific mail
subsidy.
Mr.. FELTON, Of California, cited the
case Of the line plying between San
Francisco and Australia and New Xca-
land. Here, he said, was n line rccciy-
ing subsidy Of SljO,OOO from foreign
governments. The mail service over
this line was not part Of the postal
union service, and therefore the United
States Government collected between
$4,000 and $4,000 annually as postage
Of which ii paid To the line S2O,O6O.
Mr.. Nelson, Of Minnesota, said that the
argument that the American shipping
[ did not exist because Of n rebellion
which occurred twenty-five years ago,
was to him all stuff and nonsense; all
| fuss and feathers. The trouble was that
[ the Government had put the MeT.
chant Marine In sort OF straight Jacket.
| II said 10 the people wishing 10 engage
capital in navigating the high seas,
"lOu can't engage IN the enterprise un.
less you buy American vessels.
Mr. Bingham inquired whether Eng.
land aud France and Germany, with free
ships, had not been forced 10 help their
shipping by bounties or by system Of
generous gifts.
Mr.. Nelson replied that France had
given subsidies, but was now feeling the
Tctmcllng wave, and her shipping inter.
est was in more siCkly and dilapidatcd
condition than ever before.
Mr.. Bingham repeated, his inquiry as
to whether these European countries
had not been forced to help their ma
Tincs 10y subsidies.
| Mr.. Nelson replied that the subsidy
system hal been followed temporarily
. and rs q result Except in the ease d
England those countries were icclinl
: the evil effects oi Oycr.prOluCtion. Eng
: land maintained her sytcm in order I,
bind herself tO her colonies.
/ Mr.. Bingham England knows moth
ing but free trade.
! Mr.. Nclson-Its pity We don't know
something about IL, Laughter.
, Mr.. FELTON,, oi California, inlcrruplc,
{ with the remark that hr thanked Go,
, he came from country that woul,
avoid the cheap and nasty as long u
possible. The ncccRnriCs Of his coun
Try wcrrthc luNurics Of other countric,
Mr., NelsOn-Oh, you have been hnl
! ing the Chinese 40 long you can't hcl
+ hating NIL foreigners.
Mr. Eplinn-Npu fnn'l nav ma n highp