Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-25
but said that he would ask unanimous consen,

but said that he would ask unanimous consent
tomorrow morning.
BILLS PASSED.
The bill was laid aside informally. Senate
bill to repeal section 1852 and 1858 of the Re-
vised Statutes (relating to post office bids)
was taken from the calendar and
passed. House bill for the erection
OF tower for frst-order light on smiths
Island Va, (not to cost more than Sl50 000)
was taken from the calendar and passed. with
numerous amendments making appropriations
for hight houses and fog signals in various other
parts of the country.
A conference was asked and Messrs Dolph,
Washburn and Ransom were appointed con-
ferees on the part of the Senate.
THE TARIFF BILL
was again taken up, the pending question be-
ing on paragraph 1873, page 45. imposing q duty
OF ~ cents per pound on lead ore and
lead dross; provided that silver
ore and all other ores containing lead shall pay
duty OF ~ cents per pound for the lead con-
tanned therein, according to sample and assay
at the port of entry.
Mr.. Coke moved to amend by striking out
the proviso and inserting proviso that ores
containing
SILVER AND LEAD
in which the lead is of less value than silver,
shall be admitted free OF duty. He reviewed
the history of the question and read extracts
from The 1tco Republics and from the FYndn-
c'er, published in Mexico. showing the bad
ton OF Mexican ores. He said that
the passage of the bill as reported
would destroy the smelling works in Texas,
Kansas City, Chicago and St. Louis; render
useless the refractory ores Of New Mexico,
Arizona and Texas and throw a large
number of men out of employment, and
drive from the United States the trade
with Mexico. valuable not only for
American manufacturers but for American
farmers 1t seemed to him absolutely suicidal
10 impose such a tax on those ores, which we're
so necessary to Americans and so productive
OF trade relations between the two coun-
trles There was nothing dearer to the
Mexican people than the desire to have
close and intimate commercial relations
with the United States. Mexico was
needed by American manufacturers; and Amer
lean manufactured products, as well as Amer
lean agricultural products, were needed in
Mexico, especially in the arid regions Of that
country The lead ore paragraph was a direct
slap In the face to the republic of Mexico. and
an assertion that the United States wanted no
relations or trade with it.
MR.. REAGAN FOLLOWED
with an argument on the same lines. There
were, he said, about twenty-four reduction es-
tablishments in the United States engaged in
the separation of the metals when they were
contained IN the same ore. The
amount Of fuxing ores in the United States
was smaller as compared with the refractory
ores; The ores brought from Mexico were Of
the KIND that are most valuable and, indeed
necessary for the fluxing of the dry ores found
In Missouri, Texas. New Mexico and various
other parts Of the United States The
ores that were brought in for that
purpose contained silver and gold
Under the ruling of the Treasury Department.
and under the opinion of the Senate judiciary
committee, the law as it now stood admitted
those ores free of duty when the silver in them
was not of a greater value than the lead.
THE OBJECT OF THE PROVISION
in the bill was to impose duty of ~ cents Q
pound on these ores to the amount of lead that
was in them without regard to the silver or
other metal which they contained. The effect
of that would be, Mr.. Reagan said, to
establishments engaged in the re-
duction of these metals in the United States:
to destroy very large industry in which some
ten or twelve million dollars was invested, and
to turn out Of employment. very large num-
was the protection of home indus
tries, then the provision ought to
be struck out, for it would have the very oppo-
site effect. One of its objects seemed to be to
break up the trade between the United States
and Mexico, and the effect of it would un-
| doubtedly be to inflict great injury on both
countries.
MR.. CARLISLE ALSO OPPOSED
the proviso in the paragraph. He could see
no satisfactory reason for the imposition of a
duty on the lead contained in silver ore He
had not been able to see any satisfactory testi-
mony showing that American industry was in
1ured in any way whatever by that imposition
One the contrary it had been abundantly
shown. he thought, that it was great benefit
THE TAX WAS ALSO A DIRECT BLOW
at American trade with the republic of
Mexico at time when everybody on both
sides of the chamber professed to
believe that that trade ought to be encouraged
and extended. He had happened to be in the
City OF Mexico last summer when there was
an appropriation pending before the Secretary
OF the Treasury to reverse the ruling Of the
department and to collect duties from the
lead contained in silver ores, and he knew
that there we're discussions then for the
formation of English and other foreign syndi-
Gates for the establishment of smelling works
III Mexico. The effect of that would be (Mr
Carlisle said) to diminish the work done in
American smelling establishments and to re-
duce the amount of employment now given to
American workmen. And yet Senators on the
other side professed desire to promote the
interests Of American labor.
THE AMERICAN LEAD TRUST
Mr.. Teller asked Mr.. Carlisle whether the
American lead trust was in favor of the pro-
posed duty.
Mr.. Carlisle professed want Of knowledge
on that point.
Mr.. Teller asserted that the American lead
trust had kept lobby all the session working
against the proposition.
Mr.. Carlisle said that nobody connected with
the lead trust or any other trust had ever
approached him on the subject, and
he did not know whether the trust
was opposing or was advocating the
proposition. His own opinion was that the ex-
isting situation was such as to make that prop-
osition altogether unnecessary and unjustifiable.
The ore had been coming to the United States
for years and years and there has been no
showing that any one in the country had been
injured by it. On the contrary. it
had afforded employment, at good
wages. to great number of American
laborers, and also large amount of trans
portation to the railroads of the United States
aud to the Mexican railroads that were largely
conducted by American capital
Mr.. ALDRICH ASKED MR. CARLISLE
if he thought it fair to have one form of lead
required to pay duty Of ~ cents a pound
and to have another form Of lead free of duty
MIR. Carlisle replied that the question as
sumed that he was in favor Of imposing
duty Of ~ cents q pound on
lead ore, which was not the case. II he had
his own will all lead ore would be free.
Mr.. Mcpherson argued in support Of Mr..
Coke's amendment, and declared that the
paragraph, as 1t stood in the bill, was in the
interest of the lead trust.
Mr.. Vest said that he intended to be gov.
erned in his action on the bill not by any
interest Of the people of the United States.
The imposition OF the duty on these ores was