The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-26
SECRECY ON THE TARIFF.
THE REPUBLICAN SENATORS HEM
THEIR MEASURE IN.


A Copy of the Bill and Senator Alli-
sons Report on 1t Sent to Senator
Beck With the Understanding That
He Won't Divulge Them - Some
Inside Pointers.
WASHINGTON, Sept 25.-The finance
committee of the Senate met at 10: 80 o'clock
this morning. There were present Senators
Sherman, Allison, Aldrich, Hiscock, Harris
and Vance, and Senator Jones made his ap-
pearance at IL o'clock. The new tariff bill
was laid before the committee by Senator
Allison, chairman Of the subcommittee,
and a second complete sample copy was
handed at the same time to Senator
Harris. This was at once securely sealed,
addressed to Senator Beck and forwarded
by a trusty deputy sergeant-at-a TO
Fortress Monroe. The committee then
formally began consideration of the bill.
majority of the members were personally
in favor of making it public at once, but it
was decided, in Difference to ancient usage
TO await the action of the full committee.
Each member of the committee reached
for copy of the new bill, and took it away
with him.
BECK WON'T WASTE TIME.
1t is the prevalent opinion based en- what
the democratic members Of the committee
have said TO their republican fellow MEM
bers, that not more than three or four days
will be required by Senator Beck to com
pleIe the minority report, and chat the bill
will be reported to the Senate and made
public next Monday.
Meanwhile the committee continues its
hearings At o'clock to-day it gave audi
ence on the subject of macaroni and vermi-
celli.
The iy,y,ros ion that tho ynaac,,ra ic tho
work Of the republican caucus is entirely
incorrect, its details never having been sub
n1itted to any caucus of republicans, though |
the general plan and expected results have
been matters of discussion from time to
time. The republican senators will be in
no respect debarred from submitting
amendments when the bill comes before the
Senate, and in fact, as all other measures
in their progress through the Senate com
mittees, is still subject to change in com
mittee.
VoLUMINoUs AFFAIR
The bill is voluminous affair, covering
$50 pages of ordinary bill size including, Of
course, the Mills bill, which is struck out,
and entire differentiation bill upon which
the Senate committee spent nearly a year.
The next meeting of the full committee is
called for Thursday morning, when formal
reading of the bill will be continued 1t is
said that its reading in the Senate will
consume about five Eours. The members
of the committee have pledged their honor
not TO make public any of the provisions of
the bill, and only about dozen copies have
been printed. All these but the one sent to
Senator Beck have been returned to the
clerk of the committee and are
locked up in his custody Nothing |
but a few pivotal items, which have |
for some time been public, is known |
of the provisions of the measure. Thirty |
four new items, mainly drugs, chemicals |
and grasses have been added to the free |
list, and more are likely to be added before |
the bill leaves the committee Sugar and |
rice are cut 80 per cent. Salt and lumber |
are practically unchanged. Tobacco and |
alcohol used in the arts are to be untaxed. |
VERY GUARDED.
Special to the Morning Hetrs.
WASHINGTON, Sept 25-The republicans
would not turn over the bill or the report
upon it uureservedly to the democrats or to
the newspapers, as the democrats desired
IL was not like an ordinary report at all.
The clerk of the committee was directed to
read the bill. When he had read through
the internal revenue provision, the demo-
cratic members stopped him with the |
remark that at that rate 1t would
take week to read the bill and the reports.
They asked that they might have printed
copies furnished them. Accordingly the
clerk was directed to furnish them with
printed copies, which they were requested, |
however, to return to the clerk upon leav- |
ing the committee room, most extr aor- |
binary precaution.
MR.. BECK COPY.
There was a general understanding how |
ever, that copy of the bill and the report |
should be sent by the clerk to Senator Beck, |
at Fortress Monroe, tonight, with the ur- |
derstanding that Mr. Beck should not give |
them away. The arrangement for the mi |
nority is that Mr.. Beck, if ne is able, as he |
now seems to be, as the senior democratic |
member, shall direct the preparation |
of the report, the actual work |
upon which is to be done by |
Senator Harris of Tennessee, assisted by |
dr. Vance of North Carolina There will |
he no undue delay in the pre- aration and /
presentation of the minority report The |
democrats demand speedy action There is /
of course nothing at all in the statement |
made by the republicans that they are with |
holding their bill and report from the news |
papers because they want to give the demo- |
Gratis time to prepare their minority report. |
NOT DESIRED BY THE DEMOCRATS
The democrats do not desire this with |
holding at all. The true reason is that the |
republicans are still at loggerheads on their |
report AID that it cannot be presented as |
the voice of the republicans. Senator ALI |
son says they will publish their bill on Mon |
day next, but it will be put fortA as the bill |
of The subcommittee and not the bill of the |
republican side of the Senate so that if adj |
verse criticisms are made upon it the repub- |
hcans can disown or reject the provisions
thus attacked.