, 1890-04-30
In the House.

WASHINGTON, April 29.-The senate
resolution was concurred in concerning tn,
irrigation of arid lands in the Ialley ofthe
Rio Grande. The president is requested
to negotiate with Mexico with a view tc
the irrigation of the valley. The amend
ment was agreed to requesting the presi'
dent to include in the negotiations all
other subjects of interest which may be
deemed to affect the present or prospect
i've relations of the two governments.
The house agreed to the senate concur
rent resolution requesting the president
to return the Oklahoma bill for the pur
pose OF having an error rectitied.
The postOtice appropriation bill was re
ported and placed on the calendar.
The house went into a committee OF the
whole OF the bill providing for the classi,
f~ication of wooden cloths aud wOolens.
The senate bill passed for the disposal
of Fort Sedwick military reservation in
Colorado and Nebraska.
The house went into a committee of the
whole on the bill providing for the CLASH.
fcation of wOrsted cloths as w%oolens.
Dingley said the object of the bill was
to make clear aquestlon which had arisen
in regard to the classification of worsted
goods under the existing tariff and to cor
rect all doubt and misa apprehension.
Carlisle said the effect of the bill would
be simply to raise the compensatory duty
on worsted cloths from eighteen and TWEEN
ty.four cents to tbiIty-ive cents, thus
placing these goods on the same footing
as wooden cloths. The present secretary
of the treasury. in the face of the Law,
had decided that no legislation Was ncces-
sary to correct the inequality and that
under the law he would direct the customs
officers to impose the specific duty Of
thirty five cents on worsted clothes.
The committee then rose and Dingley
moved that further debate be limited to
forty minutes.
McMillin thought that TOO short and as
II consequence there were three roll calls
before the motion was agreed to. An
other roll call was necessary to resolve
the house back into a committee.
Springer of Illinois, Wilson oil West
Virginia aud Breckenridge OF Kentucky,
opposed the bill.
Mckinley defended the decision of the
secretary OF the treasury. The bill pro-
vided for simple justice. 1t didn't in
crease the duty. The duty now paid was
paid under a decision of the secretary,
and all the bill did was to continue the
collection duty under the Interpretation Of
the law given by the secretary.
The importers paid a higher rate of
duty under protest. In the circuit
OF New York it had been decided that the
higher rate was unauthorized and the de
cision will undoubtedly be affirmed bv the
supreme court. The importer would re
cover from the public treasury all he had
paid in excess of eighteen or t~wenty-four
cents after having already added that ex-
cess to the price to the consumer. This
could not be prevented now, but congress
could prevent the importers from con
tinuing this until the supreme court had
rendered a decision. II was the duty of
congress to protect the people and the
treasury against this wrong.
Breckenridge of Kentucky offered an
amendment providing for free raw wool
and a duty of IS per cent ad valorem on
worked and wooden cloths after Oct. ],
1890.
The chairman ruled the amendment
out on a point of order, on the GROUND
hat the bill referred to classification anC
not rates ofduty.
Breckenridge appealed, but the decis
ion was sustained-74 to Sc.
The committee then rose and reported
the bill to the house. On the passage o
the bill no quorum voted. and there beiul
no quorum present, Dingley, in view o
the fact that a Republican clucus wa.
called for this evening at 1920, moved al
adjournment, which was carried.