The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-03
SESSION OF THE SENATE.
THE COLUMBUS PUBLIC BUILDING
BILL REPORTED.


Administrative Bill Taken Up and
Passed After Considerable Debate.
WASHINGTON, May 2.-Among the bills
renorted from committees and placed on the
Senate calendar this morning are the fol-
lowing:
The Senate bill for public building at
Columbus, Co., 100000.
The House bill for the classification of
vorsted cloths as woolens.
MIR. Cullom Of the committee on interstate
commerce made report with testimony on
the subject of American commerce by
Canadian railroads. The report was ordered
printed.
Mr.. Vest introduced bill to amend the
interstate commerce act, stating that its
object was to place express companies under
the provisions of that act, and he asked the
attention of the interstate commerce COM
mittee to the subject.
Mr. Cullom stated that the committee
had had that subject under consideration,
but, because of the pressure of more I'M
portant legislation as to common carriers,
and because it is not probable that legisla-
ton in both directions can be secured, that
subject has been postponed. The commit
tee, he said. would probably take up the
question again, especially as the bill had
been introduced. The bill was referred to
the committee on interstate commerce.
KEEPING OUT CHINESE.
The concurrent resolution heretofore of
fered by Mr.. Dolph. requesting the Presi-
dent to enter into negotiations with the gov
ernments of Great Britain and Mexico with
view to severing treaty stipulations for the
prevention of the entry of Chinese laborers
,pfo ba IIpifa1 StafaC fakaO n
agreed to.
A message from the House, with the
House amendment to the Senate dependent
pensions bill, was laid before the Senate.
and the bill and amendment were referred
to the pensions committee.
THE CUSTOMS BILL.
The customs administrative bill was taken
up, the question being on MIR. Gray's
amendment offered yesterday to strike out
of the section the following words: Sex
cept in cases wherein the application shall
be filed in the circuit court within the time
and manner provided for in section 16 of
this act" and inserting in lieu of them the
following: "And whenever congress has
not clearly and distinctly declared the clas-
sification Of any imported article and the
rate of duty thereon, but the law is equivo-
cal and ambiguous in that regard, and the
appraising officers or collector are in
doubt which of two or more rates the law
has required, then the lowest of these rates
shall be levied and collected, the appropriate
appraising officers or collector shall forth
with inform the Secretary Of the Treasury,
and he shall report all the facts to con-
gress."
NOT CASES FOR COURTS.
In the course of the discussion of this
amendment Mr.. Sherman declared that if
he had his way he never would allow any of
those revenue cases to go to any court.
1t was an administrative, not a
judicial, question, and If there
was any grievous error committed,
the remedy would be furnished by congress.
In his opinion, the House bill was better
bill than that reported by the finance COM
mittee; and he would, therefore, vote
against all the amendments reported by
that committee.
Mr.. Grays amendment was rejected with
out division.
AS the finance committee had shown its
hostility to the amendment suggested yes
terday by Mr.. Hiscock, Mr. E7arts offered
an amendment of his own; namely, to in
sert in the fifteenth section provision that
the circuit court shall give priority to,
and proceed to try and determine
a case according to law, upon the matters
before it, and upon such other testimony as
the court may think necessary. This amend
mont was rejected, the vote being yeas 16,
nays 30. Mr.. Evarts was the only repub-
hcan who voted for it. while three demo-
crats-Messrs. Harris, Mcpherson, and
Payne-voted against it.
VEST SUGGESTS A CHANGE.
Mr.. Vest offered an amendment provid-
ing that in case of ad valorem duties no
duty shall be charged on cases,
nor ON the cost of transportation
from the place of purchase to the
vessel in which the goods are shipped to the
United States. In the course of a tariff
speech in advocacy of his amendment, Mr..
Vest read from the report of the tariff COM
mission in 1883 to show that the estimate
then placed on cases averaged 10 per cent.
so that their taxation under the pending
bill would increase the tariff to that extent.
The bill, therefore, would, under the dis
guise of being an administrative measure,
work an increase of the tariff duty. He
had a table prepared for him by
two experts to show that in some
classes of glassware the pending
Dill would increase the present duties
from 45 per cent. to n per cent, and the
Mckinley tariff bill Gf passed. would in
crease them to 265 per cent, while in other
cases (chimueys for students lamps the
duties would be increased to 450 per cent.
MoRRILLs MISTAKE.
Mr.. Morrill, said that as to the increased
duties on glass the senator from Missouri
mad no right to assume that the Senate
would agree to them.
MIR. Vest had no faith in that suggestion.
he knew that whatever action would be
taken by the Senate on the tariff
OIL would be in accordance with
the platform of the republican party on
which President Harrison was elected, and
that was to increase the duties up to the
point necessary to exclude every article
mat competed with like article made in
the United States.
Mr. Vests amendment was rejected.
Inc discussion was interrupted in order to
;;ecelYe message from the House announc-
rlg tho passage of the Senate ANTITRUST bill
WIN an amendment
MI Sherman wished to have the bill con.
IIurred in, but Mr.. Vest thought it should
tS,4 ~ te1erred to the judiciary committee, and
THE DISCUSSION CLOSED.
AT 4 O'Clock the discussion closed, and the
en9te commenced to vote on the bill anc
pending amendments.
ar; trays amendment was rejected, the
vuCe nelng: Yeas %, nays 81. CIR. Payne
tive.) No'ins in VIC n0s"
,s a. ne next vote was on the amendme n
TO- ee e0 oy Mr.. Evar.s to add to the descrip
c;rn c;rn Oh what shall constitute record in th'
sroL aIule court the words: Together will
Esr1 e.luence as the court may deem neces