New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-18
TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE.l
w.su1NGTON Feb. 17.-Ths was a rather ex-
citing day in the House. so far as tariff discussions
md prospects were concerned, although nothing OF
a positive nature was accomplished. In the meet
ing of the Ways and Means Committee this morn
ing the precautionary measure to save the lnterna
Revenue bill foreshadowed in The TRIBUNE OF TO-
day, was initiated by the adoption OF MAJOR
McKuley's proposition to move to suspend the rules
on Monday and even an internal revenue Dill
containing the same provisions as are emooucu III
the bill now before The Senate.
Mr.. Carlisle who voted against the proposition ID
committee. and Mr.. Randall, who, 1t is saiu'
.'dodged,~ both expressed the opinion tha' 'ni,
meant the virtual abandonment of the ways anu
Means Tariff bill and an admission that there VIII
be no tariff legislation by this Congress-an opiihoh
which. rs subsequent events showed, was shared
by at least one Republican nienioo
of the committee-Mr Dunnell. Exaggerated re-
norris of the committees action and its signlfcance
Mt once spread among Representatives ana were
the subject of excited comment.
The Tariff bill was taken up In the House, as
usual. and debate proceeded for some time without
anv resnlt When Mr. Dunnel obtained the floor
he went ON TO criticise the BILL and to declare that
IL was n waste of time to consider 1t further,
when everybody knew il could never be passed,
and that there was no intention of pressing 1t 10
vote: that the action of the Ways and Means Com
mittee this morning was a virtual Abandonment Oh
the bill and presaged the defeat of all tarH egsia-
ton. Mr.. Dunnelps speech was not received with
favor by his party assocates-eSpeclaliy by MS
Republican colleagues of the Ways and Means Com
mittee, in whose behalf Mr.. Kasson replied
He intmated that Mr. Dunnen had
exhibited his eanestness and sincerity
in regard to tariff legislation by stay
ing away from Washington while the bill was in
course of preparation and until after its discussion
was begun by the House, and he had no right to
say that the friends of the measure desired or IN
tended to abandon it. Warming up as he pro-
ceeded, Mr. Kasson declared-what is VIGOROUSLY
true-that the Democrats have from the very hrst
done everything they could to impede the progress
and insure the defeat of the bill. Il say to them
that we are much in earnest in this matter that
we are ready to close debate on the whole Sec
tion and have yotev This and other like decara-
tions created great excitement and confusion among
the Democrats half of whom were upon their feet
when Colonel Morrison dashed into the main AISLE
shaking his clenched fist toward Mr.. kasson ana
shouting out words of defiance, the exact purport
of which was lost in the din and tumut. Mr. Has
kell was recognized aud went well to the front be-
fore he began to speak. His voice trembled with
excitement as he moved that the committee RISE
The Democrats were taken by surprise, and did not
ceived the report of the chairman of the
Committee of the Whole Mr.. Haskell was
again recognized, and he moved, pending
the motion to go into Committee of the Whole,
that all debate on the impending section and all
amendments thereto be limited TO one hour and on
that motion he demanded the previous question:
The effect of this motion, if adopted, would have
been 10 cut off entirely the nnumerable fve-minute
speeches which, for the last three weeks, have him
dered progress. The pending section" comprised
the entire dutiable list only onehaf of which have
been considered IN detail by the Committee of the
Whole. Of the fourteen schedules into which the
nutiable list is divided, only four have
been thus considered and passed the fifth being still
unfinished. Among the schedules which have not
been changed by the Committee of the Whole are
cotton and cotton goods. wool and woollens, hemp.
lutte, fax goods and silk and silk goods.
OF course Mr.. Haskelps motion received by
the Democrats with an Outburst of indignant re-
monstrance and unspariDgly denounced as
revolutionary attempt to gag the
REPRESENTATIVES. of the people" Mr.. Carlisle
promptly interposed point OF order
against the motion as violation of the rules of the
House and one for which no precedent could be
fonnd IN the entire history of that body. long
debate followed ostensibly he question of ORDER
most of the Republicans who spoke however selz-
ing the opportunity to denounce tne democrats Ior
shift the responsibility upon their opP0nents1an
ATTEMPT which was a dismal failure. MI. Randall
fhoupbt Mr. HaskelPs motion was born OF PASSION
and that the majority ought TO hesitate and calmly
reflect before taking position whlch WouIu GompeI
the minority 10 exhaust every resource ID GeIence
of its rights. MI. Robinson, OF Massach9>elts
ARMED that the motion was not in order and pro-
tested against ii IN terms which drew applause
from the Democrats Judge Kelley underloOk TO
furnish precedent for the motion and read long
extract from The Globe of the XLIld Congress.
Although examination of II showed TO the satls-
faction of Mr. Reed and others that Judge Keileys
precedent does not fit this case at all, It
may be, hOweygr that 9i prg iSsIav T tbs
Speaker in OveTrung the point OF order. Inc
matter was not disposed of to-day and cannot very
well be touched again before next tuesday, Even
if the Speaker should admit the motion and he sus
tanned by the House in so doing, II would probably
he defeated: and il is difficult to see what partlcu
lar good would result from ITS adoption. Ot course
the Democrats would vote sodly against lt,as they
have from the first against every motion designed
TO faciiitate progress with the Tariff bill.
The motion does not deprive them or the nght 10
offer amendments and to have vote upon them
and the bill IS of such nature tnat the number OF
substantial amendments when may DE oAereu Is
for example, might consume all the time between
this and the expiration OF the Congress ny
demanding a vote upon each one OF tne
million amendments which he thre9 tens TO O1er II
MIR Haskels motion is carried. In short. 1T IS SIMPLY
impossible without suspending or altering The rules
of the House TO prevent the democrats from elect
Ing their evident purpOsetO prevent the passage OF
the Ways and Means bill
There appeaTs 10 be some Republican opposition
20 the plan agreed upon by the Ways aud Means
Committee to-day to attempt the passage OF an IN
ternaI revenue bill next Monday
THE REVENUE TARIFF BILL.
..n,..>, pDoposra A Substitute FOR HIS