Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-04
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.

An Inquiry Into the Barrundia Affair
Demanded-The Tariff Debate.
WASHINGTON, Sept. Sin the senate
this morning, Call offered resolution
(referred to committee on foreign rela-
tions) declaring that the murder of Gen
eral Barrundia on the steamer Acapulco,
by the authorities of Guatemala, while
under the protection of the flag of the
United States, was an insult to the peo-
pie of the United States, and demanding
prompt action for redress.
The tariff bill was taken up, the sugar
schedule being under consideration.
Edmunds addressed the senate. He re-
ferred to the assertion in Vance's speech
last evening that the farmer bore all the
burden of the customs duties, while he
had derived no benefit from them. Ed
munds went on to mention mica, tobacco,
rice, pitch, tar and turpentine, the tax
on which benefits the farmers of North
Carolina.
Vance declared that all these things
were on the free list, except rice, on
which the duty was reduced.
Coming to the question OF reciprocity,
Edmunds recalled the history and prac-
tical operation of the Canadian recipro-
city treaty OF 1854, and declared that it
was injurious to the United States.
He was opposed to placing sugar on
the free list, and as to reciprocity with
Central and South America, said the
demand of country for commodities
did not depend so much upon numbers
as upon the state of it's society Its wealth
and its civilization. When he looked at
any Central American or South Ameri-
can state he thought (speaking with re-
serve and consevatifm) that any one
hundred average people in North
America had during the past year con-
sumed more of the products, mer-
chandise, food and clothing that go to
make up the comfort and luxury and
happiness of mankind, than any one
thousand average people in the Central
or South American states. Therefore
the expectation of the United States
being able to dispose of the large in
crease of its products there, was,
in his opinion, one OF the
greatest illusions that brilliant men
or sober statesmen had fallen into. He
did not mean by this, however, that he
was not willing aud glad to try the plan
of receiving any of the products Of those
countries which the United States did
not produce, and giving to them pro-
ducts which they did not produce.
Morgan addressed the senate in sup
port of the amendment heretofore
proposed by him as substitute for
Aldrich's reciprocity amendment. 1t
provides for duty of 3 per cent ad val
orem on corn, wheat, rye, barley, oats,
hay, straw, potatoes, cotton, live do
mestic animals and on asses, mules and
horses, and that when any such articles
are exported premism of 3 per cent
be paid on their value to the owner.
Voorhees, addressed the senate. Most
of his speech was devoted to vivid and
picturesque denunciation of the Mckin-
lev bill, as the anti-Christ of all pre-
ceding Hesitation.
Evarts spoke of the various reciprocity
amendments, and criticised them as
being Objectionable under the 'favored
nation clause of the international
treaties. He concluded by say
ing: "Make your tariff as you
think right; let others make theirs
as they think right, and when they
reach, as England has reached, the posi-
ton that You can devour the substance
of other nations better by free trade thar
you can preserve your own substance by
protection, then change your laws"
Gray complimented Hale on his
amendment, which meant nothing less
than absolute free trade throughout the
western hemisphere.
Hale corrected the statement as tc
Canada, and said he never had any
intention of including that country.
There was small attendance at the
evening session, which was occupied by
Pierce in speech advocating reci
procity.