The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-04-09
INTERVENTION URGED.
Joint Cuban Resolution Before the
Senate.
MR.. TURPIE MERCILESSLY RIDI.
CULES PREVIOUS RESOLUTION.

| R"JS AAO0D4c <SAA <aEOs0 lEOu1 senator
| Lodges Fondness for Certain Kind OF
Confectionery-Matter Finally Laid
Aside-Metric System Bill Referred
| Back to Committee.
| Washington, April 6.-Acting under
the operation Of the previous question
upon the engrossman and third reading
OF the bill to adopt the metric system OF
weight and measures in the United
States the House proceeded Immediately
after the reading of the journal to vote
upon 1T by yeas and nays The result
was announced yeas 119, nays III.
The vote was seen to be exceedingly
close, and some minutes were spent in re-
capitulating the vote and In the changing
| OF votes by the mem bers.
At the last moment Dockery changed
his vote from no to yes thereby changing
| the result. Mr.. Hurley moved to recon-
slider the vote and to lay that motion on
the table, on which another vote by yeas
and nays was ordered.
There was decide change on this call
the motion to reconsider the vote being
recurring then on the motion to consider
| the vote by which the House ordered the
engrossment and thirdHreading of the bill
That was also ordered to be taken by yeas
and nays.
By vote of 141 to 80 1t was agreed to
reconsider the vote by which the House
| ordered the engrossment and third read
ing of the bill to adopt the metric system
of weights and measures.
q. w. Stone Republican of Pennsyl-
yania movad that the bill be reoommit-
ted to the committee on coinage weights
| and measures; agreed to 130 to 3d.
Mr.. Payne Republican of New York
| called up the bill to abolish the compul-
sorry pilotage system otherwise known as
the bill to relieve American ooastwise
| shipping Of unjust discrimination. 1t
was arranged that debate on the bill
should continue throughout today's ses-
| sion and until tomorrow at two O'Clock
when vote shall be taken
Mr.. Payne said the original law relat-
| ing to pilots was passed in 1885, There
| had been no change in t his law as far as
coastwise sailing vessels we're concerned
| though several states had done away with
| this unjust discrimination against sailing
vessels. The estimated pilotage receipts
| from the tonnage of vessels engaged in
|
| states which would be affected by that
| bill were in the year ended June 8, 1895
/, ! o5, Se9 Ii this bill passed many pilots
might be compelled to retire but he
asked WAS 1t the duty of Congress to i'm
| pose tax upon commerce to maintain
certain individuals in idleness; to pay
them for services never rendered.
Mr.. Miner, Republican of Wisconsin
| opposed the bill because he believed that
the board of steamboat inspectors were
not qualified to license sailing vessels
pilots. The passage of the bill was advo-
GATED by Mr.. Simpkins, Republican of
| Massachusetts, who argued that the exis-
tence of the laws In the nine states where
compulsory pilotage system still obtained
was a violation of the constit utional
inhibition Of class legislation.
He said vessel owners had no objection
to paying pilots for services rendered, but
did object to being compelled to pay
| pilots for services not rendered.
MIR. Cummings, Democrat of New
York, opposed the bill 1t was bill, he
said IN favor Of vessel owners against
pilots. The ooastwise trade was in con
troll of New England shipowners, who
paid no tonnage dues, not even clearance
and entrance fees, gratuity of seven OF
eight millions year from this govern
ment. Congress, while enaoting gener-
Gus protection for shipowners, had done
nothing for pilots.
| The report of the oonferees on the agri-
cultural appropriation bill was present
and agreed to. The bill as agreed upon
by the conferees, appropriates So, 302, 792.
less by $78, 100 than the bill carried as 1t
passed the Senate. The House ad.
| journed.