a half-lire per horsepower for engines, nine and a half lire per quintal
for boilers, and eleven lire per quintal for other apparatus, to be used
in war-ships. Navigation bounties were also added to Italian ships as
follows: 0.65 lire per gross ton for every thousand sea miles run beyond
the Suez Canal or the Strait of Gibraltar to or from ports outside of
Europe; the same for ships sailing between one continent with its
adjacent islands and another continent with its adjacent islands,
outside the Mediterranean. Sailing-ships of above fifteen years of age
were ineligible to these bounties; so also were mail-route steamers.[DS]

In 1896, after the expiration of this law, a new law was enacted (July
23) closely modelled upon it. The construction subsidies were the same,
except that war-ships built for foreign countries were debarred from
receiving bounties. The navigation subsidy per gross ton for every
thousand sea miles sailed beyond the Suez Canal and the Strait of
Gibraltar was increased to 0.80 lire, the rate to be diminished by ten
centimes for steamers and fifteen centimes for sailing-ships every three
years. An important addition was the reënactment of the customs rebates
on shipbuilding materials. This law was also to be in force ten
years.[DS]

In 1900 (November 16) a royal decree was issued modifying the law of
1896 in several particulars. No bounty was hereafter to be allowed to
vessels built in Italian yards for foreigners. The customs drawbacks
were abrogated, and in place of them was granted a bounty of five lire
per quintal of metal used in repairs. A bounty of fifty-five lire per
gross ton was offered for iron or steel steamers showing a speed of
above fifteen knots; fifty lire, for steamers speeding twelve to fifteen
knots; forty-five lire, for steamers or sailing-ships with speed below
twelve knots; and thirteen lire per net ton for modern hulls. The