Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-10
Additional Penalties.
An Important Amendment to
 the Interstate Law.
THE SUGAR CLAUSE FINISHED.

IeaCs Sbihoh
 Havemyer and the Ways and Means
 Committee-Other Congressional News.
 WASHINGTON, July 10-Mr. Cullom called up the senate bill to amend the interstate commerce law in the senate yesterday. Tho important changes in the existing law pro posed by the hii are: Requiring reductions in published rates, fares charges to be made only after thrtV days previous public notice; prohlb ting advances in joint rates, fares and charges, shown upon joint tariffs, except after ten days notice to the commis- sion; adding imprisonment {" the penalty provided for q violation "f the law as to uu- lawful discrimination in rates; making false billing, false classification, fa'sa weighing, etc, mIStiemeanor punishable by fine not exceeding S5.OOO, and Imprisonment not exceeding two years for each OlfenSe; mak- ing the payment of any consideration to in- duce unjust discrimination misCemeanor, subject to a similar penalty.
 MT, Reagan offerel an amendment, which was agreed to, giving to the United States circuit and district courts jurisdiction of vio- lations of any provi>io@s of the law upon the relation of any person or firm, with power to issue a peremptory writ of mudamus.
 In the course of debate Mr. E -agan inti- mated that the interstate commerce CommS- sion had shown too much of vacillating disposition in dealing with railroad com panies, and Mir. Wilson criticized the com mission for construing the law to the advantage of the roads.
 MT. George said the law prevented discrim- ination between two millouaives who could protect themselves, but unless it went a step farther and provided that the small shipper, the man of small capital, should have service pro rata per barrel, or pound, at the same rate exactly as the large capitalist, congress would have faied to do its duty. After further debate Mir Culiom prom ;sed 10 trv, the ques ion thoroughly considered aL ll2 next session of congress.
 MT. McPherson said that since the enact ment of the interstate commerce law the railroad companies had received Is per cent. more per ton per mile than they had received under the old competing policy.
 MT. German contradicted this statement and said that since the act went into effect there had bee less charged on through freightS than for the five preceding years, except ill cases where the railroad companies were at with each other, and that not withstanding the large increase iu the volume of through business, the receipts had not equalel the rece,p pts during the preceding normal years.
 After further discussion the bill was passed
 
 was the defeat of Mr Cannons sugar amend ment 10 the tariff bill, as well as several other propositions looking to a reduction of duties on sugar. Resolutions were intro duced and referred, one directing the con- mlttee on manufactures to report at once all the evidence so far taken by the committee relating to the Standard Oil and the sugar trusts. and another providing for a special committee of the house to sit during the recess and investigate alleged evasions of the law prohibiting the importation of contract labor Consideration of the tariff was then re- sumed, the pending question being Mr. Can non's proposed amendment placing sugars not above No, 16 Dutch standard on the free list, reducing the rates of other grades and pay ing bounty to sugar producers. Mr. Willleson opposed the amendment, and after further debate the Cannon amendment was rejected by a vote of 10S to 37. MT Dingley, of Maine, offered an amend ment placing the duty on sugar not above No. 13 Dutch standard, testing not above 75 degs, at seven-tenths of Q cent per pound, | with an additional duty of two-hundredths of a cent per pound for each additional degree higher test
 After considerable debate n vote was taken 1 and the amendment was lost-yeas S6; nays, 105
 Mir. Weber, of New York, offered an amendment providing for a new classified tion of the grades of sugar
 MT. McComas of Maryland inquired of | the Democratic members of the ways and | means committee whether, on March 26 last, 1 they had not given 0 hearing with respect to sugar to MT. Havemeyer, of New York MT. Breckinridge, of Arkansas, replied | that MT. HavemeyerS testimony before the ! trust Investigating committee having devel- ! oped an interesting line of inquiry, he had l asked him to come before the ways and 1 means committee to talk with some gentle l men there.
 l MT. McComas-You denied to the miners, | manufacturers and laboring men hearing l yet gave one to the head of the sugar trust. l MT. Mills-Ne did not deny a hearing to | anybody; we did not deny it to you, and the statement is false.
 l Mr. McComas-I now have the informa l tion that on that date the majority of the committee gave hearing to the head of this l trust, and on April thereafter this bill came l in and that the committee had stricken out l 16 degrees and put in 13 When the l labor of the country could not be heard l the head of the sugar trust was heard, and 1 upon information so furnished, and persua- sion, you come here, leaving your best posi- l tion taking up a worse provision in favor
 of the trust; a fraud upon the country.
 MT. Breckinridge, of Kentucky, denied
 that the majority of the committee had
 given hearing to Mir Havemeyer. since the
 bill had beon brought before the house
 Statement and counterst;tt emant on this
 subject continued, and finally there were shouts of ''Vote, vote" and great confusion
 ill the midst of which Mir. Weber's amend
 ment was rejected--65 to S6.
 On motion of MT. Mills the duty on mo-
 lasses testing not above 56 degs. was fixed at
 2$4 cents per gallon
 | Mir. Cannon, of Illinois, offered an amend
 ment substituting for the sugar schedules
 the sugar schedule it originally appeared
 in the Mills bill. He expressed his sorrow,
 surprise and indignation at seeing that the
 committee on ways and means had departed
 from it's original proposition, and he inti-
 mated that the change had been brought
 about by the fact that Mir. Havemeyer had
 supported Mir Cleveland
 Acriminous debate ensued between Messrs, | Reed and Mills.
 MT. Cannon's amendment was rejected, as
 was another one offered by Mr. Weber, and l tho consideration Cf rlo,,S,s ,,,,s ot