, 1890-07-03
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
Psssass OF the NH for the Return o
Land Patents.

Land Patents.
To-day In the senate MIR. Plumb, from
the committee on public lands, reported
the senate bill TO provide for tho delivery
OF land patents to t6Air rightful owners,
and asked for its immediate considera-
tion.
Statements were made by Senators
Plumb, Paddock and Berry that there
were some 25o,o0c land patents accumu-
lated in the general land office for which
those entitled them had not applied
that thrifty Arm OF Washington attor.
neys had been permitted to have lists
made OF them, that they had
then communicated with the per
sons entitled to them, notifying
them that they could get their patents
on payment OF a certain fec; that this
was fact OF collusion between the as
sistant commissioner, who was then
assistant secretary OF the interior and
this law firm. and that the bill was de-
signed to Illustrate this.
The bill was then passed. II directs
the zccrstary OF tho Interior to send TO
the recorder of deeds in each city near
which the land so patented lies, and a
list OF the lands patented in that county
that have been in the general land OF
flee uncailed for for twelve months.
Mr.. Hiscock called up his motion to
reconsider the vote by which the senate
yesterday refused to recede from the
amendments To tho legislative appropri-
alton bill.
The motion was agreed to, and after a
debate the senate receded from the
amendment. The bill now goes to the
president.
The senate then proceeded to the con-
alteration Of the two senate bills reported
from tho committee ON commerce to
place the American merchant marine,
engaged in the foreign trade, upon an
equality with that of other nations, and
to provide for an ocean mail service be-
tween tho United States and foreign
ports. and to promote the service.
MIR. Frye said that the first bill pro.
vided for a bounty on tonnage, and that
the second was known rs the postal
subsidy bill.' lie declared that, unless
congress did something to aid American
ships, and that speedily, there would
soon not be a single steamship line trav.
orsing the oceans carrying the American
fiag. not one. Hc was not going TO dis
cuss the tariff In connection with the
bills Rnferring TO tho American carry.
ing trade, he said IL was "a dead body.
lilo wanted TO know whether It was
worth while TO rcsurrect II and bring
the innermost thoughts and feelings of
tho American citizen who could
listen to statements of facts about
tho foreign carrying trade, and not feel
the impulse TO go back once more ON the
ocean, where the United States stood in
such n proud conspicuousness thirty
years ago. The American carrying trade
was dead for the want OF protection. 1t
was the only great American industry OF
which the same could be said. The peo.
pie of the United States had pnid iifty
millions q year to keep alive the sugar.
growing industry of the United States,
Six mi,iions n year won.d revive the
dead body Of tho American merchant
marine and keep II ON the ocean.
Mr. Vest addressed the senate In op-
position to the subsidy bills. The
foreign carrying power was languishing,
and was almost dead, but so was the
cattle trade. and yet, II he were 10 pro-
pose subsidy for cattle trade, the prop
osition would be attacked as the most
monstrous one ever heard. He went on
TO speak OF the Pan-American congress
as n ''chestnut' and n "back number
IL was half made up whom Mr.. Harri.
rison's administration came into oxist
ence, and the restless ana AMBITIOUS
spirit of the secretary OF state seized
upon II, and concluded Go parade It be.
fore the country rs n great aud phe-
nomenal diplomatic victory. The lead
ers OF the republican party had al
ways advocated the necessity OF doing
away with foreign comrnerce, but sud
den and marvellous change had come.
The senator from Maine wanted to give
subsidies TO vessels In the foreign trade,
so as to bring about an increased trade,
not only with the South American
states, but also with all European coun-
tries and tho world at large. The idea
Mr. Vest said. of subsidizing any par.
ticular line was to discourage all the
Mr.. Vest yielded the tioor without con.
cluding his speech, aud Mr.. Frye said
that he hoped TO have the senate act to-
morrow on both bills. as he intended TO
call up the river and harbor bill Monday.
After an executive session the senate
.htaurped