The Portland daily press., 1882-01-11
XLVu tn CongreSs-lst Session.
SENATE
Bayard, Beck and Morrill, Discuss the
Tariff.

WASHINGTON, JAM 10.
Petitions were presented for amendment OF
the militia laws
Reports from committees were made by Mr..
Morrill, from the finance, favorable to restore
certain articles OF silver ware TO Mrs. lsaDeiia
S. McCrea; also to fix the term OF otiice OF COL
lectors of Internal Revenue.
Reports OF committees by Mr.. Maxey from
the military affairs, favorable to the bill to
amend article 1903 OF the rules and articles OF
war with written report OF Mr.. Morrill, fr ON
the finance committee, were reported back.
A resolution relative to trade marks was re-
ferred to the committee on patents.
Mr.. Bayard from the finance committee, re-
ported with . recommendation that it pass the
Morrill, tariff commission bill, and also with
an adverse report, the Garland commission
bill. He said he favored the mode OF consti-
tuting the commission prescribed in the former
namely, from among civilians, as tending to
remove the tariff question from the arena OF
sectional and partisan feeling. He argued the
necessity for immediate action to correct the
incongruities and ineficiency of the exist
ing tariff.
He believed manufacturers we're not insen-
sidble to the fact that their own interest requ1r
elk stability and permansncy in Legislation. lie
would now adopt means for relieving them
from any cause Of apprehension from con-
gressonal interference. No poor man had been
heard before Congress pending the agitation OF
the tariff question and he wanted Information
frem the laboring classes as well as from all
others Through the fundamentally OF the
commission this information could be secured.
and Congress enabled to legislate intelligently.
The facts that no action on the tariff has been
taken by the House and the difhculty OF Sc
curing joint action by the two Houses without
means such as that proposed were controlling
reasons in behalf of the proposition. 1t would
| facilitate rather than delay the framing OF
| harmonious plan of tariff and excise taxation.
| He (Bayard believed that men could be found
| who by the right Of their personal character,
by the reasonable Justice Of their deductions
| would furnish Congress with a scheme OF re-
| form taxation, internal or external, compared
| with W hich the present system is but as dark
ness to light. He was willing to try &C expert
ment the first of its kind in our history.
Upon the conclusion of Mr. Bayards re-
| marks, the morning hour having meantime
been extended, the Sherman funding bill came
up but was temporarily laid aside without
| vote.
/, MIR. Beck then took the floor.
| Mr. Beck opposed the bill as cunning the
scheme of the monopolists for delay. He
| wanted immediate action upon the tariff and
| asserted that all the commission would find out
| as the basis of judicions reduction OF taxation
could be presented by a committee, OF the
| Senate and furnished to the WAYS and means
| committee of the House In six weeks. He re-
| garded the terms "free traders" as applied to
| the Democratic party because Of its tariff for
revenue only" panks of 1876 to 1880 as an abb
| surdity; for that party favored the raising OF
| revenue from custom duties. For one he would
range taxes so to aid all industries and particu-
| larly those which were started on the belief
| they would be fostered by Congress. Taking
up the denunciation of the Morrill, tariff IN the
| Democratic platform OF 1876 he asserted each
of Che specific charges therein contained were
| equally true to-day as they were then except
that in the last few years the revenue from the
| tariff had rfsen, not dwindled yearly. This
| however was not because OF but in spite OF
1 <aott and Enr0nA
| and abundant harvests at home and the
| latter being stimulated by land grants to cor
porations and settlers. Protection that gave
| congressional license to wealthy combinations
| to extort from American farmers and laborers
| q large percentage of their earnings was such
| protection as the wolf gave the lambs. Anoth-
| or evidence was our commercial depreciation
| as shown in the loss OF our carrying trade thus
compelling as to pay foreigners $3.50 ono .OoO
year for acting as our carriers,
| brokers and insurance agents in our CONNER
| cial relations, together with the almost
| total disappearance of our $4,000 sailors Of
1860. Mr.. Beck argued that our manufacture
| ers should exert themselves in foreign mar
| ity the recommendation of the Secretary OF
| the Treasury for the withdrawal of silver GER
| tiicates and placing of the currency in the
hands of the banks.
AT the conclusion of Mr.. Beck's speech, Mr..
| Morrill, addressed the Senate at some length
| in advocacy of the bill. He had never sought
to make the tariff party question. The Sem
| ator should have understood that the country
cannot have an export trade until it has home
trade, and can supply an article at lower prices
than that at which it is furnished elsewhere
As to the loss of our carrying trade our vessels
| were swept from the ocean by priyateers fitted
out by the very free trade power which that
| Senator now commends.
| The debate, which had continued by unani-
nous consent, terminated, and the Chair laid
I before tho Senate the unfinished Sherman
funding bill and the Senate adjourned to to-
| morrow.