The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-06
TALK ABOUT THE TARIFF.
THE SENATE BEGINS THE DEBATE
ON IT'S BILL.

T.
Body as to Reducing the Revenue by
increasing Taxation The Tobacco
Section Brings Out an Amendment
from Mr.. Vance.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 5.-At 1890 o'clock
today the Senate proceeded TO corsidera-
ton of the tariff bill. Mr.. Harris asked
Mr. Allison whether the Senate committee
on finance had reported only one amend
ment to the House bill.
Mr.. Allison-I think only one
Mr.. Harris-Ihat is my impression.
Mr.. Allison-There is but one amendment
TO the House bill--in the nature of substi-
tute.
Mr.. Harris-In order to test the sense of
the Senate as to whether the principle indi-
stand it, proposes to reduce the revenue by
reducing taxation, shall prevail, or whether
che principle on which the substitute pro-
ceeds-that of reducing the revenue by TO
some extent at leasD increasing taxation
shall prevail / move to lay the amendment
on the table, aud / ask for the yeas and
nays.
The motion was rejected by 10 yeas to 26
nays, strictly party vote.
ing of the sui Lstitute for amendments.
Mr.. Vance moved an amendment to the
tobacco section reducing the limit of the
claim for rebate from $40 to IS. The
amendment was rejected No other amend
ment was offered to the tobacco section.
ALCOHOL IN THE ARTS.
The next subject commencing at section
8 and ending at section H. was that of al
cohol in the industrial arts"
No amendment was offered, but Mr..
Sherman said that he had very grave
doubts as to the practicability of applying
these sections without encouraging fraud.
He believed that the object proposed was a
good one--to remove all tax from
alcohol used in manufactures, arts, or
medicine. The sections were very harsh and
severe-unnecessarily so-but he did not
believe that, with all their harshness and
severity, they would be successfully applied
aud executed. He was willing to see the
experiment tried; but he simply wished to
enter his caveat. He added that he would
reserve the right to offer one or two amend
ments to some of the details.
Mr.. harris gave notice that he would
also have some amendments to offer to the
internal revenue sections of the bill.
MINIMUM PENALTIES.
Mr.. Vance offered an amendment remov-
all provisions fixing the minimum of the
penalty, and leaving the matter to the dis
cretion of the court. The amendment was
rejected by party vote OF II yeas to 2S
nays
Mr. Vance also offered an amendment,
which was rejected without DIVISION pro-
viding that no warrant shall be issued in
cases of internal revenue offenses, except on
the affidavit of a collector or deputy
onf1
that no fees shall be paid by
the government unless there be conviction
or unless the prosecution shall have been
approved by the United States district at
torney.
Various other amendments to the inter-
nal revenue statutes were offered by Mr..
Vance, and were all rejected.
THE UNION PACIFIC BILL sIDE-TRAcKED.
At 2 o'clock the Union Pacific settlement
bill came up as the unfinished business. y
and it was, on motion of Mr.. Frye, post
poned as a special order till Wednesday
next at 2 o'clock.
Consideration of the tariff bill was then
resumed, and Mr.. Vance offered another
amendment, which was agreed to without
division. 1t provides that when the health
or life of prisoner under the internal
revenue laws is endangered by close conhne-
ment, the judge may issue an order provid-
ing for such prisoner IS reasonable comfort
and well-being.
DUTIES UPON IMPORTS.
Then came section IL, which deals with
'duties upon imports" beginning with
schedule A, chemical products"
Mr.. Mcpherson called attention to the
fact that the rate of duty reported for
chemical products made no allowance for
remittance of the tax on spirits used in
ma1ininne Thio ra,,aiaei.,ya xxoulI ha aid
simply operate as an additional bounty to
the manufacturers Of chemical products.
No member Of the finance committee would
deny that there would be great frauds on
the revenue, under the provisions for free
alcab ol in the arts and manufactures. He
therefore regarded those provisions as the
tirst step toward total obrogation Of the
whisky tax.
AN INEVITABLE CONSEQUENCE.
Just as sure as one day follows another il
would be necessary either to repeal the pro
posed leg Station or to abolish the whole tax
on whisky. He was unalterably opposed
to such legislation, to any remission to the
TAX on spirits, and to any system which
offered a premium on fraud; and this bill
virtually did that. He therefore called for
yea and nay vote on the provisions as to
alcohol used in manufactures.
lhe discussion took a political turn, ano
IN the course of it Mr.. Dawes asked Mr.
MCPHERSON whether he would abolish the
protective system or internal revenue sys
TEN II the alternative were presented.
A NoN-CoMMITTAL REPLY.
Mr.. McPherson--I am not in the habit OF
jumping before | reach the stile. When
any such question comes before the Senate
Tor action / will take that matter under
prayerful consideration.
MIR. Dawes-I state distinctly and
should like to see the republican differing
from me- that when that alternative is pre-
sented TO me will vote for the abolition oi
me internal revenue system, and against
the abolition of the protective system.
vote was taken on Mr. McPherson's
motion to strike out all sections as to alco
mol used in manufactures, and it was re-
Jected by II yeas to "a nays. Mr.. Sherman
voted with the other republicans in the
negative.
Mr., Mcpherson gave notice that he would
renew the motion hereafter.
Alter disI osing of thirty pages of the
olll and reaching the end Of schedule A inc
amendment being offered to it), the Senate
gro eeded to executive business, and al