The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1891-03-16
OUR SAN FRANCISCO LETTER.
Per O. S. 8. Alameda, San Francisco,
March Z, 1891.


trifugal 96 deg. 5 l1-l6, granulated
8 $40.
The local sugar market is quiet and
without feature with the exception Of an
advance of one-half cent per pound for
white sugar, which now rules at 61a
cents.
Hawaiian is still arriving at lively
rate and finds its way to the consumer
as fast as it can be put through the re-
finery.
Just before the close of the session of
Congress, bill was passed which per-
mits refners of sorghum sugar to with
draw spirits free of the internal revenue
tax for use in refining and to redistill the
same under proper Government regula-
tons. This will be great benefit to
the sorghum sugar men.
The Shipping Bills.
The Lower House of Congress gave
the shipping bills, tonnage, ETC., passed
by the Senate, about as cold a reception
as was accorded the Pacific Gable Bill,
and on the wind-up of business they
were all defeated, with the exception of
a compromise measure known as the
Marine Postal Subsidy Bill. It. was
made part of the Postoffice Appropria-
ton Bill, and appropriates 81 $50, 900 for
the transportation of foreign mails in
American vessels.
The defeat of these important meas
ures was foreshadowed in our last adj
vices and was largely due to the stub
bornness of Congressman Clunie and
Geary, the Democratic members from
California, who persistently opposed the
measures, despite the urgent requests of
the leading merchants OF this city and
the Democratic State Central Committee.
Had these gentlemen not been possessed
Of the idea that the measures we're I'M
democratic, the tonnage bills, granting
bounties to both steam and sailing YES
sells, would undoubtedly have been
passed.
When the Republicans saw that the
!; / Eere doomed to defeat, they sue
), 're / in having them re-committed for
tho purpose of arranging a bill more
satisfactory to the Democrats. This
they succeeded in doing, and the result
was the Marine Postal Subsidy Bill, the
provisions of which are as follows:
The er-General is authorized
to contract, after due advertisement, with
the lowest responsible bidders for terms
not less than five nor more than
ten years, with American citizens, for
carrying mails on American steamships
between points of the United States and
such foreign ports, excluding Canada, as
in his Judgment will best promote the
postal and commercial interests of the
United States
The compensation to be paid for mail
service is as follows: First class 81 pei
mile; second class 50 per mile by short
est practicable route for each outward
voyage; third class 81 per mile; fourth
class two-thirds of dollar p mile fol-
the number of miles required by the
Post Office Department to be travelled or
each outward voyage.
The Postal Subsidy bill as above briefly
outlined was signed by the Presiden
and is now law. While it is far from
being what was desired and expected
from Congress. it is step in the RICH
direction, and far better than nothing
1t will give the Australian, Hawaiian
and Asiatic steamship lines chance TO
their lines in the fight against the sub
sidized Canadian trans-Pacific steam
ship lines, and will probably result il
the improvement of the Panama service
semi-monthly service to Australia, thu
extension of the Pacific Mail Company
lines down the west coast Of Soutl
America and the establishment of steam
connection with Tahiti and other isolate,
Pacific ports.
The Pacific Gable Measure De
/ II feafed.
Since last advices to the ADVERTISER
Congress has had more or less of
struggle with the Pacific Cable bill, an,
at one time just before the session
reached its closing hours there wer
bright prospects for the success of th
measure. The bill went through tn
Senate al! right as an amendment to tn
, Diplomatic and Consular Service bill, blu
the Democrats in the House fought tn
cable amendment holly from first to last
and finally refused to accept it. A cor
ference was ordered with the Senate, an
as result the latter body was notifie
that the House would not accept tn
amendment. This action took place i
the last hours of the session and as
, threatened to defeat the passage of tn
Diplomatic bill in this Congress, til
Senate was forced to recede from il
amendment and the bill was hnall
passed with the cable clause stricke
out. As Congress was on the point {
adjourning, it was impossible to preser
, the cable measure as separate bill an
!, it was defeated. 1t is generally believe
by the friends OF the bill that it woul
have Jared much better If it had bee
brought up on its own merits as some
| it's strongest opponents strenuously ol
l jected to its being tackled ON to th
Diplomatic and Consular Bill. TIL
principal cause of its failure, howeve
was the Democratic doctrine which il
: Weighs agaias: all forms OF subsidy. TIL
> being the case the prospect for th
measure in the next Congress will /
D very poor as that body, particularly
: the House, will be overwhelming
i Democratic.
t Great disappointment is expressed
commercial circles in this city over tt
G defeat of the Cable Bill, as it was r
q garded as of vast importance to Sa
= Francisco commercially and to the n
u tion politically.
To show the attitude Of the Hou,
u regarding the measure it is only nece
+ sary to state that upon the motion
o refuse to accept the Senate's cab
r amendment to the Diplomatic BIZ
there were POP ayes and no dissentil
% vote.
% In connection with the cable questit
u it will be interesting to know that di
patch IRON New York intimates that Il
g failure OF the bill to pass was largely d.
l. to the Vaccinations of one Celso C@s
n Moreno This individual made hims,
). very conspicuous in Washington duril
"a the latter part of the session and oppos,
% the Cable Bill on the ground that Il
" cable would be laid without any fna
=, =, cial assistance from the Government.