The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-15
TO BAR OUT CANADIANS
PLANS FOR KEEPING ALASKAN COM
MERGE WITH AMERICANS.
Measures Before Congress for Chang
toms Laws-Rich Finds of Gold.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE House
committee on merchant marine and fish
cries held meeting to-day, going over pro-
posed changes in the navigation laws to re-
move troublesome problems arising in
Alaskan commerce AS a result the COM
mittee later favorably reported to the
House the Bayne bill providing for several
amendments to the navigation laws. The
bill is framed to meet new conditions Gre
ated by the gold discoveries on the Yukon
river, and it's objects and effects are ex-
planned in a comprehensive report made to
the committee by Secretary Gage. 1t
strengthens and makes explicit the laws
declaring our general policy that the coast
ing trade including the trade between the
rest of the United States and Alaska, shall
BE- reserved exclusively to American YES
sells, and covers more explicitly this stua-
ticn. Sea-going vessels can proceed to ST.
Michaels, near the mouth of the Yukon.
The Yukon is very shallow-in some places
only four feet deep. Transfer of cargoes
and passengers from deep-draft sea-going
vessels to river vessels drawing little water
is, therefore, necessary at St. Michaers
Subs tantially the same is true of the Sti-
kene river and Wrangel, near its mouth.
The essential amendment, as pointed out
by Secretary Gage, is on the question to
whether American goods consigned to
Alaskan ports from Seattle can be carried
in American vessels to Victoria, a distance
of only seventytwo miles, and at Victoria
be put on British vessels to be carried to
Dyea, about 900 miles, or to st. MichaePs,
about 1900 miles. The Treasury Depart
ment has ruled that this is violation of
the laws reserving the coasting trade to
American ha of "a
States, Secretary Gage says, is to confine
carrying by water for the whole voyage
between American ports to American ves-
sells, and Section l of the bill is believed TO
explicitly affirm this policy and remove all
doubt. The committee has increased from
800 to 5000 the penalty for each instance of
foreign vessel transporting a passenger
between ports or places in the United
States, either directly or via a foreign port.
Senator Hansbrough to-day offered the
pending before the committee on public
lands extending the homestead laws and
providing for railroad rights of way in
Alaska: THAT permission to enter goods
under bond or to place them in bonded
warehouses at the port of Wrangel, in the
district of Alaska, and to withdraw the
same for expectation to any place in British
Columbia or the Northwest Territory shall
not be granted until proclamation by the
President of the United States that no ex-
British Columbia the Northwest Terri
tory goods or passengers arriving from or
destined for other ports in Alaska has been
or will be granted to any person or corpora
tion by the government of the Dominion of
Canada, and, further, that the privilege has
been duly accorded to responsible persons
or corporations. operating transportation
| lines in British Columbia or the Northwest
Territory of making direct connection
with transportation lines in Alaska; and,
| further that the Dominion government has
consented to and is allowing the entry,
free of duty, of all miners outfits and a
supply of provisions and clothing, the whole
not exceeding i'll quantity 25C0 pounds for
each person proposing TO engage in mining
in British Columbia or the Northwest Ter
ritOry; and, further. that fishing vessels of
the United States having authority under
the laws of the United States to touch and
trade at any port or ports, place or places
in the British dominions of North America
shall have the privilege of entering such
port ports. place or places. for the pur-
pose OF purchasing bait and all other sup
plies and outfits in the same manner and
under the same regulations as may exist
therein applicable to trading vessels of the
most favored nations, and of transshipping
| their catch to be transported in bond
through said dominion without payment of
duties in the same manner as other mer-
chandise destined for the United States may
be thus transported"