National Republican., 1883-03-05
THE new RULE OF DUTY,
Otherwise the New Tariff Law About Which
There Has Beon So Much Talk.
How it Passed the House on the Last
Day in the Afternoon.
Full BApor Of the Debate on the Report Of the Confer
ence Committee.
The Bill Receives the Presidents Approval
and Becomes Law.

IedulUB VI IbpOIls lDtlolO ~ wac itduf
however, Mr.. Bayne raised the point of order
against its reception. He based his point
upon rule 20, which provides that there shall
accompany every conference detailed state
ment of the effect of tho report. He under
stood that there was no such explicit state
ment accompanying this report.
The speaker inquired whether there was
any such statement.
Mr.. Kelley replied that there was There
was an index of changes proposed by the COM
mittee in every page and line.
The speaker stated that that was not COM
pliance with the rule.
Mr.. Haskell contended that there was such
a statement, when he was interrupted by the
chair with the remark that If there was n pa
per ii should be furnished. 1t could not be
furnished by talk.
Mr.. Haskell said that the conferees state
ment was contained in the index, and was
part and parcel of the conference report
Mr.. Robinson argued that the index formed
q statement as contemplated in the rules.
Mr.. Blackburn took the opposite view, and
in furtherance of his point he asserted that
the index which was claimed to be a state
ment, contained no allusion to the high con-
stitutional question which had been referred
to the house conferees. Would the chairman
of the committee on ways and means tell the
house where IL was to find out what conclu-
sion its conferces had reached on the high
question affecting the prerogatives of the
house.
Mr.. Haskell said that the resolution which
charged the conference committee with the
investigation of constitutional question said
may make u report"
Mr.. Blackburn. thank the gentleman for that
word lie admits that this conference makes no
reply as to the method or manner in which 1t dis.
charged its duties. He answers by way of confess
SION and avoidance, and says that the new rule, If
rulc 1t be, made 1t discretionary with the confer
COmmiLtee TO the question of the
constitutional prerogatives of the house. | want
to know whether that rule was introduced with
view OF answering the purpose to which 1t now
seems TO be prostituted.
The speaker sustained the point Of order
on the ground that the index was not such a
statement as was required by the rules,
whereupon Mr.. Kelley again sent up the in
dex, but attached to it statement to the
effect that the bill provided for an aggregate
reduction of $67,00O,000
Mr.. Carlisle raised tho point that this was
not a sufficient statement.
The speaker overruled the point of order.
Mr.. Kelley had Il statement read for the in
formation Of the house, correcting some typo
graphical errors in the printed bill.
The clerk then, at 12:45, began to read the
report of the conference committee. Owing
to the strain to which the voices of the read
ing clerks had been subjected during the past
few days thoy were quito hoarse, and were
from time to time relieved by Messrs. Specr
of Georgia, Robinson of Massachusetts,
and Miller of Pennsylvania. The latter
proved TO be an exceedingly rapid reader, and
greatly expedited the completion of the long
task. H
The reading was concluded at 2:10 o'clock.
Mr.. Kelley proposed to limit the debate to
two hours. Several democrats laughingly
suggested to "make it short"
Mr. Kelley then suggested an hour and
half, but finally it was arranged that the vote
should be taken at 8 o'clock. He offered to
let the opponents of the report be heard first
but Mr.. Carlisle thought that the usual and
proper course was to have the effect Of the
report stated to the house.
Mr.. Kelley admitted the force of the sug-
gestion and proceeded to open the debate.
The first section of the bill, he said, was the
bill which the house passed last session for
the reduction of internal taxes, with the
amendments made thereto by the senate,
touching tobacco, cigars, and snuff These
reductions would diminish the internal taxes
from thirty-fve to forty millions. He was
unable to make an estimate of the immediate
effect of the changes proposed in the tariff law.
The estimate, however, was that the total re-
ductiOn of revenues under this bill would be
from siXty-five to seventy millions. Many of
the provisions of the bill met his own cordial
approval. There were other provisions of it,
however, which he could not defend here or
elsewhere. He did not approve the action of
the conference committee on quinine. He
ulSappfOVcu also Oh Une ITeuSuTy ruling us 10
tin plate and nickel. But, on the whole, the
BILL was, in his judgment, an Improvement on
the present law.
Mr.. Springer inquired as to the amount of
rebate which would have to be paid on the
first of May on account Of tho taxes already
paid on tobacco.
Mr.. Kelley replied that the conference COM
mittee, having no data on which to draw
trustworthy conclusions on that point, had
not wasted any time upon il.
Mr.. Anderson inquired as to the probable
reduction of revenue on tobacco.
Mr.. Kelley said the estimate was $11 100000
Mr.. Hammond inquired sarcasticaly,
whether the conference committee had
"wasted" any time in considering the in
structions given to it by the house in regard
to the unconstitutionality of the senate's
action.
Mr.. Kelley replied, in the same vein, that
the conference committee had not disregarded
any instructions given to it by the house.
Mr.. Hammond; Why did you not act ON the in
stTuGllOns OF the hOuse2
Mr. Kelley. The conferees acted ON their own
Mr. Hammond. Do you mean to say the conelu.
sions voted by tho house on the twenty seventh of
Mr. Kelley No no The matter is not now be.
fore the house, and II is not fair TO consume the
time TO be allotted TO this side of the house in II
discussion that is not pertinent TO the pending
question.
Mr.. Carlisle proceeded to argue against the
report He believed that the public safety
and the public interest demanded u reduction
Oft tax, and he regretted exceedingly that the
conference committee had not brought before
the house such measure as he could support.
lie had announced more than once his readi-
ness TO vote for an average reduction of 20 per
cent. ON tariff duties, justly and equitably dis
tributed. The proposition now submitted did
not, he believed, make u reduction of more
than ono-half that average. From $4O,-
0OO00O TO S45,000,000 of the whole re-
duCton would come from internal taxes,
leaving only from $200OO,0O0 to S25,-
0000OO to come from tariff duties. Of
which 100000 would come from the single
article of sugar. There were several articles
on which the conference committee recon-
mended duties higher than either the house
or senate had voted. The common earthen-
ware was one of these articles, 1t now paid
40 per cent. ad valorem, and the conference
committee recommended 60 per cent, an
increase OF 80 per cent, or allowing for the
change IN regard to packages clear net in
crease OF 33 per cent. He regretted the gentle
man Mr. Kelley had not seen proper TO state
to the house some reason why this enormous
increase of duties should be made. Another
important change was in the article of iron
ore. The house, after full and elaborate
debate, had fixed the duty on iron ore at 80
cents ton. The senate had fixed il at the
same rate, Tho present rate was 20 per cent.
nd valorem--cquivalent to about 81 cents a
ton. Tho conference committee fixed
the rate at as cents q ton. As to steel rails,
the senate and house had expressed their re-