Daily Kennebec journal., 1894-02-01
TARIFF DEBATE.
First Amendment Passed Of
fered by the Republicans.
Mr.. Dingley Of Maine the Fortunate
Man Who Offered It.
Gold Reserve Fallen 10 $65. 100000 and
Steadily ceins Downward.

day went into committee of the whole to
consider the Wilson till. McMillin asked
unanimous consent that the vote on the
pending amendments and on all other
amendments which may be offered be taken
at four this afternoon, but Burrows OBJ
jected to the debate being thus limited, as
there would be one hour tomorrow morning
before the bill is reported to the House.
Tate of Georgia offered the first amend
ment to the internal revenue bill amend
ment, proposing to strike out the last
three sections of the bill, which include
the tax Of 81 per gallon on dis
titled spirits, and also the clauses referring
to the bonding of distilled spirits, and also
the clauses referring to their withdrawal
from the warehouses. The adoption of
this amendment would leave the existing
law as to spirits in force.
Tate explained that the terms of the pro-
posed law gave the dealers in distilled liq
uors only one month in which to take out
their store of liquors at the present price of
30 cents gallon. This would result in
driving many smaller dealers out of bust
ness and would give smaller revenue to
the government instead of an increase. He
also objected to the exte nsion of the bonded
DC riod from three to eight years.
Outhwaite of Ohio offered the following
amendment: THAT on and after the pas
sage of this act there shall be levied and
collected tax on all distilled spirits pro-
duced in the United States on which the
tax is not paid before that day. per par of
gallon, or wine gallon, when below par of
90 cents if paid within five days after the
date of distillation or your entry into bond;
81, if paid after two years and within three
years and 81 80 if paid after the three
years." Outhwaite's substitute for the
whiskey sections Of the bill was defeated
Yeas, AZ; nays, 81.
Bland of Missouri, offered substitute to
permit distillers at the expiration of the
bounded period to pay into the treasury the
cost of expectation of liquor under the pre-
sent regulations, the product to remain in
this country Cultivate said the loss Of
revenue under this scheme would be four
under it. Bland's substitute was defeated
without division.
Mr.. Dingley of Maine, offered an amend
ment striking out of the original text of the
bill the figures eight wherever they oc-
CURED as the period of the bond, and the
figures six wherever they occurred
as the time for regauging, and in
sert the figure three in each case. This
would leave the law practically as it exists
at present. Discussing DiDgley's amend
ment McCreary (Dem) of Kentucky said
that if it were adopted it would
inevitably cause the bankruptcy of a num-
Der of distilleries in the United States.
The amendment proposed by Dingley
vas then voted on and carried, 81 yeas to
70 nays. Tellers were asked for and on
this vote the amendment was again carried,
lO5 affirmative and 80 in the negative.
This is the first and only amendment which
he Republicans have succeeded in incor-
porating in the bill.
Bland offered substitute providing that
whenever any whiskey remained in bond
three years the owner could have the bond
extended by paying into the treasury the
sum it would cost to export and reimport it.
The amendment offered by Tate, striking
out the last three sections of the bill, leav-
ing the law as to spirits as at present, as
amended by Dingleys amendment, was
voted on after the Chair had, with some
difficulty, made the question clear to the
House.
1t appeared that should the amendment
be adopted it would leave the period of
bond three years raising the tax from 80
cents to 81. Tate modified the amendment
by decreasing the tax from 81 to 30 cents,
but subsequently withdrew the modifica-
ton. This did not seem to clear the atmos-
phere.
Dingley endeavored to make the amend
ment clear, and explained that the effect of
its adoption would simply be to continue
the provisions of the existing law as to the
extension of time, while not touching the
question of an increase of tax. Everett
voiced the sentiments of many members
when he stated he could not get the legis-
lative effect of the proposed amendments
clear to his mind, and asked the Ceair to
elucidate the status of affairs.
The Chair informed him that it was not
the duty of the Chair to explain the legisla-
tive effect Of the measure. All he was re-
quired to do was to explain the parliament.
ary status of the amendments. Enloe sug-
gested caustically that it was not the prov
ince of the Chair to supply deficient intelli-
gence of any member. The Chair ex-
planned to Everett and the House in general
that if they would observe order, Dingley
would explain everything to the satisfaction
of the members.
Dlngiey succeeded IN somewhat clarity
ing the Laxiness of the committee, but this
was scarcely accomplished before matters
were muddled by substitute to the pend
ing amendment. offered by Montgomery,
making some verbal changes in the text of
of the bill. McCreary offered an amend
ment to this substitute, changing the period
of the bond from three to five years.
Several points of order were made against
these amendments by Dingley, Terry and
Cultivate; but the Chair overruled all
points of order and ordered the sub
stitute and amendment read. After
this was completed, Cultivate made
. point Of order sgainst the amendment Of
tered by McCreary holding that the House
had already voted on the paragraph covered
by this amendment, when it acted favorAbly
on the amendment Of Dirgley.
Springer and Enloe spoke in opposition
to he point of order. The latter contended
against Dingley's asservation that the House
could not again act on the proposition to re-
duce the period of bond from eight to i've