National Republican., 1883-02-28

sion. III WIS n uTefty uNNt huu HFtiNdDlt
violation of the rules OF the house doctored,
as they had been doctored
The speaker said that he was satisfied that
the substitute would not he In order if 10
undertook to do anything more than TO pro-
vide for disagreement with the senate on
the subject of the constitutional rights Of the
two houses. But this was not done, and the
chair overruled the point of order.
Mr. Knott opposed Mr.. Hammouds resolu-
tion. All the constitutional difficulties which
had existed on this question grew ont Of the
fact that gentlemen had not been satisfied
with the plain, written provisions of the con-
stituton, but had insisted on looking beyond
them to British parliamentary practices,
which had no more force than the dccrccs of
the Medes and pcrsians or the dictates of the
| tycoon of Japan. While the proposition TO
raise revenue must originate in the house,
after il had originated aud had been sent TO
the senate, that body had the unwrtten, un-
qualified, and absolute right TO adopt any
amendment which its Judgment might suggest
as proper
| Mr.. Hammond antagonizcd the propositions
| of constitutional law rs laid down by Mr.
! Knott and then passed on to % criticism of
| Mr.. Hnskclla substitute, which gave to n con-
| fetcnco committee the right to determine n
constitutional question. The right of the
lower house to originate revenue legislation,
which for five centuries had never been sur
! rendered where there was Anglo-Sax0n lcgis-
lation, was 60 be settled by conference COM
mittee under the pressure of party necessity.
| The country would understand that the ma
jOrity was running over rules, that IL was
surrendcring the privileges Of the people,
| that IL was marching through the constitu-
| tion in order to take care Of the mOnop0lists.
| Mr.. Morrison contcnded that the house
! having originated II revenue bill and sent IL
TO the senate, IL was within the power of tho
senate to amend 1t rs il saw fit.
| MIR. Robson made constitutional argu-
meut against the right of the senate TO origi-
nate revenue legislation whether under the
/ guiso of amending u house bill or not. This
was II question of interest to busncss-a
question on which the future character of the
government was TO stand or fall. 1t would
be said that the business interests to-day
pressed for Il decision, and that anybody who
asked that the house should pause TO consider
its rights was interfering with the peoples
| interests. But the history of government
showed this fact-that the constitutional
rights of the people, when surrendered, had
always been surrendered under pressure of
/ what was deemed to be au imperative busi-
ness necessity. The right of the house TO
| originate revenue bills included the right TO
select the objects on which revenue should be
raised.
Mr. Blackburn was thoroughly convinced
that the senate had invaded the constitutional
prerogatives of the house under cover of
substitute. He could not see what good was
| 10 come from clothing conference committee
| with the power to inquire into substantial
invasion of constitutional prcrogatives, after
the house had considered the bill and it had
passed from its control He hazarded nothing
| in the assertion that though the record did
not show IT, everybody knew that this tariff
| revision was destined to die, and that il was
| dying now in the house of its sell.asserted
| friends, who did not intend that either the
senate bill or the conference bill should be en-
acted into law.
Mr.. Reed, Does the gentleman mean to assert
that he Is a friend Of the bill2
| Mr. Blackburn. He means to assert that he
would accept the senate bill in preference to any
thing that is likely 10 come from Il committee of
conference, and he would vote to concur in the
senate amendments II 1t was the only means to
| save us from tic result Of a star chamber nuuis.
iOu, Ike this which 1t Is proposed to inaugarate
| We stand here clamoring aud demanding for the
poor privilege Otvoting TO concur or non-concur
conference comm tee that Is not TO be handicapped
and loaded down with extraordinary duties so
as insure the utter worthlessness of any work we
may look for
Mr.. McLane submitted an argument in
support of the right of the senate TO amend
revenue bills, and contended that in the
present case it had not transccnded that right.
Mr.. Springer said that the power of the
senate TO amend n house revenue bill was
limited TO the subject matter of the bill. If
/
repeal the duty on quinine the senate could
not, without violation of the constitutional
prerogatives of the house, amend the bill by
imposing duties on metals as in the metal
schedule now in force. The senate amend
ments must be germane to the subject matter
of the bill, and an amendment revising duties
on chemicals, metals, cotton woolcn, and silk
goods, &C., would moi be germane to II bill re-
pealing internal taxes on matches, bank
checks and patent medicines. The senate
bill in its proposed amendments was in viola
tion of the prerogatives of the house of rep
rescntatives
Mr.. Butterworth said that it had been
whispered around that members from Ohio
and from certain other states favored the
constitutional question of privilege because
they were anxious ultimately to defeat the
senate bill. If it was intended to say that
members from Ohio opposed n revision of the
tariff, he challenged the correctness of the as
sertion, If it was intended simply to say
that they would prefer no revision to such q
revision as would leave no tlocks on the hills
of Ohio and would ruin Ohio industries, it
was true.
After further discussion the question re-
Cured on
MR.. HAsKELL's SUBSTITUTE.
Mr.. Hammond demanded q separate vote
on tho preamble and the resolution. The
resolution was first agreed to-yeas 142,
nays, 120.
1t is in the following language:
Resolved, that IL this bill shall he referred to q
committee OF conference, II shall be the duty OF
the conference on the part Of the house on said
committee, to consider fully the constitutional
objections 10 said bill as amended by the senate
and herein referred TO, and 10 bring the same, to-
gether with the opinion of the house In respect
If necessary, i'll their opinion, alter having con-
fcrrcd with the senate conierees said conferees
said committee may make report To the house IN
regard to said bill herein referred to.
The preamble was also adopted-117 to 49,
THE MATTER DISPOSED OF.
Mr.. Hammond's resolution, as amended by
the adoption of Mr. Haskells substitute, was
agreed to-yeas 139, nays l22.
Mr.. Kelley Immediately moved to suspend
the rules, take from the speakers table the
/ internal revenue bill, with senate amend,
ments, non-concurs in these amendments
and appointed conference committee TO con.
] sist OF five members on the part of the house
, Agreed to-yeas 14S, nays ITO.
This was party vote except that Messrs
Converse, Curtin, Ermentrout, Hardenbergh
, Klotz, Ladd, Morse, Mutchler Phelps, viii
son, and Wise, of Pennsylvania, voted with
, the republicans in the affirmative, and
Messrs. Brumm, Burrows, of Missouri, Camp
bell and UpdegraR with the democrats il
the negative.
{ Mr.. CallSins called up the Mississippi con
tested election case of Buchanan VS.. Man
0 ming.
Mr.. Page, in the interest of
THE RIVER AND HARBoR BILL,
raised the question of consideration.
N