The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-30
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.

to strike out the proviso allowing draw
backs on salt used in exported meats. Mo
Pherson moved to strike out the entire
paragraph, the effect Of which would be to
place salt ON the free list. Colquitt advo-
GATED McPherson's amendment. and read
an extract from a speech made by Benton
in the senate half century
ago against the salt tax. Hoer
that speech about the same time he made
another speech declaring Oregon and the
whole of the Pacific coast territories utter
~ worthless for agricultural purposes
Reagan remarked that Webster said sub
stantially the same thing. McPherson's
A party vote. Vest made the point that to
strike out the provision for drawbacks, as
proposed. would discriminate against
meats, as the salts used in preserving them
could not be identified for reimportation
under the general provisions of the act.
There was special provision in the case of
salt used in preserving fish. Vest argued
in favor Of free salt, natural product
which was found in inexhaustlble quanti-
ties in every country of the world and in
almost every state of the union. He
had seen deposits of rock salt in
Louisiana. which would supply this world
and five worlds. like it for an unlimited
time. Why then should English salt be
taxed when dairymen, and pork packers and
beef packers would use it, no matter what
the duty on it was. Cullom argued against
striking out the proviso in the paragraph.
He had written to pork packers in his state
inquiring whether the general provision
that business and the reply was it would
not. The export trade, he said, demanded
foreign salt. He had been always in favor
of protection, even in the matter of salt,
but this was not a question of protection to
American salt. It was rather a question of
protection to the American export meat
business. After further discussion on the
salt paragraph vote was taken on
the committee amendment to strike out the
provision. The prOvisO was not struck out.
yeas Is, nays 81. The republican senators
who voted against the finance committee
aawley, ingalls,, Jones, of Nevada, Mitchell,
Platt, Plumb, Sherman, Teller, Washburn
and Wilson, of Iowa.
The conference report on the joint resolu.
tion for relief of the destitution in Okla
homa was presented and agreed to. 1t
directs the application Of the unexpended
balance for the relief Of persons in the
regions overfowed by the Mississippi to
relieving the citizens Of Oklahoma rendered
destitute by unexampled drought there.
On motion Of Plumb, duty on brandy, in
paragraph 814, and on cordials. liquors.
s sss "a, y.s .a% ia'sssssd s. sss9a sss
payne and other sparkling wines 80 as to
make rates on bottles not more than a
quart and more than pint S. dozen in
stead of $3.50; one pint each or less. $3.50,
instead of $1.75, and whore bottles contain
more ns9,, than & quart $s.25 per gallon
ing amendments we're agreed to: The para
graph relating to still wines, by making
the rate per gallon in casks Is cents instead
OF 30 cents, and per case of twelve quart
bottles, or twenty-fouf pint bottles, $3.50
instead of $1.75; extra quantities to be
taxed 10 cents per pint instead of five cents;
the paragraph relating to ale, porter and
beer in bottles or jugs, by making the duty
60 cents per gallon instead of 35 cents, and
when not in bottles or jugs 35 cents per
gallon instead of 20 cents; the paragraph
relating to malt extract, by making
the duty in casks 35 cents per gallon in
stead of 20 cents; in Jugs 60 cents per gallon
instead of 40 cents; in solid or condensed,
GO per cent ad valorem instead of 40 cents;
the paragraph relating to cherry juice and
prune juice by making the duty. Is cents
per gallon instead of 60 cents when CON
hoi, and S. per gallon instead Of 81 and Is
per cent ad valorem, when containing more
than Is per cent alcohol. The paragraph
relating to ginger ale, soda water and min
eral waters was amended in the report of
the finance committee by reducing the duty
from Is cents to 10 cents dozen bottles,
word artificial" The paragraph relating
to mineral waters and their limitations was
struck out on recommendation of the
finance committee.
Schedule I, relating to cotton manufac-
lures, and shcedule J, relating to fax and
ule K, relating to wool and manufactures
of wool, was then taken up. All para
graphs from 367 to 369. relating to
raw wool, having been read, Carlisle
moved to have them all struck out SO as to
have wool put on the free list. He argued
that the same reason which he used to JUS
tify putting sugar on the free list applied
equally to putting wool on the freq list. In
reply, Aldrich pointed to the fact that
while the home product of sugar had only
slight increase in series of years, the
home products of wool had increased
enormously. Sherman stated some facts
in relation to the wool-growing industry of
the United States as demonstration of the
wisdom of the policy adopted in the tariff
of '67. He argued that the wool-growing
interests should be encouraged 80 that the
quantity and quality produced would be
sufficient for all woolen goods manufac.
tured in the United States and for all
foreign wooden goods that are used here.
The pending bill, he said, in reply to q
question of Cullom's, practically re-enacted
the provisions of the law of '67, which had
operated go we'll.
The house went into committee of the
whole on the private calendar. When the
committee rose half dozen private bills
aNG an omnibus southern war claims bill
after objectionable features had been
stricken out, were passed and a recess
taken, the evening session to be for the
consideration of private pension bills.