Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-01-17
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS-.
THE HOUSE TARIFF BILL RE.
PORTED.

Discussing Appropriation BiIIs-The
Revenue Problem in the Senate-The
Hawaiian Treaty = OfficiaI Reports
Upon the Subjeet-AdvantagesO of the
Pacific slope Sugar Interests.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 16.-In the Senate,
Mr.. Logan, from the Committee on Mill
tary Affairs, reported favorably, with
amendments, the bill to authorize the sale
of the Baton Rouge arsenal and grounds.
The Committee on Appropriations re-
ported the post office appropriation bill,
and Mr.. Plumb gave notice that he would
ask its consideration tomorrow imme-
diately after the formal morning business.
At the close Of the morning business the
Senate resumed the consideration of the
bill for the relief of Ben Halliday with its
pending amendment, the agricultural de-
again without action, and the
Senate resumed the consideration of
the tariff bill, the pending question
being the amendment making the duty on
bichrOmate of potash 81 cents per pound
instead of cents as provided in the bill
The amendment was taken as text upon
which the whole question of ad valoTem as
against specific duties was discussed.
Messrs. Sherman and Beck made repre-
sentative speeches upon the two sides
of the question. The duty was left at 3
cents.
The Senate practically concluded the
consideration of the chemical schedule,
and then went into executive session and
adjourned.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, Mr.. Carpenter, of Indiana,
submitted the conference report on the
agricultural appropriation bill, which was
10 10 To in ho
conference, apprOpriates $4,000 more
than as 1t passed the House. The total
amount appropriated is $405,640, being
S2l,64O less than the appropriations for
the current year.
Mr.. KassOn, of Iowa, from the Commit
tee on Foreign Affairs, reported the joint
resolution providing cOnditionally for the
termination of the treaty of the United
States with the Hawaiian Government,
signed June Sd, 1875. Referred to the
House calendar. 1t requests the Presi-
dent TO take such steps as may be needful
to bring about a revision of the treaty to
the end that the clause relative to
the introduction of Hawaiian, muscovadO
brown and unrefined sugars, free of duty,
may be changed as to permit the charac-
ter and grades of such duty, free sugars
to be determined by their percentage of
absolute tineness or classification instead
of the color test under the Dutch stand
ard; not, however, to impair the spirit of
reciprocity.
The Committee on Military Affairs re-
ported back the resolution calling on the
Secretary of War for information as to
what measures have been taken to secure
the arrest and trial of II. W. HOwgate, the
defaulting Captain in the Signal Service.
Adopted.
The tariff bill was reported from the
Committee of Ways and Means and re-
ferred to the committee of the whole.
The Committee on Appropriations re-
ported the naval appropriation bill, and it
was referred to the committee OF the
whole.
Mr.. Robeson gave notice that he would
call it up for consideration on Thursday.
The joint resolution was passed
authorizing the Secretary of War to loan
ten tents to the directors of the cOmpeti-
tive drill to be held at Nashville, Tenn.
The Committee on the Judiciary SUBJ
mitted their report on the matter of the
''cOntir gent" member from Nebraska.
Ordered printed and recommitted.
The report states that ThOs, j. Majors,
the contingent" member, is responsible
for the misinfOrmatiOn, which induced the
committee to make the report of April 1,
1882, in his favor; that he was aided there
in by 5. j. Alexander, Secretary of
State of Nebraska, Pat. O'HaWes,
the contingent member to the Forty
eighth Congress. DIR. p. Schwank and
Geo. H. Roberts, ex-Attorney General of
Nebraska, and that the testimony of W,
II. Davis, of Nebraska, Majors private
Secretary, is false. The report recon-
mends the adoption of a resolution re-
quiring the Clerk of the House to furnish
a printed copy of this report and evidence
to each of the following officers; The Dis
trict Attorney of the District Of Columbia,
tIarV nH Gf1fD
and the Governor Of the State OfNebraska,
that they may take such action as they
may deem suitable to the gravity of the
wrong committed by the persons whose
conduct is i'll this cOllusiOn set forth. The
report eX0nerates Representative Valen-
tine, of Nebraska. from any knowledge or
completely in the fraud.
Adjourned,
THE HAWAIIAN TREATY.
A letter from Secretary Folger to Chair
man Williams, of the House Foreign At
fairs Committee, upon the proposed abrO-
CATION of the Hawaiian treaty, was laid
before the House, along with the report
upon that subject. Accompanying this
letter of the Secretary is a set Of tables,
prepared in the Bureau of Statistics of the
Treasury Department. showing in detail
the importation of merchandise into the
United States from the Hawaiian Islands,
the United States to those islands. Also
tables showing the quantity of sugar and
mOlasses produced i'll the State of Lou
isiana and in the United States. The
value Of our exports to the Hawaiian Is
lands for the fiscal year ended June 30,
1882, was $780, ,7I5, and the value OF our
imports for ''that period was $7,646, ,294.
The Secretary says that had the sugar
imported from those islands into thiscOun-
try for the period mentioned been subject
to duty, that duty, according TO our tariff
laws. would have been $3,405,5O2. If by
the term commercially in your letter,
asking for this information you refer to
the pecuniary interest of the United States
as a government, it is plain that II
has suffered a loss in its revenues to
the amount Of that duty, for think that
it may be reasoned that the c0nsump-
tiOn and importation of sugar would have
been no less had Hawaiian sugar been
imported only on the payment of duty.
The amount of importation above, not
mentioned, has been taken up and con-
sumed chiefly by people on the western
slope OF tie continent, at sale
price. as l ali assured, higher
than that of like quality or grade
of article on the Eastern side. 1t is prob
able then that the demand for cOnsump-
tiOn was one Ofneed, and would have been
made if the duty had been paid and had
the sale price been thereby enhanced, and
that had duty been eXacted, as no
less would Aaye been imported,
there would have been a correspond
ing enhancement Of revenues, There
NAV be another sense of the word
commercially and that is as IL takes in
only the principal trade from the islands
TO the United States, to wit, sugar, and 1t
is in connection with this that there is the
most complaint that has reached this de-
partment, and it is of nature which, If
tie case were, as is generally understood
would be. IA 2 great measure the effect OF
the treaty. 1t is this. The price OF
sugar is greater on the western
side Of the continent than OH the eastern,
though the former IS SO much more readls
ly accessible from the islands, and natu-
rally receives the bulk of the sugar that
is imported from them and receives 1T
without the payment of duties. Yet,
while the prices is greater at the West
than at the East, an Eastern
merchant cannot oGer bis wares to
consumers at the West at as log rate as
his Western rivals. At first sight one ls
apt to say that their ability to import free
Of duty has something to do with this,
for though he at the East may also import
from the islands free of duty, his trans
portation being around the Cape
or over the Isthmiis ~ across
the Continent, costs him more phap
does that of his Western competitor
directly over the waters of the Pacific,
while on that sugar, which he may, per-
haps, impoFt and receive at as low cost
he must pay the duty; ~ that it seems
superficially that by as m4ch or
by nearly as much as is toe