The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-02-26
THE TARIFF.
The Present Indications Regarding
the Senate Bill.
SOME SERIOUS ERRORS FOUND In
THE BILL.

| WASHINGTON, Feb. 24-In the House one
| step was taken today in the direction of carry
ing cut the high protective tariff programme
already indicated. Having become reasonable
assured that even Sif a rule PERMITTING lis
not defeated. no effort will be made to conour
IN the Senate amendment at once the House
committee on rules today reported an amend
menu 10 tne rules. The rule, in effect, author
res majority OF the Bouse to suspend the
rules In order to take the bill from the Sneak
| er's table, to declare disagreement with the
| Senate amendments and to ask for commit-
| tee OF conference of five members on the part
| of the House.
Ii the motion to suspend the rules for the
purpose does not prevail, the bill will remain
| upon the Speakers table unaffected bv the de-
clsion OF the House on the question. The real
effect and purpose of thearulei are to prevent
direct action of the House on the question Of
concurrence. If the bill is sent to conference
committee, and is SO amended as to satisfy the
protectionistS, it will be allowed bv them to
pass; otherwise every effort will be made to de-
feat IL when reported back TO the House. One
eastern protectIonist said today If he could get
enough followers he would filibuster to the end
OF the session before he would allow either the
bill as it is now or any other bill unsatisfactory
to him or the interests he represented, to be-
come law; in fact, the few high protective
tariff men In the House are determined TO con-
uroi rfrv vurIrU Iuarrers anu rn6y nave ft In their
power 10 do So
The rule reported to the House today is not
members
and free traders, Its adoption next Monday
will be resisted by the latter. There is con-
siderable doubt whether any Democratic mem
Der Will vote for it, and the opposition it is de-
clared, will be carried to the extent of filibus-
terlDg against the motion. If the Democrats
are solid in factious opposition, it is doubtful
whether the amendment can be adopted.
This, however, should not be seriously regret
ted by protectionists who are really indifferent
about the passage of the pending bill
There is one thing in favor n tho adontio,,
OF the amendment and of sending the bill TO
committee OF conference and that is the effect
OF the clerical errors iu the bill is really in the
intsres of protectionists and this fact is held
over the heads OF low tariff men andlfree traders
as a sort of scarecrow to scare them away from
their purpose to vote for concurrence when the
bill is taken up. The effect of|the omission of a
comma in one place would raise the rate on
steel rails to $50 per ton, and on other manu-
factures OF iron and steel in similar propor-
ton. Another error raised the rate on wool:
another appears in amendment in relation
to card clothing in the schedule of sundres
The clause was as followos: "CardIclothing %
cents per square foot.H Mr.. Adrich Dronosed
to add these words, swhen manufactured from
tempered steel wire, 45 cents per square foot.''
The proposed amendment was rejected by
vote of % to 30. It appears, however, in the
bill transmitted to the House as having passed
the Senate, and in printed copies of the same.
The failure to adopt the amendment of the
committee on rules will be equivalent to de-
feating the bill. as it will probably remain on
on the speakers table until Congress closes.
An effort will be made to take it up under
suspension OF the rules, on motion by some
member, during the last six days of the session,
but the success of this undertaking will depend
npon the recognition of the speaker and the
ability to command two-thirds majority of
the House. and nei ther of these contingencies
likely to be realized. Mr.. Kelley will, howev-
er, undertake to suspend the rules and pass
his internal revenue bill, with tariff section
providing for reduction of the duty on sugar
and steel rails. A canvass of the House indi-
Gates that there is some prospects of securing
two-thirds majority on this proposition
Should the bill be sent to a committee of
conference, the committee on the part of the
House will be SO constituted as to insure either
the defeat of the bill or a raising OF the rates
oa iron, steel and wool, SO as to make the meas
ure more acceptable to members representing
these interests than it is now. The House con-
ferees NAV be composed of Messrs Kelley,
Kasson, Mckinley, Randall and Carlirle. This
would be making concession to tariff reformers
and free traders and at the same time, with
Messrs. Morrill,, Sherman and Allison as SEN
ate conferees, would make the protsctionists,
who are specially anxious to have the bill
amended, feel reasonably secure. Everything
indicates that the protectionists are TO be am
ply projected.