The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-13
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
The Postal and Tonnage Subsidy Bills
Passed by Party Vote.

The Postal and Tonnage Subsidy Bills
Passed by Party Vote.
WASHINGTON CITY, July 12.-fn the Sem
ate remonstrance of the Board of Trade
of Jackson, Tenn, against the Federal
election bill was presented by &. Harris.
The Senate resumed consideration of
the two shipping bills and was addressed
by Vest. He spoke at length against the
subsidy bills, showing how former subsi-
dies had ended in failure and scandal He
illustrated his argument by reference to
some subsidized steamship lines, and pre-
dicted that the subsidies would never bring
a dollar of foreign commerce to the coun.
try. Vest said he would like the senator
from Maine to explain how it was that at a
ii ne when the United States was without
dollar of subsidies; when the country
was undeveloped and Just emerged from
its colonial condition, it had grappled
with Great Britain and come near wrest-
ing from her the control of the ocean car
rying trade. He quoted from speech of
Daniel Webster to the effect that the suc-
cess of the American merchant marine
had come not from protection or bounty,
but from skill, perseverance and economy.
He showed that former subsidies had
up the whole question by reading an ex-
tract from speech of Representative Can
non, showing an expenditure of SCI, ,000, 900
in subsidies between 1SiS and 1878. and
asserted that 81 ,000, 600 would have bought
all the American steamships then afioat
The idea that commerce followed the flag.
Vest said, was fallacy. He alluded to the
Interpolation in the British parliament as
to the Mckinley bill. and said that as soon
as England found that she could dispense
with American products she would. and
vet he said that all American statesman
ship aimed at was to put up duties against
Great Britain. He predicted that sub
sides would never bring dollar OF foreign
commerce here. They would enrich the
men who get the contracts. and would
bring repetition of the scandals that had
attended the expenditure OF 100000 in
subsidies, an expenditure which had lett
the United States today with her shipping
absolutely dead.
Stewart gave it as his opinion that the
plan proposed in the bills was the only
mode of reviving the ocean carrying trade
of the United States, and that free ships
would simply destroy American ship
building yards without affording any relief
George opposed the bill.
Harris offered an amendment providing
that the total sum paid to any vessel sail
ing between American ports and foreign
ports should not in any case exceed the
sum paid vessels of the same class and ton
mage between such foreign ports and the
nearest American port thereto; rejected
by party vote-nays u, yeas 20.
Teller offered an amendment providing
that no vessel shall be entitled to payment
under the act that makes any discrimina-
ton between or gives unequal facilities to
competitive transportation lines in receiv-
ing or forwarding freight or baggage at any
American port or at any foreign port;
agreed to-
A vote was taken on the amendment OF
Yesterday by Vest, providing free ships Tor
foreign trade, but not for the lake trade;
rejected, yeas Is. nays %.
The tonnage subsidy bill was then passed,
yeas 20, nays IS The only exceptions TO
party vote were that Payne voted with the
Republicans for the bill. and Edmunds
and Plumb with the Democrats against 1t.
A vote was then taken on the postal SUB
sidy bill and it was passed. yeas 2s, nays
16. Payne voting ave, Edmunds no, and
Plumb not voting. On motion OF MorrIl