The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-13
PUGET SOUND REVENUE CUTTERS.
Inc Senate Passes an Appropriation
for Two New Steamers

APPROPRIATION
Tor Two New Steamers.
WASHINGTON CRY, Jan. 12.-ISpecial. +
Senators Allen and Squire made gallant
fight for their state TODAY and secured the
passage of bill in the Senate appropriat-
ing $;i25 900 for two revenue cutters to pre-
vent the smuggling ot Chinese and opium
into the Puget sound country. The bill
had been introduced by Senator Mitchell.
but Allen and Squire appeared as strong
advocates of it when it was up for cons;d-
Grafton.
Senator'S Cockrell and Mcpherson. Dem
ocrats, tried to have the bill defeated on a
technicality, claiming that it was possible
that during the present session of congress
the revenue marine service would be
transferred from the treasury to the navy
department. and that different vessels
would be needed for the Pacific coast serv-
Ice than that proposed in this BILL
Senator Allen made two or three short
speeches in reply to those who were trying
to defeat the measure. He stated that at
present the Pacific coast had only two rev.
enue cutters. One of these was in Cali
fornia, and the other was an old hulk
which had been condemned and was of no
particular value, but which was used for
coming In with impunity, and as the cut
ters In the service were too slow the rev.
enue laws were being violated every day.
He said there was no use of the Chinese
exclusion act if the government did not
furnish the treasury department more
means of preventing smuggling.
After Senator Squire had suggested an
amendment increasing the speed of these
rIlft tnra l..
speech, in which he said he was satisfied
with the bill as it was. and if the senator's
were familiar with the situation on the
Pacific coast they would not for a moment
stop this bill. He described the Straits of
Fuca, which, he claimed. gave the SNUG
glers every opportunity with their fast
sailing vessels to cross the twelve-miIe
stretch of water and land Chinese and
opium on American soif. The island of
Vancouver, where was stored a vast guam
tity of opium, was only twelve miles dis
tant from the wooded coast of Washing
ton. paralleling it for distance of
nearly eighty-tive miles, and when
cargoes of opium and Chinese were once
in the woods it was impossible for the rev.
enue officers to capture them. 1t was
necessity that the Coast should have cut
ters capable of running down these snug
CLING crafts in order to protect the interest
of the government.
Senator Squire introduced an amend
ment increasing the speed of the cutters
from fifteen to eighteen knots an hour.
and said that it was necessary because
there were smuggling crafts on Puget
sound and the island of Vancouver
fully capable of making seventeen
knots an hour. He said he
was familiar with the circumstances of
the Puget sound collection district, and it
was true that Chinese and opium were
being smugged in at all times, and the
collector of the Puget sound district could
not prevent that smuggling. The people
of his state and section were tired of the
scandal that was being created, and he
thought it was disgrace to the govern
ment that they were not able to anticipate
the Chinese which were coming in, and
for which the smugglers received $50
head. If we meant anything by tariff
on opium and the Chinese exclusion act,
We should give the treasury department
something that would enable them to deal
with hese smugglers.
After the matter had been discussed for
some time. Senator Squire said he would
withdraw his amendment as it might en-
danger the passage of the bill, Senator
Frye having stated that cutters to make
eighteen knots an hour would cost much
more tn an the appropriation of this bill.