A GIGANTIC SUBSIDY BILL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1163, 20 April 1872, Page 3

A GIGANTIC SUBSIDY BILL.

t ; # Washington, Feb. 8. The bill authorisingan increase of mail senice between San Francisco and China is tinder consideration, It is fair to expect that the increased service now reconv mended and proposed will be followed by ■ .< «i t i> r. *

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still further developments . and augmeritation of, trade on;tbecqas.t : of China tnd Japan, and by the oarly establishmeni of first-clasa American steamship lines to Bombay, Calcutta, Java, and Manilla, as well as to other quarters, thereby diverg; ing much of the trade that seeks other i nd foreign channels, while developing, as >x* isting lines have ' done; new sourcea) op Business and Wealth. The committee thinks the passage of the . bill highly mportant as necessary to maintain and cbntrol the commerce which the preaent 1 ;ne of steamships has opened, aild as con lucive to the interests of the gredt raih ay toward the completion of which Cong] ess has contributed, ,and in which the (Jove :n---ment has so large an interest. ■ ' Washington, Feb. 9. A bill was" reported byGdle; fromr the Committee on Post .Offices' and Railroads, for increase of mail service between Sarij Francisco, China, and Japan. It ampowersthe Postmaster-General to contract with the Pacific Mail Steamship Company for carrying a semi-monthly mail on the present established route, and the,-fata of compensation not to exceed the rate now paid for monthly service, and, upon the same condition and limitations as fixed by existing Acts of Congress in reference thereto and the contract made in pursue ance thereof. Provided that all steamships' hereafter accepted for said service Bhall not be less than 4000 tons register each. ' 'February 28.' The House Committee on Commerce - have agreed to Representative Sheilaberger's bill, with amendments. ': This bill was founded on the bill heretofore recommended to the Committee by the Secre- . tary of the Treasury, and approved by. the Secretary of the Navy. In its amended form the Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary «,f War,. Postmaster-General, and Secretary of the Interior-are to constitute a Board of .Cqmmissioners, They are authorised to contract for a line from New York to England and the continent of Europe ; another from some other point on the Atlantic Coast to Mexico ; a line from *San Francisco to Australia, and another to the East India Islands ; and one from New Orleans to Mexican p^rts, and to pay 10 dollars per ton per annum for five years to an extent not: exceeding 500,000 tons ; 100,000 the . first year, 50,000 of which is, to be distributed to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, 25,000 to the Pacific and 25,000 to the Mississippi, Ohio Rivers and Great Lakes for iron ships of American construction ; 8 dollars per ton for ships over 400 tons burden, and 6 dollars per ton for wooden ships over 200 tons burden. The bill authorises the Commissioners to allow the same tonnage bounty to lines already subsidised, which include the lines from New York to Brazil and from San Francisco to ' China. The bill also includes a line from New Orleans to Brazil as introduced by. Representative Shehion. Lynch affixed an amendment, providing that imported materials used for the construction of ships shall be free from duty, or where American material is used' an amount equal to the duty shall be allowed. The Committee will be called '

next month, when the bill will be reported. For five years the cost of the Government will be 25,000,000 dollars, provided iron ships shall be constructed to the amount of 500,000 tons. The allowance to wooden vessels would be additional. -