Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-03
in THE SENATE.
LAND PATENTS TO BE DELIVERED
TO THEIR OWNERS.
Frye's Merchant Marine Bills Taken Up.
Vest Opposes the Granting of Sub
sides to Steamship Lines.

WASHINGTON, July I'm the senate to-
day Plumb, from the committee on
public lands, reported the senate bill to
provide for the delivery Of land patents
to their rightful owners, and asked for
it's immediate consideration. The state
ment was made by Plumb, Paddock and
Berry that there were some 250,000 land
patents accumulated in the gen.
eral land office for which those entitled
to them had not applied; that thrifty
firm of Washington attorneys had been
permitted to have lists made of them;
that they had then communicated with
the persons entitled to them notifying
them that they could get their patent on
the payment of certain fee; that this
was an act of collusion between the as
sistant commissioner, who was then as
sistant secretary of the interior, acting as
commissioner, and this law firm, and
that the bill was designed to frustrate
that job.
The bill was then passed. 1t directs
the secretary of the interior to send to
the recorder of deeds in each city in
which lands were SO patented, lists Of
the patents in that county that have
been in the general Office uncalled for
for twelve months.
Hiscock called up his motion to recon-
slider the vote by which the senate yes
terday refused to recede from the amend
ments to the legislative appropriation
bill. The motion was agreed to, and
after debate the senate receded from the
amendments. The bill now goes to the
president.
The senate proceeded to consideration
of the two senate bills reported from the
committee on commerce to place the
American merchant marine engaged in
foreign trade upon an equality with that
of other nations, and to provide for
ocean mail service between the United
States and foreign ports, and to promote
the service.
Frye said the first bill was bounty
on tonnage, and the second was known
as the postal subsidy bill. He declared
that unless congress did something to
aid American ships, and that speedily,
there would soon not be single steam
ship line traversing the ocean carrying
the American flag. At one time he was
going to discuss the tariff in connection
with the bills. There (referring to the
American carrying trade) was dead
body. He wanted to know whether it was
worth while to resurrect it and
bring life into it. He could
not understand the innermost
thought and feelings of American
citizens who could listen to statement
of the facts about our foreign carrying
trade and not feel an impulse to go back
once more on the ocean, where the
United States stood in such proud con-
spicuousness thirty years ago. The
American carrying trade was dead for
want OF protection. 1t was the only
great American industry Of which the
same could be said. The people of the
United States had paid $50,000,0O0 a
year to keep alive the sugar growing In
dustry of the United States $4,000, 900
year would revive the dead body OF the
American merchant marine, and keep it
on the ocean.
Vest addressed the senate in opposi-
ton to the subsidy bills. The foreign
carrying power was languishing and
almost dead. But 80 was the cattle
trade, and yet if he were to propose a
subsidy for the cattle trade, the propo-
sition would be attacked as the most
monstrous ever heard. He went on to
speak of the Pan-American congress as
a "chestnut"-a back number. 1t was
half made up when the Harrison ad-
ministration came into existence, and
the restless and ambitious spirit OF the
present secretary OF state seized upon it
and concluded to parade it before the
country as a great and phenomenal dip
lomatic victory. The leaders of the Re
publican party had always advocated the
necessity OF doing away with foreign
commerce. But a sudden and marvel
GUS change had come. The senator
from Maine wanted to give subsidies to
vessels in the foreign trade, so as to bring
about increased trade, not only with the
South American states, but also with all
the European countries and the world at
large. The effect, Vest said, of subsidiz-
ing any particular line, was to discourage
all others.
Vest yielded the floor without con-
Guiding his speech, and Frye said he
hoped to have the senate act tomorrow
on both bills, as he intended to call up
the river and harbor bill Monday.
After executive session the senate ad-
journed.
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