The Portland daily press., 1888-01-30
The shipping Laws.


As for matters of chief interest to Maine
there is the revision of the shipping law,
which can best be explained in Gov. Ding
ley's remarkslon it before the House, in full
as follows:
Section 1 Of this act amends section IL of
the shipping act of 1886, in reference to tom
mage tax; and the amendment may add Is
suggested by the Secretary of State in view
of certain questions which have arisen un-
der the act of 1885, Sections II and II of the
shipping act of 1886 rendered to foreign
countries which would remove from Ameri-
can vessels all tonnage taxes, light house
dues, and other equivalent charges, a similar
reciprocal treatment of their vessels on the
part of the United States and authorized
the President to issue his proclamation sus-
pending the collection of tonnage tax on
Gated with us.
Under that provision Of the shipping act
of 1886 the President has issued his procla-
nation in certain cases where certain e0un-
tries have abolished charges on American
vessels. But having done this in the case OF
certain Spanish-American countries. certain
European countries have made claim that
they, under what is known as the most fay-
ored nation" clause in treaties with this
country, are entitled to have their vessels
exempted from tonnage tax and lighthouse
dues. The Secretary Of State has very prop
erly responded to such claim that the ex-
empti0ns which we have given to vessels OF
certain foreign countries have been in con-
sequence of certain considerations given by
them; that IL these other foreign countries
will give the same compensation we will
give the same exemption to them and that
the most favored nation" clause in our trea-
ties does not authorize them to make claim
to similar favors unless they give equal COM
pensation.
In order to make this clear, according to
the original intention of the shipping act of
1886, and to carry out the construction which
the Secretary of State. and the. Attorney
General have put on the shipping act of
1886, it has been thought advisable TO en-
body in this amendment to that act of 1886
this Interpretation and this limitation, and
this is simply the effect of the first section of
this bill.
The second section of the bill supplies GER
tain omissions which were made in the ship
ping act of 1886, when the fees for certain
services to American vessels were abolished,
and provision adopted that officers receiy
ing payment in whole or in part from fees
should be paid thereafter from the general
Treasury, instead of from the fund which
previously accumulated from these fees. In
making that transfer it was discovered sub
sequently that two classes OF expenditures
OF clerks of inspectors o steam-vessels and
the fees of witnesses in certain cases of col
lision. The omission is now supplied.
The third section of the bill amends the
Snipplng act OF 1854 IN tnat Sectl0n Wnlcn
relates to the care of distressed and sick
American seamen in foreign ports. By the
act OF 1888 seamen could be discharged under
the provisions of law in foreign ports on
payment to the United States consul by the
vessel of arrears of wages and one months
extra wages. And further provision was
made that the consul in ports where these
seamen where discharged, should form that
fund of arrears of wages and extra wages, pay
the board and necessaries required by the
seamen and the expense of his
transportation from the foreign port
in which he then was to some port in the
United States. The district court of the
southern district of New York has held that
the words board" and 'necessaries" used in
the act of 1884 do not cover medical care and
nursing, notwithstanding it was the intention
in the use of these words to cover all neces-
sary expenses to which the destitute Ameri-
can seaman was exposed in a foreign port
until his return to this country The amend
ment proposed by the bill inserts the words
medical attendance and nursing" in order
to make the original intent of the bill clear,
and provides distinctly, as was provided in
ferentially by the original act, that whatever
expenses there may be shall be paid from the
arrears of wages and extra wages of such des-
titute seaman, and the balances from the fund
appropriated annually by Congress for the re-
lief of distressed American seamen in foreign
ports and for their transportation to a port
in the United States.