Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-16
WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEES
Report Bill for $40. 900. 900 Reduction
tn Revenue.
[pr teleersph % the DIspatch.l

OF the Committee ON WAYS ana Means upon
the senate amendment raises the consutu-
tlonai point that the bill % IL came from the
senate IL in violation OF the provisions OF
the Constitution allowing the House OF Rep
resentatives the power to 9riginaie revenue
hills, Therefore the accompanying resOu'
ton directs the return OF the bill 10 the
Senate. The remainder OF the report Is de-
ysiod to the explanation OF the points OF
difference between the Senate and House
bills, and arguments intended 10 prove
that the Senate bill is in no sense the
proper amendment OF the House bill.
The committee az is meeting this morn
ing prscucAliy decided to report the bill
making the estimated reduction in revenues
OF about S70, ,OOO, 600. After reading the re.
port on the Senate tarin bill, submitted this
morning, the committee took up for clnslde-
ration this bll, which was offered by
MIR. McMilin, Of Tennessee. The bill was
read through, but pending vote the hour
OF adjournment arrived and The committee
adjourned.
rbe bill Is substantially the same rs The
Mills bill, with the exception that the cotton
aud chemical schedules Of the latter bill are
struck out. az il also the iron schedule, with
the exception OF The provisions relating TO
pig iron, railroad ties, structural iron, and
tin.platc.
The free list In the McIiilin bill Is almost
identical with that Of the Mills bill. IL does
not include mOla,Ses, laces for hats. anh
sponges. which were perhaps the principal
articles placcd on TIE free list BIZ the senate
Finance Committee. one or two articles
which were on the free list in the senate bill
and we're not included in the free list OF TIE
MiHs bill are added 10 the free 'ist OF the
hitter, hut it Is said by members OF the ma
iority of the committee that there ave only
very few articles on the senate bilPs free list
not on the free list OF the Mills bill.
The report oi the WAYS and Means Com
mitiee on the Senate substitute for the Mll's
tariff bill opens win the statement that the
senate Committee on Finance reported back
the House bill with the recommendation
that All after the enactiIg clauses be stricken
outand an entirely now oil substituted. II
goes on 10 recte that the li0use bill was
never read in the senate except by title,
that the original bill contained siXtY-aeYen
piees and the senate substitute one hundred
and seyenty-niue pages that the House bill
embraces certain specified items OF revenue.
while the substitute proposes an orig inal
revision OF the entire revenue system, and
that the senate iniormcd the House that II
bad passed House bills "with an smend-
meut.V Notwithstanding the fact that only
the title and enacting clause remained intact.
The report continues Ihis briei 'gelch
h,iugs us face to face with most impor'
tant constitutional question. The mrs! clause
OF the seventh section oi the Constitution
provides that all bills sor raising revenue
Shall originate in the House OF Repre>en-
tatye-, but the senate may propose
or concur with amendment on other
I'll NarH HslI 20
view OF the event which led up TO the
adoption Of The provision requiring revenue
bills 10 originate in the House. and citation
Of different occasions Ia N the ease ~bea
the Senate amended House bill to repeal the
tea and coffee tax by substituting general
tariff biD when the House successfully NAM
tanned it, constitutional right The c0mmit-
tee saws II may be safely assumed thai sub
stitute such as the Senate proposed Is
not an amendment in constitutional sense.
and therefore reports a resolution direct
ing It's return TO The Senate. Continuing,
the report says: The Finance COMMITTEE
OF the Senate very properly CHARACTERIZED the
difference between the Hou'e and senate
bills "a fundamental. The House bill was
framed upon tbe principle taat taxes are bur-
dens borne by the people for the necessary
support Of the Government; that they should
at all times be limited by The Just require
ments OF an honest and efficient admiDstra-
ton; that in selecting articles upon which
duties are to be imposed and liking tue
rate which each - 10 bear regard
should always be bad to tue pecnniary
ability Of the consumers; that luXuries aud
articles consumed by the wealthy should bear
3 higher rate OF duty than the neeessaries oi
life, which are consumed by the poorer peo-
MIA f,rf urla ha axistipur rates of taxation
bring to the pubic Treasury more revenue
than il required for an efficient admlnlstra-
tl0n the rates should be reduced, TIE burdens
lighiened, aud the distractions TO com.
merce aud interference with the business
and employments OF the people should
be removed n far as possible. The
principle on which the Senate substitute
is framed is that duties are levied primarily 10
reduce the revenue for certain favored
classes Of citizens. and incidentally Tor the
revenue for the Government; that in impO-
sing duties Congress should select sncn ar
tees az will bring the largest revenue TO the
favored classes. While theY bring TO the Gov
ernment the amount required for annual eX-
peuditure when the existing rates are
bringing a surplus revenue 70 the Govern
mrnt the excess should trst be expended
and new chauuels Of appropriations
should be found and tue reduction posi-
poned rs long s. possible; and when II must
be made IL should be on those articles th't
bring the least amount OF revenue 10 tne
pockets Of the favored classes, and az tue
same tine make the largest reduction 10 the
surplus revenue Of toe Government. IL Is
for this reason, says the report. thai tne
Finance Committee has reduced the duties
on sugar, a. It asserts, S39,'o9.I Ie3;
hat nil
this tax goes into the Treasury,
and the remainder into the pockets oil
the sussr-owners. In The ease OF wool, eoi.
ton, iron. and steel IL is argued that the
taxes bring 10 the Government S5s.00o,0f0
and to The pockets OF the manufacturers
s5c0.oo0, because nine tenths OF the msnu-
iartures are produced at home.
Referring TO the senate Finance Commit-
tee the report says: " They no longer con-
| tend a. In former years. that Congress