The morning news., 1889-02-20
REPAYMENT CT DIRECT TAXES.
Filibusterin1 Against the Conference
Report III the House.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 19.-In the House to-
day the committee of the whole rose for the
purpose of considering the conference re-
port on the bill to repay the direct tax,
which was presented by Mr. Caswell, who
sta ed that Mr.. Oates of Alabama had re-
fused to sign the report.
Mr.. Oates was not present when Mr.. Cas-
well submitted the report, and this fact was
called to Mr.. Caswell's attention, but that
gentleman said that in view Of the necessity
for early action on the conference report,
he must demand the previous question.
THE DEADLOCK RECALLED.
Then the famous deadlock of last session
was recalled. MIR. Crisp raised the question
Of cons deratiol, and Msssrs, r gers of
Arkansas, Breckenridge of Kentucky, and
McMillin Of Tennessee, in quick succession
interj jected motions to All urn, to take
recess, and to adjourn until Thursday. At
this moment Mr.. Oates entered the chamber
and Mr.. Caswell called attention t. this
fact, but the only response from tbs demo-
cratic side was loud demand for the regu-
lar order. A motion to adj j1urn till Thurs
day having be II voted down, Mr.. Morse of
Massachusetts entered the ranks of the
filibusters with motion to adjourn till
Friday.
A PREVIOUS AGREEMENT.
Mr.. Caswell called Mr.. Morse's attention
to an understanding which had been en-
tered into at the last session that no dilatory
tactics should be resorted to i'll order 20 de-
feat the passage of the bill. He regarded
the action now taken as a violation of that
understanding.
Mr.. Morse replied that he had not been a
party to that understanding, and that he
was acting in his individual capacity. No
quorum voted on Mr.. Morse's motion, and
a call of the House was ordered. Finding
that it would be impossible to secure vote
on the conference report to-day, Mr.. Cas-
well withdrew the matter from the con
sideration of the House, announcing that
he would call it up tomorrow.
ACTION OF THE SENATE.
The Senate TO-DAY proceeded to the con-
sideration of Mr.. Vests motion to recon
slider the vote by which the conference re-
port on the direct tax bill was agreed to last
Saturday. After speeches from Messrs.
Vest and Blair upol the general subject Of
the bill, and in opposition to it, and by
Messrs. Harris and Morgan in ia or of it, a
motion to reconsider was rejected by vote
of yeas to 49 nays. The senator's voting
yea were Messrs. Berry, Blair, Call, Jones,
Of Arkansas, Pugb, Reagan, Salisbury and
| Vest. The conference report now goes to
the House for it's action.
HINTS OF VETO.
There is a suspicion in the minds Of the
friends of the bill to repay the direct tax
that the lively opposition to the reception
| of the conference report, and the tilibuster
| ing against its consideration were the result
of an lntimation from the President that be
would prefer not to have to choose between
an approval Of bill or direct vote. If
action on the bill is delayed beyond to-
morrow, or if there should be a failure on
the part Of the Senate committee on en-
rolled bills to deliver the bull to the Presi-
dent before next Thursday, the way will be
open to a "pocket veto" or in other words,
the President may avail himself of his con.
stitutio al right to hold the bill ten days
which would carry it over March 4, when ii
could not be signed, and would therefore
| fail