Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-07-21
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
A FIELD DAY In THE HOUSE.
THE TARIFF BILL PASSED.
FREEDMEN's BANK DEP0GTORs.
A Bill to Pay Them Passes the Senate
The Senate.

The Senate.
THE BILL TO REIMBURSE COLoRED pEPosIrORS OF
THE FREEDMANs BANK PASSED TODAY.
In the Senate to-day Mr.. Sherman called up the
bill TO reimburse the depositOrs Of tue Freedman's
Savings and Trust Co. for losses incurred by the
failure OF that company. 1t directs that the COM
missioner OF the Freeoman's Savings and Trust
Co. rhe Controller OF the Currency and his sue
cessors In office to pay or cause to be paid under
Such regulations as the commissioner, with the
approval OF the Secretary Of the Treasury, shall
1ngs Bank, whose accounts have been properly ver-
HE'D and balanced, or TO their legal representatives
a sum OF money equal to the verified balances due
bank, less the amount OF dividends which have
been or may be declared from the assets OF the
company. For this purpose the sum OF 81 100000
Is appropriated but no part OF it shall be paid to
any assignee OF any depOSltOrS, and the benef1t
and relief provided shall extend only to those de-
poslt0rS In whose favor such balances have been
properly verified, and to their heirs and legal rep
reSentativeS. All claims not presented within
two years shall be forever barred No payment
shall be made under the provisions OF this act to
any person without the Commissioners being first
satisfied that the person receiving the same is the
Children, Or grandchildren. % if there o'0S be
any; If not then to the father or mother,
II ia any; n.y. "a and II not then to the brothers
''The money" the bill concludes, ''heren appro-
priated shall be applied only to the payment Of
the claims Of such persons in whole or IN part OF
African descent, whose accounts have been
laws
Senator Edmunds moved to strike out the words
'fn whole or In part OF African descent"
Mr. Beck opposed this, saying the original act
creating the Freedman's bank restricted the de-
positors to persons OF African descent, but not
withstanding that restriction white men got into
II as depositOrs, and finally wrecked the inStitu-
tion for their own benefit and to the loss OF the
4 I1fyhn hQ Old
was TO reimburse only the cOlored depOSitorS and
TO exclude the whites from any benefit
Mr.. EdmundS amendment was rejected, and the
words OF African descent retained.
Mr.. Vance opposed the bill. He said it was based
upon the theory that the cOlored people are wards
or the nation; that they were too ignorant to pro-
.ect themselves in making deposits. But while
they were held to be so ignorant and dependent on
that score they were considered able and enlight-
portant political powers; to be vested with the
political control OF whole states, involving
5ee r Was sights n bs and sss "a
Carolina. He was not willing TO subscribe to
the doctrine that the cOlored man was ignorant
and helpless In money matters, but competent
for all political rights and powers Besides, Mr..
Vance declared, the bill is violation OF the Con-
sttution; that 1t makes distinction because OF
race; IL proposes to pay colored depositors and to
exclude white depositors. He was opposed to the
bill. and demanded the yeas and nays on Its
passage.
Mr. Sherman hoped the demand would be with
drawn, otherwise he would have to let the bill 90
over as the yeas and nays would disclose the lack
OF a quorum. because Of pairs. He said there was
the numerous pairs the vote, II recorded, would
Ial short OF the requisite number.
The demand was withdrawn and the bill was
passed.
AGAINST THE FISHERIES TREATY.
The Senate then took up the fisheries treaty and
senator Teller made speech against IL.
House of Representatives.
This morning the House galleries were filled
with spectators attracted to the Capitol by the an
nouncement that to-day would witness the close
OF the great tariff debate and the vote on the final
passage OF the Mills bill. big bunch OF roses had
been placed on Mr.. Mills desk. He removed them
On taking his seat and laid copy Of the Mills bill
In its place. The public exhibited deep interest
In the proceedings OF the day. The elevators were
loaded With as many people as they could carry on
each trip and stream OF people were going up
the stairs. when the House met at IL O'Clock all
the space In the galleries was occupied except the
Speakers seat anu some seats in the diplomatic
and executive galleries, and the doorways were
blocked by people watching chance to get In. A
large proportion or the audience was made up OF
ladies. 1t was the fullest attendance upon the
House since Mr.. Carlisle made his speech.
MRS. CLEVELAND A SPECTATOR.
While Mr.. Mills was speaking Mrs Cleveland
and Mrs. Folsom entered the gallery and took a
front seat. Mrs. Carlisle sat In the Speakers gal
lery.
Mr. MILLS HAS THE FLOOR.
Promptly at 11:3O am. the tarin bill was called
up, and Mr.. Mills after Offering two amendments
Intended to correct typographical errors in the
bill, moved the previous question on them and
they were adopted. He then proceeded to address
the House, beginning by stating the condition of
the finance OF the Government, placing the
surplus at s129,OOO,OOO. This, he said, should
arrest the attention OF the country. 1t repre-
sented unnecessary taxation drawn from the peO-
pie and piled up In the Treasury. 1t was taxation
levied upon the product Of labor. 1t was an ini-
was constantly lowering prices and piling
an enormous load on labor and Increasing
the the benefits 1Sas ,o,,G Of the privileged classes
would occur, and bankruptcy and ruin dock to-
gether over the land The majority had attempted
10 bring before the House bill to reduce this tax
alton and lessen the inflow OF money into the
Treasury. BY amendments made in committee Of
the whole the e relative rate Of duty had been
bill had been met by storm OF denunciation and
characterized as
FREE-TRADE MEASURE.
Was $3.50 on the hundred free trade? What
state had a 5 per cent rate Of taxation? In the
majority of the states it did not exceed one dollar
on the hundred. The tariff of 1S46 had been
spoken OF as a free-trade tariff.
Mr.. Mills then took up the bill in detail, BEGIN
ming with the chemical schedule, where the rate
OF duty had been reduced from $32 81 to S2S H.
ON earthen and crockery ware the reduction had
been 81 on the hundred. They called that free
trade. II $50 on the hundred was free trade. in
SUGAR
showed next to the largest reduction in the bill
larger than In hemp, Jute, iron and in everything
except wool Yet the bill had been called a sec
tional measure. To get six millions of protection
on sugar the Government had to collect ffty-eipht
millions or tarln duties. In provisions the reduc-
tion was 81 in hundred. More free tradei It
was less than 81 in cotton goods Was not
that moderate? The duty still remaining at
$39O7. In wools and wOolen the reduction was
$50 ON the hundred. and most OF that had been
caused by placing wool ON the free list The
manufacturer would get Tree wool and 40 per cent
protection, or per cent more than he now got.
And still they said the bill was free trade meas
placed
ON THE FREE LIST
and sc, 900 OF that was WOOL Cotton had been
the chief product OF this country yet the repub-
lican party had put 1t on the free list. And they
were right. But when It was proposed TO touch
wool the combination that made the protective tar
IN was struck, and they said "You shall not touch
IT, The next article on the free list was tin plate
$5,7OO,OOO. Not pound OF 1t was produced In this
country. The committee proposed to give this
money 10 the consumers. yet their action was
called free trade. II that was free trade make the
most OF It. Salt was the next Because a few
people were interested In its manufacture the
mtttee was
sTIGNATlzRD AS FREE TRADERS
for putting 1t on the free list. Burlaps were not