Omaha daily bee., 1889-01-27
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS
The Senate Tariff Bill Presented to
the House.
1T CAUSES A LIVELY DEBATE,
Which Results in the Measure Being
Referred TO the Ways and Means
Committee-The Edmunds
Resolution.
HOMSG.

before the house the Mills tariff bill with
the senate substitute therefore, together with
the request of the senate for "A conference.
Mr. Reed Of Maine. moved to concur in the
senate substitute.
Mr.. McMillen Of Tennessee, raised the point
of order that the substitute must be consld-
cred in committee of the whole, and Mr..
Mills of Texas, the point that it must be re-
ferred to the committee on ways and means.
Mr.. Reed of Maine, advocated immediate
consideration of the SENATE. He quoted from a
tariff sheet by Mr.. Carlisle, in which the lat
ter said at is the imperative duty of the
representatives of the people to reduce the
tariff sheet before this congress shall have
adjourned. =" There was a difference be-
tween the house and senate bills. The house
bill very largely increased the ad valorem
list of duties, and the senate bill increased
somewhat the specific duties. The senate
had followed the advice of every secretary
of the treasury and almost every person who
had had Il hand in the actual administration
of the law. Differences in detail were always
open to consideration of the two houses. He
wanted to show the house and the country
that the republican side, at least, had not
been wanting in any respect and urging the
necessity and propriety of speedy action on
this measure.
Mr.. Mills said that the senate had been
busy, in defiance of the constitution, prepar-
ing a bill which it now sent to the house be-
fore the house bill had been sent to the SEN
ate. Now it was proposed, in violation of the
rules of the house. that the house should
agree to a committee of the conference
and pass this extraordinary measure at
a time when the Golfers of the
government were loaded with excessive rev
enue when the people were groanlng under
| excessive taxation; u bill to increase the rev
enue by increasing the burden on the people
for private purposes. Loud applause on the
democratic side. Mr.. Mills then entered
into a brief discussion of the merits of the
bill, and SAID that if the majority of the
house was true to itself the senate bill would
come to the house from the proper COM
mittee.
MIR. Mckinley of Ohio followed Mr.. Mills.
He said that the question as to whether there
| was to be any revenue legislation before the
conclusion of the present congress depended
very much upon the action taken to-day upon
the notion made by the gentleman from
Maine. Everybody knew that if the bill,
with the senate amendment, was sent to the
ways and means committee, no practical leg
islation would be had during this
session. So at this very point the
house should determine whether the country
would have any reduction of revenue, or
whether the excessive collections were to be
continued for twelve or fourteen months.
The senate has respectfully asked the house
to grant a committee conference. If the
house would meet the senate in free confer
ence, and only occupy common ground, as
found in both bills, it could reduce the rev.
enue from $50, 900, 900 to $40, DOC, 900. All that
was necessary was to examine in common
both bills. The administrative features
of the bill had nothing to do with
politics. They had nothing to do
with free trade or protection. They had
nothing to do with high tariff or low tariff.
They were above politics, but they had
everything to do with an honest adminlstra-
ton of the customs laws, whether based on
the principle of protection or on the principle
of free trade. | ask the gentlemen on both
sides of the house to s~ignalize the close of
this congress with some practical, patriotic
result.
Mr.. Mcmillan of Tennessee supported Mr..
Mills.
Mr.. Reed replied and Mr.. Breckenridge of
Kentucky said that the remarks rhowed that
he merely made his motion for the purpose of
giving himself and colleague Mckinley an
opportunity to make speeches to the country,
and seemingly for the purpose Of putting
the democratic side in a false position. The
Mills tariff bill had been sent to the senate,
under the provision of the constitution which
gave the senate power to act on revenue
bills originating in the house. The senate
had not done that, as the gentleman from
Ohio had frankly admitted. 1t had framed
a different bill, based on a different prin-
ciple. The bill came back from the senate
six months after the bill was sent to it, and
suddenly the gentlemen on the other side,
who had always declared that there was no
necessity for a revision of the tariff, were
exceedingly anxious for a speedy settlement.
1t seemed to him that this was simply a
proposition that the house should empty it
self, not of its rights alone, but of
its duty to consider taxation, both
external and internal. If the bill was sent
to the ways ana means committee he would
try to see that the committee reported back
a bill in accordance with the principles of
the bill reported at the last session. AS to
the merits of the senate bill he had nothing
to say. OF course it was entirely different
from the hOnSp hill and he was DDOOSpu to it.
Messrs. Mills and Mcmillan then sub
mitted points of order which
they had held in reserve, and and
rules the bill must be referred to the com
mittee on ways and means.
Mr.. Reed then asked for unanimous con-
sent for present consideration of the bill, but
Mills objected.
Nh. Mckinley then asked unanimous con-
sent for consideration of a resolution making
the tariff bill a special order for February .,
and providing for votes on concurrence, or
non-concurrence, in the senate amendment
after twelve hours debate.
Mr.. Mills again objected, and so the bill,
with the senate amendment, went to the
committee on ways and means.
MI. McCreary, from the committee on for
eign affairs, reported the Edmunds resolu-
ton declaring the sense Of the government
of the United States in respect to the con-
nection of the European governments with
inter-oceanic canals at the isthmus of Darien
in Central America. Mr.. McCreary asked
that the resolution might be recoinmitted,
and the coinIAittee granted leave to report at
any time.
Mr.. Cultivate of Ohio objected,
After considerable discussion no compro-
mise could be arrived at.
A Joint resolution was passed approprlatlng
$500, 600 for payment to the representatives
of James b. Eads.
The house then went into committee of the
whole on the sundry civil bill. The greater
part of the afternoon was consumed in con
sideration of the pending amendment, coming
from the on appropriations, APP
propriating $4,000 for an investigation of
the best method Of irrigatlng arid regions.
On motion of MIR. Symes the amendment
was amended by increasing the appropriation
to s!5, 900.
The question being upon the amendment as
amended, it received u large majority vote,
but Mr.. Holman of Indiana, raised the point
of mo quorum not in antagonism to the
amendment, but for the purpose Of com
polling the committee to allow vote to be
taken on an amendment which he desired To
offer, repeating the act providing for the sale
of desert lands in certain states and terri
tories.
The committee thereupon arose, and the
house adjourned.
The Weather Indications.
For Nebraska; Generally fair, slightly
warmer, variable winds, generally north
erly.