Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-01-20

WASHINGTON, January 19. - Both
branches of Congress were wretchedly
stupid to-day, the woful tedium of the
fortifcation bill in the House being relieved
only by the lively tilt between General
Cutcheon, of Michigan, and General Butter
worth, of Ohio, in regard to the committee
Jurisdiction of the bill. Mr.. Blount, who
was in the chair, ruled that the bill was
properly in the Appropriations Committee,
and that put an end to the only life there
was in the House during the day. The
House adjourned early, after passing
eulogistic resolutions on the death of E. w.
Robertson, member-elect from Louisiana
to the Fiftieth Congress.
In the Senate the one diversion of the
day was the speech of the venerable Senator
Brown, of Georgia, on the subject of the
tariff 1t was expected that Mr.. Brown
would show some klndliness to the Republi-
can side of the question, but not even those
who knew him best supposed the aged Geor-
gian would go bodily over TO the high pro-
tectionists. His speech was founded on an
amendment offered by himself, placing rice
at its present tariff of 212 cents per pound
for cleaned rice, and other grades in pro-
portion. The Mills bill cut rice down to 2
cents per pound, but the protectionists of
the Senate went much farther than the free
traders of the House, and cut it down to 1
cent per pound, of course to give the South
ern tariff reformers a wholesome dose of
their own medicine.
AN UNUSUAL SPECTACLE.
Mr. Brown asked leave to read his speech
sitting in his chair, which has been his
practice almost invariably lately, so 1nfrm
is he growing. He read in feeble tone,
but the spectacle of a Democratic Senator
uttering radical protection sentiments was
so unusual that the chamber was very quiet
and he was well heard throughout. While
Senator Brown announced in the beginning
that he was not an advocate of protection,
he soon discovered the fact that he be-
lieved the system was necessary for
the development and fostering of the infant
industries of the South. The North
was old in the manufacture of iron and
steel, but the South was just beginning,
and, as to rice, that, too, was an infant in
dustry under the present methods of produc-
tion BY means of free labor. With slave la
Dor they could compete with the coolie
labor of China, but with free labor they
would be driven from the home markets and
the markets of the world, without protec-
tion. White laborers could not endure to
work in the malarial rice fields, and the
negroes avoided it if they could; and the
consequence was that labor was high and
rice could not be produced at anything like
Its former low price.
LISTENED TO INTENTLY.
The Senator was listened to with great in
terest by both sides of the chamber, the Re-
publicans smiling approvingly at the
specially strong passages. That part seemed
TO be particularly pleasing in which he
urged that the South should adopt the policy
that had resulted in making the North SO
strong and rich and great instead of keeping
in the old rut and actually antagonizing
everything that WAS for their own good
simply because tariff reform had been made
3 party cry.
From the Republican standpoint it was
certainly the most progressive speech that
has been heard from a Democrat during the
Fiftieth Congress. The Democrats did not
take to it kindly at all. Disgust and scorn
was depicted on their faces, and Mr.. Rea-
gan, who sits directly behind Mr.. Brown,
was forced soon to escape from the un-
musical sound of a Democratic protective
tariff speech and walk the lobby in agoniz-
ing study. Mr.. Vance took his place, how
ever, and with the exception of frequent
negative shakes of the head and whispered
consultations, the Democratic circle stood
the unpalatable dose to the end, when the
aged Democrat was warmly congratulated
by the Republicans.
Though all of the items which have not
been touched in the tariff bill cannot by
any means be considered before the hour |
for taking the vote next Tuesday, Senator |
Allison says there will be no further exten- |
sion of time. The time of the Senate has |
been consumed by buncombe speechmaking, |
and they will therefore have to treat very /
briefly the woolen schedule and paragraphs |
that have been passed.
WILL BE HURRIED TO THE END.
1t is the intention to hurry the bill to the |
House at once. The major part of it has |
been already engrossed by the clerks of the |
Senate, and soon after the final vote is taken |
the substitute will be on its way to the |
House. There its fate depends on its treat
ment in committee. 1t is hardly possible |
that vote will be taken on it by the House.
To-day, beside the rice schedule, the para
graph relating to pocket-knives, razors, and
guns were finally amended. The former,
which was agreed to without discussion,
reads as follows:
173. Penknives or pocket-knives of all kinds
Or parts thereof, wholly or partly manufac- /
tured, valued at not more than so cents per
dozen, Y cents per dozen; valued at more than
80 cents per dozen and not exceeding 81 per
1ozen, SO cents per dozen; valued at more than
= per dozen, so cents per dozen; and in ad-
1ition thereto on all the above, SO per centum
ad valorem. RaZors and raZor-blades finished
DR. unfinished, valued at not more than "a per
1ozen, 81 25 per dozen; and In addition thereto
Jn all the above razors and razor blades, 80 per
1entum ad valorem.
On motion of Mr.. Allison the gun para
graph (1S1), was amended by making the
ak on guns valued at not more than Sc
zach, 81; valued at more than Sc and not
more than S12 each, S4; valued at more than
BIZ each, Sc each; and, in addition thereto,
'5 per cent ad valorem; making the tax on
'ingle-barrel breechloading shotguns 81 and
IS per cent ad valorem; and on revolving
pistols, valued at not more than 81 so each,
10 cents; and valued at more than 81 so
Zach, 81, with 80 per cent ad valorem, in
addition