The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-01-07
WORK OF TIE HOUSE.
The Compulsory Piotage Question
Again Brought Up.

The Compulsory Pilotage Question
Again Brought Up.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6-In the House to-
day MIR. Spooner. from the committee on
military affairs, reported the military
academy appropriation bill. 1t was placed
upon the calendar.
On motion of Mr.. Farquhar Of New
York, a bill was passed to limit and govern
the changing of the names of vessels; also,
a bill requiring vessels to display their
names on both sides OF their bows.
Mr.. Hopkins of Illinois called up bill
exempt American coastwise sailing YES
sells, piloted by licensed masters or by
United States pilots, from the obligation to
pay state pilots for services not rendered.
>. MIR. Cummings of New York raised the
question Of consideration.
The House refused-yeas IA, nays 123-to
consider the bill.
Mr.. Dingley called up the bill repeating
the law authorizing the President to suspend
tonnage dues. After some debate it was
passed.
Mr.. Farquhar of New York moved that
the House go into committee of the whole
for the consideration of the shipping bill
Mr.. Sp niger of Illinois moved as an
amendment that the committee consider the
bill defining options. The motion was re-
jected by vote Of So to 1o1.
Mr.. Farquhar's motion was then agreed
to-yeas III, nays SO.
wHEELER's OPPOSITION.
Mr.. Burrows took the chair, and Mr..
Wheeler of Alabama was accorded the floor
in opposition to the measure, He opposed
it, he said, because it took still more from
the ha d-earned money of the IA mer and
the laborer. He conte ded that every eff
fort heretofore made to build up shipping
Nv n haH oil had
exactly opposite results to what had been
expected.
AN ORGANIZED LOBBY.
Mr.. Herbert of Alabama said that an
organized lobby had been at work for ten
years to press this bill through; and it was
here now because it saw its last opportunity
for years to come. The Republican party
was about to 60 out of power in the House.
Before 1t went, it proposed to leave as
a legacy, as a codicil to the Mckinley bill,
a constantly increasing debt for the next
twenty years. If there were any one thing
that had been said by people in the election
last November, it had been that they were
opposed to subsidies and bounties. If there
was any good reason why the man who
ploughed the sea was any more entitled to a
bounty than the man who ploughed the
land, he had not heard it.
REPUBLICAN CLAPTRAP.
1t was was id that commerce followed
the flag, and by clap-trap maxims of that
kind it was expected to pass this bill. If
| this were true, the American flag disap-
earring, American commerce should also be
falling into "innocuous desuetude." But
what was the fact? In 1860 the United
States did 10 per cent of its foreign carry
ing trade, now it did but 1873 per cent, but
in the meantime the commerce of the coun-
| try had steadily increased so that
| commerce did not follow the flag.
He opposed the bill on the ground that il
would grant subsidies to useless vessels.
Under Its provisions any sort of vessel could
secure a subsidy. Under them the Uni ed
States would never get single vessel
which would be worth a cent 10 the navy.
FARQUHAR GROWS VISIONARY.
| Mr.. Farquhar asserted that, if the bill
passed, within two years the sea would be
covered by vessels carrying the American
flag.
Mr.. Herbert replied that that assertion
was merely q prediction. Why not put q
provision IL the bill that no money would
be paid to any vessel which was not calcu-
lated to do proper work and would be avail
able for use in the navy? If this were do g,
he might vote for the measure. Three
times had the system of subsidies been tried
by the United States, and three times had
| it been abando ed.
| Pending the conclusion Of Mr. Herbert's
remarks the committee rose and the House
adjourned.