The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-07-10

TO submit to the people OF the several States
constitutional amendment to prohibit the
yorably reported by Senator Blair today
from the committee on education.
In The Senate.
In the Senate motion to refer
to the committee on pensions one of the ve-
toed pension bills was made the groundwork
Of speech by Senator Stewart against the
frequent exercise of the veto power by the
President. There had been, he said, about
200 bills vetoed by Mr.. Cleveland, most of
them pension bills As the average month
ly pension was $12 the whole of these bills
involved an expenditure of only about $2,4OO
month. Admitting that they we're all
wrong, that the committees of both houses
had been remiss in their duties and that the
two houses had been inattentive to their re-
sponsibility, still, he asked, was the neces-
sity so great as to warrant the executive de-
partment of the government to assume leg
lslatlve power? No reason could be sug-
gested why the form Of government should
be'changed to save such pittance. He pro-
tested against the exercise of such powers
by the President.
Senator Vest characterized Mr.. Stewards
proposition as monstrous and declared that
the President was as much required under
pension bill and and give it his approval or
return 1t with objections, as he was required
to do with the largest appropriation bill.
To hold anything else in respect to the veto
power would be to render that provision of
the. constitution absolutely nugatory and
make the government that which Mr.. Ham,
llton intended to make it, a government of
unlimited Congressional power. The novel
proposition that the amount involved in a
bill had anything to do with the construct
ing OF the constitution was absolutely with
out foundation.
The Senate then proceeded to the consid-
Grafton of the Senate bill to amend the in
terState commerce act.
Senator Reagan offered an amendment,
which was. agreed to, giving the United
ton of violations of any of the provisions of
the act upon the relation of any person, or
1rm, with power to issue perempt0ry writ
of mandamus. MIR. Reagan said he had
given notice of an amendment extending the
provisions of the act to express companies,
sleeping car companies and stock car COM
panies, but as 1t was likely to provoke dis
ceusslon, and retard the passage of the bill,
he would reserve his proposition for the
next session.
Debate followed, in which the interstate
commerce commissioners come in for consid-
cradle criticism for their leniency to the
railroads.
Senator George offered an amendment pro-
hiblting carriers from transporting goods
Tor any shippers in a car or vehicle owned
by such shippers, unless they charged exact
ly the same rates as charged to other ship
pers. Finally the amendment was with
drawn on the promise of Senator Cullom to
have the question thoroughly considered at
the next session of Congress. After further
discussion the bill passed.
Senator Blair gave notice that he would
ask action tomorrow on the bill to settle and
pay the account of laborers under the eight
hour law. The House bill TO regulate liens
OF judgments and decrease of courts of the
United States, with amendments was passed.
The Senate then proceeded to executive
business and adjourned.
Business in the House.
M. Adams, of Illinois, offered resolution
in the House today reciting the resolutions
directing the committee on manufactures to
investigate the subject of trusts, stating that
the SCOPE of the investigation was SO broad
as to render it impracticable for the COM
mittee to make report at the present ses-
sion and directing the committee to report
with or without recommended
tion all the evidence taken by it relating to
the so-called sugar trust, and also in sepa-
rate report to give the evidence relating to
the Standard oil trust. The resolution was
referred.
Mr.. Ford, of Michigan, offered a resolu-
tion reciting an allegation that the present
into the United States is exces-
siye, artificial and injurious, and stating that
It is encouraged to satisfy private greed; and
the further allegation that the law prohibit
Ing the Importation of contract labor is be-
ing evaded owing to lack of sufficient MAJ
chinery to enforce it; and directing the
speaker to appoint special committee of
nve members to Investigate the subject mat
ter herein referred to with leave to sit dur
ing the recess. The resolution was referred.
The House went into committee of the
whole on the tariff bill, the pending Question
being the Cannon amendment, which puts
raw sugar on the free list and gives domestic
producers bounty Of two cents pound
Mr.. Wilkinson of Louisiana desired to cor
rect, misstatements made by the gentleman
on the other side to the effect that the sugar
industry OF Louisiana was languishing. An
industry which last year produced 340, ,O00,O 900
pounds OF sugar. could hardly be termed
industry. 1t had been called
corpse, but if that were so it was the liyeli-
est corpse in the world.
Mr.. Fuller of Iowa denounced the tariff
bill as being illogically and badly construct
ed, and as having for its chief characteristic
its extreme sectionalism.
Mr.. CannOn's amendment was rejected by
a vote of 10S to 81.
Mr. Dingley, of Maine, offered an amend
ment liking the rate of duty on sugar not
above No. 13 Dutch standard, testing not
above 70 degrees, at 70-100 of a cent per
pound, with an additional duty of 2-1OO cent
per pound for each additional degree or frac-
tion of a degree. He stated that the rate
proposed by him was exactly half the exist
ing rate and, If the proposition was adopt
ed, he would follow it with amendmend-
ments making similar reduction in other
grades.
Mr.. Bayne, of Pennsylvania, said the pres
ent duty was 50 per cent The Mills bill
proposed 6S per cent. and the Dingley
amendment Al per cent. The amendment
would reduce the revenue $29,00O,0O0. If
adopted it would amount to the saving of 80
cents for every man, woman and child in the
country and would break up the sugar trust.
After discussion, the amendment was lost,
Sc to 105.
Mr.. Weber, of New York, offered an
amendment providing for a new classifca-
tion OF grades, which was rejected, 65 to &c.
On motion of Mr.. Mills, the duty on mo-
lasses, testing not above Sc degrees, was
placed at q per gallon. Mr.. Fuller's amend
ment placing sugar on the free list was re-
jected
Mr.. Cannon, of Illinois, offered an amend
ment substituting for the present schedule,
the sugar schedule as it originally appeared
in the Mills bill He said the change had
York, prominent in the sugar trust, support
ed Cleveland. Messrs. Cannon and Reed
made sharp thrusts at the Democrats on this
account.
Mr.. Mills retorted by inquiring why the
gentlemen had stood by Haysmeyer and
the sugar trust and all other trusts and even
refused. in former C0nprassas to accord oop