The Portland daily press., 1890-08-01
THE SENATE MUST ADOPT NEW RULES.
Mr.. Blair Thinks tho Tariff Bill VIII
Be Passed by Christmas.
Mr.. Corman's Latest Device to Help
His Party Waste Time.
The House Declines to Stop Business
to Chase Rumors.

WASHINGTON, July 31.-An executive
communication from Secretary Noble, en-
closing long letter from Major Powell. di-
rector of the geological Survey, on the sub
ject of irrigation and canal sites, was laid
before the Senate. Mr.. German asked to
have 1t read. After the clerk had read a
part Of the letter, objection came from the
Republican side to the delaying a public
business by the reading of communication
that could be printed and laid before the
members tomorrow morning. This led to
sharp discussion about the printing of such
documents in the Record and warm words
passed between Messrs. German and Sher-
man.
Finally the question whether the document
should be read to the Senate was decided In
the negative.
The conference report on the District of
Columbia appropriation bill was agreed to.
The tariff bill was taken up and its reading
by paragraphs continued, beginning at para
graph 33, page g. the article being extracts
Of licorice and the amendment reported from
the finance committee, being to reduce the
rate lin the House bill from to 5 cents a
pound. Mr.. Mcpherson moved to make the
rate cents pound, which would be, he
said, equal to an ad valorem rate of 66 per
cent, prices current showing the New York
price to be cents pound. He spoke of the
bill as being big steal from the beginning
to the end. He said he would move reduc-
tion In a matter affecting the industries of
his own state just as he would in matters
affecting the industries of other states In
the course of discussion which turned upon
the benefits conferred on labor by high rates
of duty, Mr.. Mcpherson asserted that taking
the whole bill, American labor did not re-
ceive 20 per cent Of the duties, and that as
the wages Of American labor were double
the wages paid In Europe, half that 20 per
cent would represent the entire difference
between the labor cost in the United States
and abroad.
Mr.. Aldrich ridiculed that statement and
said If 1t was true the Senator should not
on lic0rice paste, because that would. accord
ing to the Senator's figures, put 3-l0 cents
a pound into the pockets of the manufac-
turer. Mr.. Aldrich said there was little
scrap of political history as to the licorice
paragraph In the Mills bill. That bill orr
ginally provided for duty Of four cents per
pound on licorice paste. When it was found
the men engaged in the business were DEM
ocrats, the rates were increased to cents,
the same as the finance committee now pro-
posed.
Mr.. Vest replied to this statement and
read from the proceedings before the com
mittee of ways and means in 1888 to disprove
1t. He charged that the pending bill was to
pay off the manufacturers for their subscrip-
-tions to the Republican party in the last
campaign.
A vote was taken on Mr.. McPherson's S
amendment to reduce the duty on extracts of
licorice to four cents a pound. and 1t was
agreed to by the usual party v0te-yeas, 16 (;
nays, 27. The committee amendment was
agreed to, making the duty five cents a
pound.
As the reading Of the bill progressed Mr..
Mcpherson made numerous motions to re-
duce the duties, all Of which were agreed to
by party vote. A few changes were made in
the schedulesland when the Senate adjourned
at 6 p. m. it had considered four pages Mr..
Blair stated that by the calculation he made
the bill would be disposed of at the present
rate of progress by the Goth of next Decem-
Der.