, 1890-10-01
TARIFF BILL PASSED.
The Senate-92 to 27-AdOpts
the Conference Report.
Plumb, Paddock and Pettigrew
Vote in the Negative.
Senator Carlisle Fires a Part
ing Shot at the Bill.


WAsHINGToN, Sept. 3o.-The house
bill to promote the administration of JUS
lice in the army was passed with a verbal
amendment.
The resolution continuing the select
committee on irrigation and reclamation
of ard lands during the PRESENT congress
was agreed to.
The deficiency bill passed. A motion
to reconsider by Morgan was entered.
The conference report on the tariff bill
was tn IN taken up.
Carlisle asserted that the bill as it now
stood, excepting sugar aud molasses, re.
moved from the free list and placed on
the dutiable list more than it took from
the dutiable list and placed on the free
list. He also asserted that the bill would
reduce the revenues and increase taxation
unless all his calculations we're at FAULT.
The average rate OF duty under this con-
ference bill and the administrative bill on
dutiable articles would be 60 per cent in
stead of 451 per cent under the existing
law. He went on to give figures as to the
increased taxation under the confer
ence bill. In order to compensate
for the increase of taxation two
cents a pound amounting to So. 800, 000)
was to be taken of tobacco. The removal
of that tax would relieve no man and
would be beneficial to nobody except the
manufacturer and retailers of tobacco.
Coming to the question OF a bounty on
sugar he said it would amount, on the
basis of the present production. to be-
tween s 7 1000. 900 and IS, O00, 900 a year.
This was the first time in the history OF
the country that 1t was proposed to pay a
bounty to a domestic producer. But no
part of the bounty, he asserted, would be
paid to the grower Of the beet Oh sorghum
or cane. Every dollar OF it would 20 to
the manufacturer. The producer would
not rece We a higher price for his produce,
nor would the consumer receive any bene-
fit FROM the bounty, for bounty paid
sugar would sell in the markets at the
same price precisely as duty-paid refined
sugar coming from ether countries.
The courts had invariably held that no
state legislature could authorize a county
or municipality TO impose taxes for the
purpose OF encouraging manufacturers or
any other industrial pursuits. II states
could not do it with unlimited powers Of
taxin0) how. Carlisle asked, could the
general government do it2
Referring to the reciprocity amend
ment he said it was a proposition to con-
tide to the judgment or caprice of the
president alone a determination not
merely Of certain facts defined in the law.
but of the results and effects of those
facts and circumstances. The amendment
was not reciprocity, it was retaliation,
mira and atn,rla III. ---~..-- -
one to r~etaliate on the people of the
United States by imposing n duty OF tea
cents a pound on tea, three cents a pound
on coffee, and from 35 to 50 per cent on
sugar, unless China. Japan, Brazil and
Spain should do certain things over which
consumers in the United States had no
control. The amendment was a mere
political device to appease, as far as pos
sible, indignant public sentiment, and
check for the time being the rising cloud
OF opposition to the extreme policy of
protection
Allison criticized several of CarlisIe's
statements and denied their accuracy. He
(Allison) differed from Carlisle absolutely
as TO the effect of the bill, and gave it as
his belief that it would reduce revenue to
an amount bet ween $40, 900, 900 and $50
100000. Coming down to the sugar
question he said that he had conversed
with planters of Louisiana who had come
to Washington and there was not one of
them who did not say the proposed
bounty would stimulate immensely the
product of sugar in Louisiana and be a
great boon to them, but now the senator
from Louisiana (Gibsonl charged the con-
terees with discriminating against that In
dustry. If it were true that all Louisiana
sugar planters spurned the bounty and
denounced it and declared it unconstitu-
tlonal, they might find a congress that
would take them at their word. He be-
lleved the bill was, on the whole. a fair
bill to every section of the country. As
a protective measure he did not believe
ITS general effect would be to operate
harshly on one section of the country as
against another section. He thought some
OF the d~uties-mauy of them-too high
and had said so more tn an once on the
h"or OF the senate. He hoped the bill
would have a fair test. and if it proved
beneficial. as he believed it would, settle
the question OF the tariff for many years
to come.
Gray smoke briefly and Aldrich closed
the debate. The senate proceeded to
vote on the conference report Paddock,
Pettigrew and Plumb (Republicans) voted
In the negative, but the bill passed-33 to
y. 1t now needs only the signatures of
the presiding officers of both houses and
the president of the United States.
The house concurrent resolution to cor
rect the enrolment of the tariff bill was
agreed to.
LIE conference report was agreed to on
the signal service bill.
The house bill to enable the postmaster
general to test at small towns and villages
the practicability OF the free delivery sys-
TEN was passed, also the house bill to set
apart a certain tract of land in California
as a forest reservation, Adjourned.