The sun., 1890-01-14
THE FIFTY-FIRST CONGRESS.
SENATOR PLUMB ara CHS THE lJhSKA
SEAL OOMPlNT MONOPOLY.


Pany Another Lease OF tho Seal Isla nds
for Twenty Years, Ont OF which u is
Mnking over - MtIIon n Year-Con-
EressmAn Cummings Proposes 90 Erect
= BronEe Statue OF Samuel j. Tiiden In
the RotundA OF the Capitol, Inscribed
"Nineteenth Presidsnt of tho United
Statest Elected, bat Not Seated"
WASHINGTON Jan. 10. - Senator Turpie
gave notice at the opening OF the session OF the
Senate to-day that ho would on Wednesday ad-
dress the Senate on the pending resolution,
offered by Mr.. Morgan, for the recognition Of
the republican Government OF Brazil
Among the petitions presented and reported
was ono signed BY the wives OF Chief Justice
Fuller and Justices Field and Harlan. and by
the wives OF many other distinguished officials
and ,citizeDs Of Washington. praying that In
the legislation organizing the International
Exposition Of 1892 provision shall be made for
the appointment OF women on the Board OF
Managers In view OF the fact that there is to
bo presentation OF the share taken by woman
in the artistic. intellectual. and religious prog
ress Of the nation.
Among tho bills reported from committees
and placed on the calendar we're the following:
For bronze statue in Washington OF Christie
pher Columbus and for the removal OF the
Peace Monument to new site; for tho dis
posal OF the Fort sedRwick military reserva-
tion In Colorado and Nebraska to actual set
tiers under the Homestead law; to prevent the
introduction Of contagious diseases from one
State to another. and for the punishment OF
certain offences: for q bronze statue Of Secre-
tary Baird OF the Smithsonian Institution: for
the erection OF building in the city Of WASH
ington to be known as a Hall Of Records.
Mr.. Evarts from tho Library Committee. re-
ported Joint resolution authorizing the Mar
shal OF the Supreme Court to loan the portraits
A., - I,,n en- NhA Maui Vnrly t0fn
Bar Association for exhibition at the Judiciary
Centenary. to be held on Feb. 4, 1890. Passed.
Mr.. Frye introduced bill to place the Ameri-
can merchant marine engaged In the foreign
trade on an equality with those OF other ma
tons. and 1t was referred. He said that the
bill had been unanimously agreed upon by the
various maritime leagues OF tho United States.
and that he introduced 1t at their request
Mr.. Hoar offered resolution. which was re-
ferred to the Finance Committee, inatructinR
that committee whenever 1t reports tariff
bill. to incorporate in 1t a provision that when
ever any foreign country shall impose an ex-
port duty on logs in any form. or on rnanufac-
tured or partially manu- factured lumber. a duty
shall be collected on such logs or lumber in the
United States equal to the amount OF the ex-
port duty 30 imposed, in addition to the duty
otherwise imposed by law.
On motion OF Mr. Frye the select committee
on the Pacific Railways was increased to nine
members, and Senators Platt and Turpie were
added to 1t.
Mr.. Chandler offered a resolution. which was
agreed to. directing the Secretary Of the Treas
ury to send to the Senate copy OF the recent
report Of William p. Hepburn. Solicitor of the
Treasury. concerning the methods OF adminis-
tering at the port OF New York the laws regu- |
Iating immigration.
The resolution heretofore offered by Mr.. |
Plumb respecting the lease OF the islands OF |
ST. Paul and st. George to tho Alaska CONNER
cial Company. and requesting tho Secretary of
the Treasury not TO make q further lease of
such islands until further action by Congress.
or until the latest period made necessary by
existing law, and meanwhile to make q full
report as to tho manner In which the Alaska
Company has discharged its obli-
cations under the present lease. and whether
tect the interests OF the Government and the
natives and citizens OF Alaska. was taken up.
and Mr. Plumb proceeded to address the
He said that the existing twenty-year lease
p g the e{ o
Treasury is required to make new lease, en-
bracinG substantially the same rights ana
law was in the shape Of a command. The SEQ
duty, caused an advertisement to be issu ed in
certain papers stating that on the 2sd Of the
DTOS0lL month ne WOulu receive PROPOSALS IOE |
twenty years. it had been tntimated in that
Soaa be that med ss to sCS q tp
Under sr sSe 01 and Control H't of % the
Which had first attraStsd
bis tMr. Plumb'sI attention when he read the
which the proposals were to be received. That
time was In his judgment far too short, He
SeStheaSfern Alaska tstSa and dii thai % ycIatYj "
who are competent. by reason Of their char
Rcter and financial standing. to enter upon and
heard within tho thirty days, fixed in the ad-
In the next place the nronosi.
the first year. even II II was not extraordinary.
opened . wide. 9eld OF conjecture; The
year to 10000. and reserved the right TO
the Secretary to fix the number for subsequent
years. That would be burden that would
bear more heavily on new competitor than
on company which now had all the necessary
nstrumentalities for CARRYING on the business.
Indefinite shape that new bidders would want
j tolerably fair assurance that they were
retary was to be reprehended for the character
of the advertisement His predecessor. Mr..
zoe that no one except the Alaska Commercial
Company should have the lease-on the theory.
undoubtedly. that only that company could
Mr.; Dawes-I suppose that this discretion
'rclsed the best thing possible in the adminis-
ration OF the business. The difficulty is that 1t
Q dangerous discretion There Is no doubt but
hat, at certain times, moro than 100000 seals
ian bo safely taken, and that at other times 1t
s not safe to take 100000. but 1t is power
which, It seems to me. is too dangerous to re-
,ose IN tho Secretary. as 1t would expose him
o the approach OF speculative ideas, and give
he lumber Of seals TO be- taken. in order to
Meet the price. suppose that the fixing of
Z. 600 tho first year was because the lease
Fill not begin to operate till May.
Mr.. Plumb-If the Secretary of the Treasury
lad in mind the giving preference to the
llaska Commercial Company, he had prece-
lent for 1t In the existing lease; for hnd In
he memorandum OF the Treasury Department
Il January, 1870. O paragraph to the effect that
the bid OF that company were not % per cent.
lelow that OF other bidders. the lease would be
,tyen to 1t. But that was not the only indica-
certain Louis Goldstone had made higher
I'D. and had also offered TO pay 62h cents q
Kin more than the Alaska Commercial Com
nnx and "a cAnIa q GALLON Tor all tha saal oil !.