The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-22
the NATIONAL CAPITAL.
The International Congress as Out
lined by a Senate Committee.
Senator Frye Regards Mr.. Hits
Scheme as ImpracticabIe.
General Greeley VIII Continue the
Signal Station at Eastport.

mittee ON foreign relations to-day authorized
Senator FRYE TO report favorably the Nc
Creary bill, recently passed by the House,
providing for Congress of American nations
in Washington, April ], 1889. The bill is
amended so as to be more specific and sets
forth in detail the topics to be considered at
the Congress. They are; First, code OF
international laws and mode of arbitration
to settle disputes which may hereafter arise
between the several American nations, with
out an appeal to arms; second, uniform
system Of weights and measures, custom
house regulations, and methods for the APP
praisement of imported goods; third, uni
form code OF copyright and patent laws, for
the purpose of preventing the sale OF fraudu-
lent limitations of American manufactures; !;
fourth, a customs union under which the
peculiar products of each country shall be
admitted free into the others; fifth, direct
and regular lines of communication between
the several nations; sixth, a common silver
coin for trade purposes 10 De issued and re-
deemed by each nation IN proportion to its
population. The President is authorized to
appoint "a delegates on the part of the Uni
ted States to attend the Congress. Each
other nation may appoint like number or
less, provided no nation shall have more
Tnis bill is INTENDED toscarry out the recon-
mendatiOns of the commercial commission
which visited Central and South America
during the administration of President Ar
thur.
Mr.. Hits Resolution.
In the joint resolution to promote COM
mercial union with Canada, introduced in
the House by him, Mr.. Hit, of Illinois.
quotes at length from "the Right Honorable
Joseph Chamberlain, late high commissioner
from her Majesty's government" who is re-
ported to have recently stated in speech,
that, Commercial union with the United
States means unrestricted trade between the
United States and the Dominion of Canada,
and protective tariff against the mother
country. If Canada desires that, Canada
can have it. Commercial union with the
United States meane that Canada is to give
preference to every article OF manufacture
from the United States over manufactures
from Great Britain. If the people of Cana
da desire an arrangement of that kind, he
did not doubt that they would be able to
secure it," Upon what authority the right
honorable gentleman makes the statement
that Canada can secure all these advantages
of commercial union does not appear in MIR.
Hits report, but the speech was delivered
while the Hon. Joseph was flushed with
success, in the negotiation of the recent fish
cries treaty, and having secured the conces-
sions granted in that document, he probably
felt that he might be borne out in saying
that Canada could obtain anything she de-
sired in the way of reciprocity. Mr.. Hlttfor
himself and his committee says that the re-
solution does not contemplate any action ON
our part at present; but whenever the Doml-
mon of Canada shall have declared desire
for commercial union, with common tariff,
like internal revenue taxes, like duties upon
articles imported into either country from
abroad, and no duties on trade between the
United States and Canada, then the Presi-
dent is authorized to appoint commissioners
to meet those designated by Canada, to pre-
pare plan for commercial union, by ASST
milating the tariffs and internal revenne
taxes of the two countries. and an equitable
method of dividing the receipts, which they
shall report to the President, who shall lay
it before Congress.
Senator Frye, in speaking of the resolu-
tiOn said: II regard the scheme contempla-
ted in the Hit resolution as impractica BILE,
and one from which we shall derive little
benefit. 1t amounts really to commercial
partnership between the United States with
its sixty-fYe millions Of people and the
Dominion Of Canada with its five millions.
The farmers along the Canadian border
would suffer from its operations, for under
the arrangement Canadian agricultural pro-
ducts would come in free, and lumber
would 60 at once upon the free list. IL
would lead to such legislation as would bring
us into competition with Canada in our
coasting trade, much to our disadvantage.
Eastport's Signal Station.
Upon the representations made by Con-
gresham Boutelle of the Importance of the
signal station at Eastport to the business in
terests of that port and to coastwise COM
merce, Gen. Greeley has overruled the re-
commentator for its diseontinuance and
has given assurance that the station will be
maintained.
The Trenholm Bill.
After two months work the House COM
mittee on banking and currency has finally
ordered the Trenholm bill to codify and
amendo National bank laws, reported to
the House.
The Pension List.
The following Maine pensions were
granted today:
ORIGINAL.
Leander E. Leland, Calais.
John M. Heavy, Oakland.
Thomas j. Mayberry, Gray.
Archy Spinney, Grand Lake Stream.
James G. Hall, Clifton.
Minor Child Of Florian McGaffey, Mount Vernon
NAVY.
Timothy Thompson, Belfast.
REISSUE AND INCREASE.
Daniel o. Goodwin, St. Albans.
Notes.
The Hon. Hugh McCulloch, ex-Secretary
of the Treasury, and wife celebrated their
golden wedding anniversary today at their
Washington Home.
The House committee on pensions have
reported favorably Representative Longs
bill increasing the pensions of those who
have lost both arms in the United States
service, from $72 per month, the present
rate, to 800 per month. The commissioner
of pensions states that the number OF per
sons upon the rolls of this class is 81, so that
the increased expenditure, If this bill be-
comes law, win be but S5SS per month:
The number will never increase but will
rapidly decrease.
Mr.. Reed OF Maine, said Tuesday to a
coterie of statesmen on the floor OF the
House: 'The ways and means committee
are considering tine Mills bill under the pro-
visions of the eight-hour law. The majority
spends three hours in work and devote the
other five to explaining what it has DONE"