The Globe-republican., 1890-10-29
TARIFF Oil ERRORS.

senator Mcpherson Discover Rrrors In tAa
Tariff Bill That He Considers Fatal GOV.
eminent Omcials, However, Think Other.
wise.
WASHINGTON, Oct Ex-senator Nc
Pherson very recently wrote as follows
to q member of q prominent importing
house in New York City:
,, II beg to call your attention to the
conference report and Tariff bill sent
you about ten days or two weeks ago-a
quarto pamphlet Of 214 pages On page
ITS you will find amendment 449 and
section with the reading matter relat-
ing to drawbackson tobacco str. cken out
Turning over to page 176. sixth line from
the top you will find the following:
Conference restores section So Now.
in the Tariff bill before you. you will
find section So ending with 8 cents per
pound, leaving all the rest of original
section so out altogether.
This omission is fatal to the bill and
in the opinion of eminent lawyers here.
Senator Carlisle among them, it vitiates
the whole bill 1t is on internal
revenue. but being part of the Tariff
bill passed. it stands and falls together.
In accordance with this discovery a
protest against Collector Erhardt's off,
cial action under the Mckinley bill was
last evening forwarded to the leading
importers in this city for signatures
Under the law protests against the col
lector's assessments can not be lodged
until liquidation Of entry and must be
lodged within ten days after that stage
in the importers business with the Gov
eminent
Acknowledgement Miller positively
declined to discuss the question in any
of its bearings saying that it would be
manifestly improper for him to do SO
unless it came to him in an official way
Mr. Mason, Commissioner of Internal
Revenue. who is specially charged with
the execution Of the tobacco provisions
of the law, confined his remarks in re-
gard to the alleged illegality of the law
to the following statement:
Il will obey the law as certified by
the Secretary of State. 1t is not for me
to say whether or not the omission of
the tobacco provision violates the tariff.
Being merely an executive officer of the
Government, l must enforce it as find
it Anyhow, the tobacco schedule does
not take effect until January I, so that
if Congress desires to refund two cents
pound on all tobacco on hand when
the law takes effect it has ample time
to legislate to that effect"
No alarm is felt here among the
friends of the Mckinley bill as to the
legality of its enforcement The pre-
cedents of years an old and expert
enced employe of the House said, leaves
no doubt that an error. whether omis-
sion or commission in the enrolment
of the bill passed by Congress does not
vitiate any part of the measure, except
that part to which the error relates.
Errors of some kind occurred. he said,
at every session of Congress in at least
one or more important bills and to hold
that the omission or insertion of any
word or punctuation
mark invalids, but not only the
part of the bill to which
the error was relevant but the entire
would establish chaos in the
affairs Of Government and compel Con-
gress to remain constantly in session to
Immediately on discovery errors
in bills signed by the President, in Or
der that the operation of the Govern
Ynouk m iOht he carried on