Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-06-28
Fiftieth Congress--Ffrst Session.

WAsHINGToN, June a.
SENATE.-After a large number of uhim-
H portant bills had been introduced and re-
4 ferred the Senate proceeded to the considera-
ton of the river and harbor appropriation
Il bill. Among the amendments reported and
agreed to were: Inserting an item of So, 900
1 for the harbor at Milford, Conn; increasing
1 appropriation for Housatoaic river, Conn.
] from $25, 600 to $35, 600; for Thames river.
Conn. from $40, 600 to SIS, 600. The bill was
still under consideration when the Senate at
4:15 adjourned.
HoUsE.-After preliminary business to-
1 day Mr.. Mills, of Texas, called up the tariff
bill
Mr.. Kelly, Of Pennsylvania, rose and said
| that he had proposition to make which he
| thought would be acceptable to both the
House and the country. Neither Chitty's
Pleadings, he said, nor any other book in
dicating the methods of reaching an issue
could lead fair or more direct Issue than
existed between the two great parties of the
country. First. the President had sent Com
gress q message. The Democratic conven-
qualification. The Republican convention
had not found in it anything worthy of COM
mendation and the issue there was perfectly
clear. The Mills bill las it was ca1ledj had
received the approval of the st. Louis con-
vention and the condemnation as cordial of
majority of the House in bringing the bill
forward had been approved at st. Louis and
the caTAse which had seemed fitting and a
matter of duty of the Republican minority
cont Asting every modification which its judg-
meat could not approve had. been cordially
approved at Chicago.
There was at this point of Mr.. Kelley's re-
marks some manifestation of sarcastic laugh
ter from the Democrats, which led Mr.. Kelley
4 to exclaim that he spoke but for himself, no
bother person being responsible for his propo-
| sition. Aa.s.-z-4
Continuing, Mr.. Kelley suggested that the
| Mills bill should be laid over until the next
I session with the understanding that if at the
l November election it should be approved by
l the people the Republicans would withdraw
| their opposition, and if on the other hand it
] should be condemned the bill would be no
further pressed. That would leave the CUES
ton of the surplus and upon that subject
| he also had a suggestion to make that,
l as a concession to the condition that
eonfronts us'' the other side of this
| House would allow the entire internal tax
| upon tobacco to be repealed into making two
| 00Q.O90 of the $31, 000, 900 OF revenue derived
| from tobacco. He thought that this position
should be accepted and that members should
| not sweat out their lives in Washington until
/ the end of September. .
MIR. Mills, of Texas, said it was true as the
4
| ton had endorsed the measure which was
now before the House for the reduction of
| taxation on the necessities of life. 1t is also
/ true that the issue is squarely and firmly
made and that it must be met in the coming
4 campaign and it must be decided in November
4 when the people intended to propose to reduce
L the surplus by the reduction of taxation on
II the necessaries of life or by a reduction of
the tax on whiskey. These things being true
it was somewhat remarkable that PROPOSE
ton should be submitted from the minority
side to the majority side when that majority
side had been instructed to go forward and
press the bill not only to consideration, but
1 to final passage. The majority, which was
responsible to the people for the administra-
ton of the government, must go forward in
the path of duty applause on the Democratic
] side). That oath was plain one and it was
| to press the bill in season and out of season
| until the unnecessary and unjust taxation on
the necessities Of life was reduced and the
surplus in the treasury relieved. He had a
counter proposition. IF the gentleman from
Pennsy1vania (Mr. Kelley had faith in his
own proposition it seemed to be the part of
| wisdom for the minority to welcome the time
| when a vote should be taken upon the bill
and the Democrats put upon record on
it fapplause on the Democratic side).
He (Mr. Mills) made the proposition that
there should be ssstop to the unnecessary
talk in the way of obstructing the passage of
| upon which the bill should be put upon its
passage
ton madeby the gentleman from Pennsyl-
| vania (Mr. Kelely) had been properly declared
the Republican side). The Republican party
/ had resolved by it's properly constituted as
sembly that it would give due and delibe-
rate consideration every item Of
the Mills bill. believing it was It's duty to ex-
plain and expose the errors OF the measure.
/ He desired here, now, to repeat the asseyera-
tion which had been made in open day SO
| many times that there had been no discus
sion here with any purpose of delay. Nothing
but honest and fair discussion brought out
an attack, a political attack upon the
| histories of the United States of Ameri-
| ca (applause on the Republican side).
The Republican party had taken the ground
l before the country that the system of pro-
lection was valuable in itself and because it
/ was to the interest and advantage of
the American community was not to be sac
ri6ced. By. that doctrine the Republicans
| would stand and by that sign would con-
qusr. (Applause.)
Mr.. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, said he
i rose for the purpose of suggesting that a day
| be fixed for taking vote upon the bill. It
| might as welhbe understood now as any time
that the majority of the representatives of
| the people on the floor intended to have a
| vote on the bill unless the fourth of March
was reached by obstructive tactics (''We
are perfectly willing" interpolated Mr.. Blu
chanan of New Jersey and if the gentleman
from Maine (Rsed) was candid in his state
msnt and nothing up to this time had been
done for obstruction and nothing would be
done for obstruction in the future surely
| some practical agreement could be arrived
at. This was an effort to reduce taxation.
"Oh, no." came in a chorus from the Re-
| publican side.
'tOh, yes," retorted Mr.. Breckenridge,
| "Not oh, no." but oh, yes. It does reduce
taxation. It does relieve burdens. It does
| take money that would under the present
| system 90 into the pockets of the men that
| earn it. That is the object and that will be
the effect. Continuing, Mr.. Breckenridge
| remarked that the Republican party had said
it would reduce the revenue, not the burden
by the repeal of the tobacco tax and the tax
on alcohol used il the arts. That party had
formulated its purposes into a platform.
: Let it put its platform into the form of a
legislative proposition. Let that PROPOSE
ton come to q vote. Then let the Demo
| cratic proposition come to a vote.
If the Republican proposition prevailed it
would become the enactment of the lower
| house and would go to Republican Senate.
If the Democratic proposition carried the Re-
publican Senate would take it under consid-
Grafton. That was practical legislation. Could
| not both sides agree upon some proposition
to bring the proposed proposition into prac-
l tical efects
| Mr.: Reed said it was an utter impossibility for
1 minority of the House to present a bill which
could pass because it was minority. There
| was no method known to science by which a
Eve foot plank could be made to span @
seven foot chasm and if the Republicans pro-
posed a bill to pass the House it would have
to be with such an abatement of Republican
| principles would secure Democratic votes
| For them to make q proposition like
that would be simply absurd, for them
to make it would be to exhibit a foolish
dress parade which nobody was called upon
.. to do. When the present Speaker had beer
leader of his side in the Forty seventh Con-