The Portland daily press., 1883-02-24
THE SENATE TARIFF BILL.
Strenuous Opposition to it in the
House
ITS PASSAGE UNLIKELY EXCEPT By
SUSPENSION OF THE RULES.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-The Senate tariff
bill will not be passed by the House unless it
can be passed by two thirds vote under sue
pension OF the rules. That is all that the heat
ed, dislointed and rfuitless Republican caucus
last night demonstrated Nothing is now
clearer than that the extreme protectionsts
and the extreme free-traders are allies in their
opposition to this bill. If the bill becomes a
law ltw will only be enacted by division OF par
ties, what may be called the more CONSERVATIVE
hepnol'cans on tariff questions. and the mass
ofEDemocrats outside of New Jersey, Obiosand
Pennsylvania, joining to oppose it. Whether
a two-thirds vote can be secured by such, q
combination remains to be seen. 1t Is also to
be settled whether any one will have the cours
age or the disposition TO make the motion to
concur.The rules of the House make it possible
to pass any bill under suspension of the rules
by two-thirds vote. with thirty minutes for
debate, fifteen on each side, on the last six
days of the session. That period will begin on
Tuesday next, but to pass a bill one must Of
course be recognized, and recognition is not
right but favor. The man nominally is rec
ognized who is first caught by the Speakers
eye, but the Speakers eye is capable OF very
success fu partisan regulation, and Mr. Speaker
kiefer is strongly opposed to the Senate bill. No
other means OF reaching the bill seems possible
except by change OF the rules, and whatever
technical statements may have been given out
as to the decision of the caucus last night de-
c'sion not only was not reached to change the
rule. but the conclusion was that the rule
should not be changed. and the fact that
Speaker Keifer, Mr.. Reed and Mr. Robesou
whoiconstitute the Republican members OF the
committee on rules, are all opposed to tha
change contemplated by Kasson ID CONCLUSIVE
that the rule will not be tile Committee. also,
Blackburn and Randall, are opposed to the
Kasson change, so that there is no way OF fore
ing the rule out of the committee before the
House. The conclusion seems clear therefore,
al at q la nv
cept by tw'-thirds vote on motion for con-
currence, which molten may be made at any
time between Tuesday morning next an
March 4. Whether such motion can prevail
is merely speculative. The result may depend
somewhat upon the manifestations Of popular
sentiment throughout the country with respect
to the bill. If the votes can be had and a per
son can secure recognition to make the motion,
the bill can at any time be passed within an
hour. There would then come the question
whether it would be approved. There are
those who say that the bill is so crude imper-
feet a, inconsequential that it would not Sc
cure the Presidents approval. That however,
is an element which has never been seriously
considered. 1t is certain that nothing the iron
and steel and raw wool interests can do to pre-
vent th passage of the bill will be left undone.
What the Action of the House Caucus
Was.
At the caucus of the Republican members of
the House yesterday afternoon it was generally
understood that opposition would be made TO
the passage of the Senate tariff bill until it
had first undergone the scrutiny of confer
ence committee, and it was directed that rule
be reported to the House whereby a majority
can take up any bill on the Speakers table out
of its course in order to refer it to conference
committee.
Mr.. Kelley and the Ohio congressman
pleaded SO earnestly for the iron and wool in
terests, which they said would be crippled by
the schedules in the Senate bill, that when the
only three were in the negative-Messrs An
derson, Strait and Dunnell The.two former
then rose and declared that inasmuch as it was
to be made parry measure they should stand
with the rest of the Republicans in opposing
the Senate bill unSil after it had passed the
scrutiny of a conference committee.