Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-11
Progress Made in the Senate on
the Tariff Bill.
THE SPIRITS SCHEDULE COMPLETED
Entirely New Amendments to the
Cotton Schedule Offered.
MATTERS IN THE HO Sc

The Senate today entered on the eleventh
week of the tariff debate.
At the opening of the session Mr.. Morrill,
Of Vermont was granted the privilege OF
addressing the Senate for few minutes in
support Of his amendment to the naval ap-
preparation bill authorizing the appointment
Of the superintendent Of the United States
naval observatory from civil life at sal
ary of 5000 and providing for the reor-
ganization Of the observatory. Mr.. Morill
pointed out at length the advantage of
placing at the head Of this national observa-
tory a man who had made the science Of
astronomy life study.
Mr.. Quay Of Pennsylvania then created a
slight diversion by rising to q question Of
privilege and sending to the clerks desk
what he characterized as "A lying statement.
for which Senator Chandler is given as
authority"
1t proved to be Washington dispatch to
the New York Sun alleging that "A Phila-
delphia syndicate. of which Mr.. Quay was
the active agent" was seeking to get con-
troll of surface roads of Washington through
congressional legislation. The dispatch
stated that the scheme was as malodorous
as the sugar trust scandal.
Mr.. Quay's Personal Explanation.
Mr.. Quay made a personal explanation
after the clerk had read the article The
statements contained in II, he said, were
absolutely false. The facts We're he said
that certain citizens of Philadelphia, Of
whom Thomas Dolan was one (who the
others were he knew noD, had corporate in
terests In certain railroads in the District
of Columbia and were seeking an enlarge
ment Of the scope of their franchises; in
what way he knew not
AT the request of Mr.. Dolan he (Quay)
had done for the Philadelphia gentlemen
what he would do for any other citizens Of
pennsylh he had introduced them to
MIR. Mcmillan and Mr.. Faulkner OF the Dis
trict OF Columbia committee, so that they
could present their case He had not talked
with either of those Senators since. Last
Friday, being informed that the bill affect
ing the interests of this corporation would
be under consideration in the House TODAY
he had asked some OF the members of the
delegation from Pennsylvania to be present
10 help constitute quorum That was the
whole of his connection with the matter
Mr.. Quay said that in making this explana-
ton he had departed from his usual custom
OF treating with silent contempt the 10000
newspaper lies made about him for two rea-
sons-frst, because the article was evident
~ written with the purpose of affecting
ieelsiatlon today, and. second, because Mr.
Shandler had been given as authority for
the statements contained therein
Mr.. Chandler made statement when Mr.
quay took his seat to the effect that he
bad heard Of this syndicate. had perhaps
discussed the matter with newspaper men.
but he knew little about 1t. He had never
heard of Mr.. Dolan until this moment Ger
tainly he had made no remarks attrtbutinc
improper motives or relations with this cox
poratio to any Senator. So
Mr. Quay suggested. with broad smile.
that this newspaper fabrication be referred
to the scandal committee" Of which Mr.
Gray was chairman. and. with the easy
going senatorial way, there being no OBJ
lection beyond slight frown in Senator
Lindsay's face, II was so referred.
The Tariff Bill Again.
The tarin bill was taken up at O:3O The
agricultural schedule was completed on
Saturday. and today schedule H, spirits,
wines and other beverages" was under
consideration.
By an agreement reached just before ad-
tournament on Saturday this schedule was
considered under the f1ve-minute rule. Mr.
| on brandy and other spirits distilled from
grain from Sl.S0 per gallon in the bill to
$50, the present rate, was first taken up.
Mr.. Sherman and Mr.. Allison supported
on the ground that brandy was used largely
for medicinal purposes. Mr.. Platt Conn }
claimed that reduction Of the duty on
brandy would be a discrimination in favor
of France. He called attention to the news
paper reports that the German minister
had made an informal protest against the
discrimination in the sugar schedule against
Germany. Germany and France were at
sworIis points. If the United States dis
eliminated against Germany in the matter
of sugar and i'm favor of France in the mat
ter of brandies 1t would furnish Germany
with an additional reason for restoring the
prohibition on the importation Of Ameri-
can pork.
Mr.. Allison's amendment was defeated.
The Jones amendment imposing on all
compounds containing distilled spirits lex
cept where otherwise specified in the
chemical schedule) the rates provided for
distilled spirits was agreed to.
ATr Offered ampn6mant
increase the duty on cordials. liquors. ar
rack, absinthe. etc, from Sl.SO to $3.50.
Whatever might be said Of brandies as
medicines could not hold, he said, with
reference to cordials
The beverages touched by this paragraph
were pure luxuries, some OF them, like alb
sinthe, as injurious as opium, and there
could be no justification for the reduction
of the duty them. Mr.. Vest defended
the reduction on the ground that s1.S0 on
these beverages was the revenue rate.
Mr.. Sherman's amendment was lost.
Mr.. Allison offered amendment to in
crease the rate on limitations of brandy
spirits and wines from 81 to S1.Jo. 1t was
lost. as was another amendment to increase
the rate on bay rum from 81 to $3.50 The
paragraph imposing duties on champagnes
and other sparkling wines was Identical
with that in the Mckinley law CsS per dozen
quarts). and was agreed to without opposi-
ton.
Reducing the Duty on Still Wines.
ducing the duty on still wines containing
less than ii per cent Of pure alcohol to 80
cents per gallon (others to pay 20 cents per
gallon) met with opposition from Messrs
Allison and Aldrich. who contended that
most Of the red wines coming in competi-
ton with the native California wines would
be imported at the 30-cent rate.
Mr.. White OF California explained that I'm
some respects the amendment was less ad-
vantageous 10 the American producer of
wines than the House rate. The difficulty
with the still wine paragraph, he said, was
! contained in the provision that no still wine
imported in casks should pay more than 100
per cent ad valorem. This provision Mr..
White said. would prove exceedingly dis
advantageous in years like 1893 when an
enormous surplus of wine was produced in
France. Claret, he said. sold in France last
year for s cents a gallon. After consulta-
ton the California producers had agreed to
accept the schedule as modified by the
finance committee. The finance committee
amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Allison Offered an amendment to the
proviso chasing spirits and imposing du-
ties accordingly on all wines, ginger, cor
dalS. vermouth, &c, containing more than
25 per cent of alcohol, to reduce the alcohol
! percentage to "a.
The present law forfeits to the United
States all such wines containing over "a
per cent of alcohol
Mr.. Allison said that there was some hid
den influence behind this proposed change
| in existing law; there was an African in the
wood nile Mr. Allison's amendmapt mo ,