Los Angeles herald., 1890-07-13
IN THE SENATE.
Tonnage and Postal Subsidy Marine
Bills Passed.

Bills Passed.
WASHINGTON, July 12.-In the senate
today, remonstrance of the board of
trade of jackson, Tennessee, against the
federal election bill was presented by
Harris. The senate then resumed con-
sideration of the two shipping bills, and
was addressed by Vest.
Vest said he would like the senator
from Maine Frye) to explain how it
was that there was time when the
United States without dollar of SUBJ
sidy, and when the country was unde-
veloped and just emerged from
a colonial condition, had grappled
with Great Britain and came
near wrestling from her the control
OF the ocean carrying trade. He quoted
from speech of Daniel Webster to the
effect that the success of the American
merchant marine had come, not from
protection or bounty, but from skill
perseverance and economy. He showed
how former subsidies had ended in
failure and scandal, and summed up the
whole question by reading an extract
from speech of Representative Cannon,
showing an expenditure of over $2l ,000,-
900 in subsidies between 1S48 and 1878,
and asserting that 81 100000 would buy
all the American steamships then afoat
The idea that commerce followed the
flag, Vest said, was monster fallacy.
He alluded to an Interpolation in the
British parliament yesterday as to the
Mckinley bill, and said as soon as
England found she could dispense with
American produce she would do so and
yet, he said, all that American states
manship aimed at was to put up duties
against Great Britain. He predicted
that subsidies would never bring dol
lar of foreign commerce to the country
They would enrich the men who got
the contracts, and there would be repe-
tition of the same old scandals that had
attended the expenditure of $21, 100000
in subsidies, an expenditure which had
left the country today with it's shipping
absolutely dead.
Stewart gave it as his opinion that the
plan proposed in the pending bills was the
only mode of reviving the ocean carrying
trade of the United States, and that free
ships would simply destroy American
shipbuilding yards, without affording
any relief.
George opposed the bills.
Harris offered an amendment provid-
ing that the total sum paid to any vessel
sailing between any American ports and
foreign ports shall in no case exceed the
sum paid vessels for the same class and
tonnage between such foreign ports and
the nearest American port thereto.
Rejected-yeas 21, nays 27-a party
vote.
Teller offered an amendment provid-
ing that no vessel be entitled to payment
under the act that makes any discrim-
ination between or gives unequal facil-
tiles to competitive transportation lines
in receiving or forwarding freight or
baggage, at any American rort, or at any
foreign port. Agreed to.
A vote was then taken on the amend
ment offered yesterday by Vest, provid-
ing free ships for foreign trade, but not
for lake or coastwise trade. Rejected
yeas, IS; nays, 20 "a strictly party vote).
The tonnage subsidy bill was then
passed-yeas, 20; nays, 1S. The only
exceptions to strict party vote were
that Payne voted with the Republicans
for the bill, and Edmunds and Plumb
with the Democrats against it.
A vote was then taken ON the postal
subsidy bill, and it passed-yeas, 2S !;
nays, is; Payne voting aye, Edmunds
no and Plumb not voting.
On motion of Morrill, the tariff bill was
taken up and made unfinished business.
After executive session the senate ad-
iourned.