The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-05-18
CONGRESS.
THE SENATE.

Registering Foreign Built Ships - In
of the Navy Discussed.
WASHINGTON. May 17.-In the Senate
this morning Chandler introduced bill to
authorize the registration of certain steam
ships as vessels Of the United States. Re-
ferred to Committee ON Commerce.
The preamble recites that Austin Corbin
of New York and an association propose to
organize company to be known as the
American Steamship Company, with a cap
ita of at least $40, 00O, GEO. for the purpose of
constructing and purchasing first-class pas
senger steamers to run between the city of
New York and ports OF Great Britain, and
provides that all vessels owned by said COM
pany OF not less than 1000 tcns capable OF
speed of not less than 10 knots an hour, ac-
quired by purchase or otherwise after the
passage of this act, shall be entitled to re-
ceiye American regi sterS in accordance with
the conditions of the act OF May 10, 1892,
provided, the company shall show to the
satisfaction Of tho Secretary Of the Treasury
that it has built or contracted TO have built.
in an American shipyard vessel of equal
or greater tonnage with such foreign-built
ship; also provided that no register shall be
issued 10 fOrelgn-butlt ship until the COM
pany shall have acquired, or applied for the
registry Of, at least two such f0regn-bullt
ships, with the specified capacity and speed.
taken up, the pending ques ton being the
provision for an increased navy.
Mcpherson, who, Friday last, offered an
amendment to strike out the House provi-
sion for an armOred cruiser and the Senate
provision fer Il battleship aud provide for
three instead of one harbor-defeBse double
turret ship of the monitor type. modified
his amendment, leaving the nrmber Of mon
itors at one.
Higgins of Delaware favored an increase
of the navy even il it involved an increase
of the national debt.
Villas OF Wisconsin said the amount OF
the annual appropriation now imposed on
the country might not improperly be de-
scribed as appalling, and he did not think
the Senate should go further toward increas-
ing the navy under present circumstances
than the House bill provides.
Vest of Missouri said he would vote
against the proposed increase in every shape
and form.
Allison OF Iowa, chairman OF the Appro-
priatons Committee, asked the Democratic
Senators to indicate what statute they
would like to repeal in order to reduce the
appropriations now necessary.
Vest replied that he would repeal the
sugar bounty law and the postal subsidy
bill.
Allison calculated the amount this saved
at about S8.000,000, and said the country
was asked TO elect Democratic President
and the postal subsidy laws might be re-
pealed.
Vest replied that this would just be a
starter.
Allison referred to the condition of the
public treasury and. among other things,
said to the Senators who were distressed
about the sinking fund, that at this time it
has S34. 100000 to its credit. and the chances
are that before the end of the present fiscal
year every dollar that ought to be applied
TO il for the year, or within few millions
at least, will be applied to IT, When the
fiscal year ends we will have Instead of
bankruptcy So, ,000, 900 surplus, and proba-
bly, $50, 600, 000 That is the latest estimate,
aud have no doubt we will keep within it..
] will venture my statement on the
SIS, COO, 600 and say that every requirement
OF the treasury will have been satisfied and
that there will be S25, G00.000 surplus on the
| 1st of July next.
Mills of Texas said the reports of the Sec
lvretary of the Treasury did not coincide with
| Alisnn's statement as to the surplus.
! Hawley of Connecticut said that none OF