The Portland daily press., 1888-01-25
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The Time Drawing Near When
Tobacco VIII be Cheaper.
Sugar and Wool Disturbing LegIsIa-
tors Peace OF Mind. ~.
Something About PiIotage and the
Laws Governing 1t.
Especial to the Press.l

Especial to the Pressl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-There seems to
be little or no doubt that the tobacco tax will
go. The Democrats have finally made up
their minds to embody that much of internal
revenue reduction in their bill in spite of the
words of the President, while the Republi-
cans have been in favor Of such reduction
from the start. The tobacco men have been
here and gone. The manufacturers, the
cigarette and snuff men are opposed to
total repeal and have done their best to i'm
press it upon the members Of Congress, but
the great bulk if not every one of the tobacco
growers of the country form great solid
unit against continuing the tax. With this
is the growing difficulty of dealing
with the question in any other way than by
a repeal. If the tobacco question was the only
one before the ways and means committee, 1t
would be happy enough.
Sugar and Wool.
Sugar and wool are causing heap OF
trouble. There is the fight over free wool.
and the question of free sugar both showing
themselves in various complicated forms.
The wool question affects the whole list OF
them in the wool schedule, which was pre-
sentsd here after the tripartite conference
last week, and is intricately long. The COM
mittee began to find before it had been at
work week that there would have to be
compromises and agreements OF one sort, or
another along the whole line. Each member
and each industry is asking representation
and chance to talk. The committee hates
to let down the bars and has only done
so secretly. But more and more men keep
coming a I'D asking to be heard. 1t is grow
ing clearer that the longer the committee
puts off the longer it will have to.
The Democratic Convention.
1t is nearly month away from the meet
ing of the Democratic National Committee
here to fix the date of the National Conven-
tion. There have been all sorts of stories,
and there will be the same sort of booming
of one place or another which there was
when the Republicans got together here.
The New York men got story going that
Senator Beck had told fliend Cleveland
wanted the convention in New York. This
was promptly denied, and now the observers
are perched on the fence waiting for the
next denial to come along The next story
will probably have Boston for its focus, for
f. o. Prince started up movement last
summer that interested him considerably II
no one else Mr.. Prince is lively and may be
secretary of the committee. He has live
son and the Bay State Democrats are quick
to catch at floating straws. But the conven-
tion will 90 to Chicago this time.
England willing to Make conces-
sions.
1t is semi-sficially stated here that the
home government have urged the Dominion
Cabinet to make such concessions on the
fishery question as will bring about a settle
ment. 1t is plainly intimated that whilst
the demands of Canada are admitted to be
of Importance they must not be allowed to
prejudice the larger international interests
involved There are indications of a yield
ing disposition ON the part Of the Canadian
government under the usual pressure from
Downing street. and the absolute certainty
that the Canadian terms would In any case
be refused by the. American Congress. In
official quarters the reports from Washington
that 1.-THE negotiations have broken down
are denied.
Pilotage Laws.
President Lawrence, of the National Yes
sci Owners Association, talked before the
merchant marine committee the other day,
on the Dingley pilotage bill. He said that
pilotage is an instrumentality of commerce,
and, as such, under the exclusive control of
Congress. Where State pilotage laws are
allowed to control pilotage, 1t is by virtue OF
direct action of Congress permitting this. In
1882, Congress took up the subject and pass
ed general pilotage law respecting steam
vessels in the coastwise trade, authorizing
such vessels to be piloted by their own
licensed masters, and exempting them in
such cases from the payment of fees to State
pilots mot used. Twenty States fol
lowed and adopted the same principle as to
sailing vessels in coastwise trade, and ex-
empting them from the payment of fees to
State pilots not used. Ten States-MarY-
land Virginia, North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Alabama Mississippi,
n,.ioi TayaS-efill 00hliOa cailiOUD
vessels in the coastwise trade to pay fees to
pilots not used Maryland and Virginia,
however, on the payment of certain amount
to the pilots, exempt vessel for year from
the payment of compulsory fees to their pi-
lots. This bill simply puts pilotage of
American sailing vessels in the coastwise
trade on the same basis in these ten States as
in the other twenty-seven, and on the same
basis as steam vessels in all the States. 1t
is measure of justice to American sailing
vessels and their masters.
Mr.. Lawrence said that when the original
laws were enacted there was good reason Tor
them, because the harhors had not been
marked. But now that the government has
expended millions in lighting and mark
ing harbors, and masters of vessels are able
to take their own vessels in, it is legalized
robbery to permit pilots to tax them for no
services. Where the master Of sailing yes
sci does not wish to, pilot his own vessel ne
takes tug under the charge. OF United
States pilot and is towed in without needing
State pilot. Yet after paying a tug $50 to
take his vessel in and out of Charleston, for
example, he is compelled to pay State pilot
S125 additional for no service at all.
The pilots asked for a week to present
their objections to the bill, and this was
granted with the understanding that the
matter should be closed next Saturday.
Talking Temperance to Senators.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 24.-The Senate COM
mittee on finance listened to an argument by
Senator Frye today on his bill giving the
consent of Congress that the laws of several
States relating to the sale Of distilled and
fermented liquors within the limits Of each
State may apply to such liquors when they
have been imported in the same manner as
when they have been manufactured in the
United States. Tie Senator represented
that exemption of imported liquors from the
operation of State laws was interfering with
the temperance movement in Maine.
Senator Chandier's Investigation.
1t was announced when William E. Chand-
Ter was elected to the Senate that it might be
expected that he might force an investigation
into the management of the Navy Depart
ment He has shown no disposition to do
this, although he has been assigned to posi-
tion on the committee on naval affairs. But his
silence is at last broken, and he has intro
duced resolutions which propose very wide