Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1890-10-30

Senator Mcpherson Discovers Errors In the
Tariff Bill That He Considers Fatal Gov
eminent Odicials, However. Think Other
wise.
WASHINGTON, Oct Ex-senator Mo
Pherson very recently wrote as follows
to member of a 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
175 you will find amendment 449 and
section with the reading matter relat-
ing to drawbacks on tobacco stricken out
Turning over to page 176. sixth line from
the top, you will find the following:
Conference restores section 30 Now.
in the Tariff bill before you. you will
find section 80. ending with g cents per
pound, leaving all the rest of original
section 80 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 q
protest against Collector Erhardt's Off
cial action under the Mckinley bill was
last evening forwarded to the leading
importers in this city for signature
Under the law protests against the col
lector's assessments can not be lodged
until liq uida ton of entry and must be
lodged within ten days after that stage
in the importers business with the Gov
erIment
Acknowledgement Miller positively
dor I'D 90 k1,o in
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 Illegally Of the law
to the following statement:
II 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 1 must enforce it as 1 find
it. Anyhow, the tobacco schedule does
not take effect until January 1, so that
If Congress desires to refund two cents
pound on all tobacco on hand when
inc law taxes 0ueCC. IL nus ample tiuo
to 1egislate to that effect"
No alarm is felt here among the
friends OF the Mckinley bill as to the
legality of it's 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
| paragraph. word OF punctuation
| mark invalids. but not only the
part of the bill to which
| the error was relevant but the entire
measure would establish chaos in the
| affairs of Government and compel Con
gress to remain constantly in session te
correct Immediately on discovery errors
| in bills signed by the President, in or
der that the operation of the Govern
| ment might be carried on.