Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-06-15
CAPITOL TOPICS.


Representative Fowler yesterday reported t.
the House from the committee on the merchant
marine the Geary bill granting an American
register to the steamship China. The bill say,
an accompanying report grants the same priv.
ilege to the ship as has been recently granted
by Congress to tie Inman steamships CITY OF
Paris and City Of New York. The vessel ID
owned by British corporation known as the
China Steamship Company, limited, the whole
Of whose capital stock il owned by the Pacific
Mail Steamship Company, a small percentage
thereof being set apart to qualify certain En-
glishmen to act as directors Of the British
corporation. The vessel has no contractual
relations with the British government
such as the Inman steamers had. During the
recent trouble with Chile the Secretary Of the
Navy had arranged to obtain her from the Pa
cific Mail Steamship Company in the event OF
hostilities, and the committee is assured, the
report says, that the Navy Department will put
itself on record in favor Of the proposed legsla-
ton. If this bill be passed the company will
not only build vessel in an American ship
yard equal in tonnage to the China, as required
by the bill. but the committee is assured by the
company's representatives that it will build two
vessels of at least 5000 tons each. The China
is a vessel of about 5000 tons register.
PROPOSED NEW METHOD OF ELECTINa REPRE-
sENTATIvEs.
Representative johnson (Ohio) has intro
duced bill providing for the election Of Rep
resentatives in Congress by proportional repre-
sentation. 1t provides that candidates for the
House shall be voted for at large in their re-
spective states. ANY body Of electors in a state
may in convention nominate any number Of
candidates. not to exceed the number Of seats
to which the state is entitled in the House, and
cause their names to be printed on the ballots.
Electors shall be entitled on their ballots to one
vote each for rs many persons a. the state ia
entitled to seats and they may cumulate their
votes on less number Of persons as they may
choose. The object Of the bill il to insure rep
sentation in Congress Of numerous minoritiea
in the states.
REVENUE CUTTER BILL REPORTED.
The House naval affairs committee, after lis
tening at length to: he arguments set forth by
the advocates and the opponents of the revenue
cutter transfer bill. decided this morning to re-
port it favOrably in practically the same shape
as the bill now on the Senate calendar
While some features Of the bill we're opposed
by members of the committee it was believed
by them on the whole that the changes pro-
posed would be to the best interest of both
services and result economically.
AIDS TO NAVIGATION.
A proposed amendment to the sundry civil
appropriation bill was today reported to the
Senate from the commerce COMMITTEES. II ap-
proprates s72, 500 for light houses, light ships,
fog signals and range lights on the great lakes.
TO ENFORCE THE CHINESE EXCLUSION ACT.
The sundry civil appropriation bill as il
passed the House appropriated Geo. for the
enforcement of the Chinese exclusion act. Mr.,
FELTON, today in the Senate proposed an amend
ment increasing the amount to $120, 900.
BONDED SPIRITS.
The bill introduced in the House at the be-
ginning Of the session by Mr.. Wilson (Ky.), to
provide for storing distilled spirits other than
fruit brandy in special bonded warehouses, wiz
today introduced in the Senate by Mr. CarIisle