880 CONGEESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS. 



curing. Is there to be an exhibition of the fishing interests of the 

 world, and is Professor Baird and the Smithsonian Institution to be 

 excluded from that exhibition by the parsimony of the Government 

 that they serve ? 



Mr. Speaker, in behalf of the fishermen of the country, in behalf of 

 the business men who are sending out shoals of fishes to suppl}^ all 

 the waters of our country, who have shown us how to take the 

 plunder of the seas and convert to the services of man the otherwise 

 wasted treasures of the ocean, I am in favor of the passage of this 

 bill, and trust it will receive the support of the House. 



Mr. Blount. Mr. Speaker, the speech of my friend from Massa- 

 chusetts is but an illustration of what I stated a while ago, that when- 

 ever you come to talk of any exposition, or any fact in connection 

 with such matters, instead of confining themselves to the subject gen- 

 tlemen will wander off to the glorification of the American people and 

 the importance of competing with foreign nations on such questions. 

 But my friend from Massachusetts has taken occasion to say that the 

 people of Georgia would probably teach me better ideas in reference 

 to this question. Now I want to say to my friend that the people of 

 Georgia, I think, are quite intelligent, and do not need any spurring 

 from him for the purpose of considering their own industries or the 

 welfare of this country. 



So far as the fishermen of New England are concerned, in whom 

 my friend is interested and in whose behalf he appeals for this fish 

 show, I have simply to say in their behalf that I would rather give 

 them the money to enable them to multiply their fish products than 

 to enable the commission to go to England for the purpose of con- 

 sidering the various products of other countries. That is a matter in 

 which they can have but little interest. It is a matter that does not 

 merit our attention when other questions of vital importance are 

 urging themselves upon us, and I think we had better direct our 

 energies to the multiplying of our own fish product in this way than 

 wasting our time in such expeditions. 



There was appropriated in the last bill $200,000 for fish-culture, 

 double what had been appropriated for some years past; and this has 

 been growing continually, and yet I may be permitted to sa}^ that so 

 important do I regard it for the interests of our own people that I 

 have been always willing and in favor of it, and propose to continue 

 it so far as lies in my power. But that is a different thing from what 

 is proposed in this bill. 



I trust the House will not be misled by any sentiment about Ameri- 

 can industries to sanction this proposition. Allow this thing to be 

 done this year and it will be demanded from year to year, and every 

 time it comes up a stump speech is to be interjected into this report 

 in support of the measure, and the people will be called upon to bear 

 the expense. 



