Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-04-29
AT THE NATIONS CAPITAL
MIR. CJLLOMS INTERSTATE
COMMERCE BILL REPORTED.

The PleurO Pneumonia Commission
to be Given but $50, O,OOO-AIr. Hewitt
Charges Secretary Chandler with an
Errer-Mr. storm Speaks Against the
Tariff Bill.
WASHINGTON, April 2S.-In the Senate
this morning Mr.. Cullom, from the Com
mittee on Railroads, reported the original
bill 10 establish commission TO regulate
Interstate commerce, a synopsis of which
has recently been published. Mr.. Cullom
said that he intended it as a substitute
for several bills relating to the same sub
ject, that have heretofore been intro
duced. The other bills were indefinitely
postponed, and the bill reported was
placed on the calendar.
The blll to establish Bureau of Animal
Industry, the pleuro pneumonia, bill was
taken up as unfinished business, the question
beng ON the motion to recommit the bill to
the Committee on Agriculture. The motion
was lost.
Nr. Coke moved to except the disease
known as 'TeXas feyer' from the diseases in
tended TO be included within the meaning of
the act. so far "a il concerned their transpor-
tation to market. Nobody had ever called on
Congress. he said, to legislate against Texas
fever. Thirty per cent. of the cattle coming
TO Chicago last year had been Texas cattle
and the testimony from the Chicago stock
yards was that there had been no disease
found among them. The amendment was
agreed TO.
After another debate upon the constItu-
tionaity OF the bill, Mr.. Plumb moved to
amend by striking out all reference to the
slaughter of animals. 1t was then agreed
that with this feature stricken from the bill a
much smaller appropriation was required TO
carry 1t INTO effect. Mr.. Plumb accordingly
moved to make the amount $l50,000, which
was agreed to-
On motion of Mr.. Harris an amendment
was agreed to combining the operations of the
bill to cattle from which there was danger of
disease spreading from one state to another.
Mr.. Plumb wanted to secure unanimous
consent that the debate on the bill should
close at ) O'Clock tomorrow and vote be
reached, but this was not agreed to. The
senate adjourned at 6:l0 O'Clock.
IL TIE HOUSE.
In the House this morning. on motion of Mr..
Singleton. of Mississippi, the Senate Joint res
oluton was passed providing for an attend
anee of two hours at the ceremonies of the
unyeiling Of the statue of Chief Justice Mar
shall on Saturday, May 10.
The following bills were introduced and re-
ferred
By Mr.. Curtin, of Pennsylvania-Confe
ring jurisdiction on Federal and State courts
to take testimony in cases pending in the
same on request OF the commissioner of Pen
sions.
By Mr.. Taylor, of Tennessee-For the en-
laigement Of the court house at Jackson, Tenn
on Appropriations, reported the bill to pro-
vide for the celebration of the Worlds In
dustral and Cotton Centennial Exposition
lt was referred to the committee of the whole
Mr.. Hewitt, Of New York, in the course of a
personal explanation rs TO the speech made
by him on Friday last on the naval appropria-
ton bill, reiterated his charge tnat the Secre-
tary OF the Navy had violated the law in not
covering into the Treasury the proceeds of the
sale of condemned vessels. He did not charge
that the Secretary had acted dishonesty, but
hud mt af,r rod
of the act which authorized the sale.
The House then went into committee of the
whole for consideration of business relating
to the District of Columbia and soon lost a
quorum. Without having made any progress
a recess was taken till evening.
EVENING SESSION.
There was a very. small attendance of men,
bers at the evening session Of the House. Mr.
WOlfOrd, of Kentucky, made an earnest ap-
peal IN favor of the tariff bill and pictured
the beneficial results which would follow its
passage. The Morrison bill was founded on
the eternal principle of right, and would be
hailed by future generations as harbinger of
freedom in its pUrest sense.
Mr. storm, of Pennsylvania, said that the
course of the discussion might lead to the be-
lief that there were two parties in tins House,
one maintaining protection for the sake
Of protection, and the other arguing
for tarif for revenue only.
He believed in neither theory. Neither truly
represented the Democratic party, nor was in
accordance with the teachings Of the Demo-
cratic fathers. Ii was absurd to call the Nor
rill tariff, on which the pending bill was
based free trade one 1t was the uncon-
cealed purpose of the Morrison bill that gave
rise to the discussion. It's author and friends
had declared that it was only the first step in
the journey for revenue only, and ultimately
for free trade; that this particular bill was
only an earnest of what was to come; the half
loaf which was better than no bread. 1t was
not what was in the bill, but what was not in
1t which should make the House pause.
It was this menace to the interests of the
peace and prosperity of the country which
had induced him to vote against cOnsidera-
ton of the bill, and would induce him to vote
against It's passage. He favored encouraging
the people to enter on the pursuit of manu-
featuring interests, and cOntended that no
man could be read out of the Democratic
party who held views similar to those eN-
pressed by host Of Democratic statesmen in
the past. The wisest and most popular course
which Congress could pursue was to repeal
all internal revenue taxes. He deprecated
the policy of continually agitating the tariff
question, maintaining that bad tariff with
good tafG with many changes.
lie admitted that there were many inequali-
ties in the tariff, and many rates that were
too high, and general revision at the proper
time was a desideratum, but the bill under
consideration did not remedy single evil. 1t
was an indscrlminate reduction, based on no
sound principle. 1t was merely measure of
agitation for the sake of agitatiOn-agitatiOn
because the majority of the Democratic side
desired agitation. Such folly aud madness on
the eve of Presidential election were in
comprehensive. The bill was a complete
confession Of incompetence or indifference
The incidental protection policy had had
beneficial effect upon all the Industries of the
country, and would Congress, in avarice or
ignorance, commit the folly of killing the
goose that laid the golden egg2
After speeches by Mr.. Lawrence. of Penn
sylvania. in opposition to, and by Mr.. Van
Eaton, of Mississippi, in favor of the bill, the