The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-04-17
Tariff and Revenue Before
the House.
The Wisconsin Land Steal Def
nitely Dead.
new CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS,
l. District Court Inv
for Utah.


The Tariff and Revenue In the House,
House Rule ON Committee Reports
The Wisconsin Steal Buried Very Deem.
Mr. Dawes reported the Tariff bill to-day or, as it
is called, bill to reduce duties ON imports and in
ternal taxes, upon which, he said with the permis-
sion of the committee he should Offer some amend
ments to provisions of the bill which did
not meet with his appreciation. He was in
favor or greater reduction, would have
preferred the removal of all internal taxes
except those on tobacco and distilled spirits and
favored much larger free list. Mr.. Kelley, of
Pennsylvania, asked to have minority report
printed representing the views of himself and Mr.
Maynard, of Tennessee. Both these gentlemen are
in favor OF high protective tariff, 80 high as to
amount to prohibition. Mr.. Beatty objected, where
upon several members asked Mr.. Beatty to with
draw his objection. Mr.. Brooks of New York. who
is a member OF the committee, asked for
information as to who composed the minority. He
had supposed himself and another gentleman were
the minority Permission was given to print the
minority report offered by Mr.. Kelley
Mr.. Dawes was somewhat subdued In manner
anu had his remarks written, the first evidence of
weakening which the leader of the House has dis
played. Considerable surprise Is manifested by
members that he reported the bill, and still more
that, reporting It, he should make speech against
1t. Mr.. Kelley and Mr.. Maynard were opposed to
putting the bill into Mr.. Dawes hand to report az
he was avowedly against it, and the opinion is fully
expressed that Mr.. Dawes intention is to kill this
bill and pass only an Internal Revenue bill.
Mr.. Blaine, the Speaker, comes In for his share OF
criticism in the manner of forming the "commt-
tee." His defence Is that he was guided in his Sc
lection of its members somewhat by the expressed
will of the House as 1t had been shown in votes
upon the questions of reducing the tax on certain
articles and placing others on the free list during
last spring; that In choosing chairman for COM
mttee representing three distinct shades Of opinion
In regard to the question of tariff and revenue re-
form was difficult and delicate task and In select
ing Mr.. Dawes he had been governed by what
seemed to him to be In the interests of harmony.
The majority of the committee, who reported the
bill to-day claim that the reductions 1t proposes in
tariff duties are applied with view to secure the
greatest benefit to consumers with the least dis
tnrbance of business and injury to producers II
reduces the duty on leather iron and steel and
copper and their manufactures, and wool, woollens
and cotton goods about $l0000,000, reducing
the average duties on those articles from fifty
and one-quarter per cent ad valorem on the vaua-
ton OF the imports of those articles during the last
fiscal year to ortythree per cent. The reductions
are made upon the highest duties while those less
excessive are slightly reduced or undisturbed. In
cottons, the cheap low grades which ran up to
sixty and seventy per cent are most heav-
lily reduced the more expensive, and upon which
are the heaviest importations, being under
existing law limited to thirty-1ve per cent
adj valorem, are not changed The present
duty upon wooden cloth is compound, being spe-
cc of fifty cents per pound and thirty per cent
I'D valorem. The specific duty was arranged by the
wool manufacturers an equivalent for the tariff
duty on wool, and In the present bill is reduced in
the same proportion as the duty upon wool, making
the reduction in specific duties upon woolens, ex-
cept carpets, about three million dollars.
This being merely compensatory for the
equivalent proportion of the wool duty, was
not considered by the committee as any
real reduction on woolens. On the ad valorem the
rate is five per cent less, that is thirty per cent al
valorem The wool tariff of 1867 gave ten per cent
to the manufacturers as compensation for the six
per cent internal revenue tax, since repealed. The
committee decided to take Off five instead OF the
whole of this compensatory ten per cent. They
claim that the 0000 900 reduction on tariff duties
gives $6o,0OO,O00 OF benefit and real reduction to
consumers the domestic production being nearly
five times the imports
The amount OF the reduction, on the basis Of
last years receipts, is as folows:-
ESTIMATED REDUCTION ON THE BASIS OF oUASTI-