The herald., 1898-02-15
IN COMMITTEE
Alaskan Navigation Laws Receive
Needed Attention

| w iSps iiN af'N'''~
committee on merchant marine and fish
cries held a meeting today, going over
the proposed changes in the navigation
laws to remove troublesome problems
arising in Alaskan commerce. AS a re-
suit, the committee later favorably re-
ported to the house the Payne bill, pro-
viding for several amendments to the
navigation laws. The bill is framed to
meet new conditions created by the
gold discoveries on the Yukon river, and
its objects and effects are explained in
comprehensive report made to the
committee by Secretary Gage. 1t
strengthens and makes explicit the laws
declaring our general policy that the
coasting trade Qncludng the trade be-
tween the rest of the United States and
Alaska) shall be reserved exclusively
to American vessels. and covers more
explicitly this situation. Seagoing YES
sells can proceed to st. Michael, near the
mouth of the Yukon. The Yukon is very
shallow, in some places only four feet
deep. Transfer of cargoes and passen-
gers from deep draft seagoing vessels
to river vessels is therefore necessary
at st. Michael. Substantially the same
is true of Stickeen river and Wrangel,
near its mouth.
The essential amendment. as pointed
out by Secretary Gage, is on the question
as to whether American goods consigned
to Alaskan ports from Seattle can be
carried in American vessels to Victoria
a distance of only p miles, and at Vic
| toria be put on British vessels to be car
ried to Dyea, about 400 mites, or to st
Michael, about 1000 miles The treasury
department has ruled that this is vio~
lation of the laws reserving the coast
| ing trade to American vessels The poll
| icy of the United States, Secretary Gage
says, is to confine carrying by water for
the whole voyage" between American
points to American vessels, ana section
| / of the bill is believed to explicitly af-
firm this policy and remove all doubt.
The committee has increased from
| 500 to 5000 the penalty for each instance
of foreign vessels transporting pas
senger between ports or places in the
| United States, either directly or via a
| foreign port.
| CUBAN BELLIG ERENCY
| WASHINGTON, Feb. Ex-senator
| Morgan today reported from the Com
mittee on Foreign Relations the amend
ment to the Diplomatic and Consular
Appropriation bill, offered by Senator
Allen of Nebraska, recognizing the bel
ligerency of Cuba. The report, which
was quite long, states that the Senate
| had already acted on this matter and
was still of the same opinion and would
| be glad to have the house cooperate
in securing a recognition of the bellig-
erency of the insurgents.
! After quoting the amendment the
committee says:
| I'm terms this proposed amendment is
| identical with a joint resolution which
passed the senate on May 20, 1897, was
| sent to the house of representatives and
referred to a standing committee of
that body where it still is pending.
THE senate has nothing to regret or
modify as to the action that was taken
in the adoption of the resolution now
again presented for its action and still
hopefully invites the concurrence of the
house of representatives.
| THE desire of the committee that the
| Joint resolution adopted by the senate
should be adopted by the house of repre-
| sentatives is earnest and unanimous,
| but they do not recommend that any ac-
| ton should be taken in the senate that
will. or can in any way be considered
by that honorable body as an interfer-
ence with their perfect freedom and in
dependence in their deliberations upon
any measure. The committee recon-
mends that the proposed amendment be
| laid on the table"