The Washington times., 1894-05-11
SENATE PROGRESS IS SLOW
Two Amendments to the First Para
graph of the Bill Voted Down.
HARRIS WANTS LONGER SESSION
Suggestion That the Senate Convene at 10
O'clock Meets with Opposition-senator
Hill Present, but hot Voting Chandler
Teasing the Democrats.


by an amendment offered by Mr.. Gallinger
against Canada for high duties imposed by
that country. Other Senators expressing
desire to speak on that subject, it was delayed
until a later date.
The first paragraph in the tariff schedules,
viz: that Of acetic or pyroligenous acid, in the
chemical schedule, was then taken up. and
Senator Allison, taking the floor, offered an
amendment substituting the provision in the
Mckinley law on this article for the provision
in the pending bill of 20 per cent. ad valorem-
The amendment is as follows: :'Acetic or
pyroligenous acid. not exceeding the specific
gravity of one and forty-seven one-thou-
sandths ~ cents per pound; exceeding
the specific gravity of one and torty-seven
one-thousandths, 4 cents per pound"
Mr.. Allison spoke against the change made
from the present law, and especially criticised
the change from specific to ad valorem duties.
He called attention to the fact that the acetic
acid duty in the Mills bill was in accordance
with the specific system. and intimated that
Mr.. Mills had not in that instance been un-
friendly to specific rates. Rising at this
juncture, Mr.. Mills said the Iowa Senator was
not, he said. Irresponsible for the specific
rates in the Mills bill. The Senator Knows
very well that no one man makes tariff
bill"
Mr.. Mills then urged that the acid and all
other chemicals should 20 on the free list.
and if not that the duties should be ad
valorem and not specific, SO that the people
should know how much they We're taxed.
The vote en- Mr.. Allison's amendment was
strict party one 81 against and q for: so the
Iowa Senator at once modified his amendment
TO make the duty specific at rates from TO
8 cents q pound.
Mr.. Lodge here suggested that it would be
a good plan to have the replies of the queries
of the Finance Committee now before the
Senate. so as TO aid in the consideration Of
the bill. Mr.. Vest explained that printing
of replies had been stopped, because many re-
plies were made up Of personal abuse on Sen
ators. He cared nothing about it, but other
Senators ight.
Mr.. Chandler had understood that these
circular replies were to have taken the place
of hearings. Now their publication was to
be stopped because some of them were
offensive.
Mr.. Chandler then entered long protest
against ad valorem duties. reading long news
paper extracts, ETC.. TO show how unsatisiac-
tory their administration had been. Mr. Frye
bore personal testimony to the ease with
valorem system, and went on TO say that he
had served on tariff committee with Mr..
Mills twenty years ago and it was useless TO
argue with him. He was an ad valorem crank.
He had never seen but one theorist whom he
was able to convince. That man was Prof.
Agassiz. He told the professor on one oc-
casion that he had caught trout weighing
nine pounds. Mr. Agassiz informed him OF
the utter impossibiity ofsuch feat and called
his attention to one of his recent magazine
articles. Some tine alterward he sent the
professor a trout weighing eight pounds and
received from him note saying that the
theory of life time had been kicked TO death
by stubborn fact
At this point Mr.. Harris attempted to offer
resolution that the Senate meet at 10
o'clock each morning until otherwise ordered.
Mr.. Hoar objected. "All right said Mr..
Harris. lit will come up again.
Mr.. Doiph (0re.) then took the floor. He
desired TO complete the branch OF the subject
he was on when he last had the floor, as his
speech was in type at the Government Print
ing Office and the Public Printer was COM
planning that the type locked up in his speech
was Gripping the work of the Office. Il want
to complete the first half of my speech said
he. $50 that it can be printed and the Public
Printer can have his type" ELaughterl
After Mr.. Dolph had discoursed on the tariff
OF 1s46 Senator Lodge reiterated his sugges-
ton as TO the printing of the replies. Senator
voorhees, denied that the printing had been
stopped. They would be ready in another
day. There was then short colloquy be-
tween Senators Chandler and Voorhees, on
the subject. when the vote was taken on Mr..
Allison's modified amendment. 1t was lost.
1t was noticed that Mr. Hill (N.Y.) although
present did not vote. Upon the announce
ment Mr.. Jones ARK offered the first OF the
compromise" amendments TO change the
rate on boracic acid from 90 per cent. ad
valorem to cents per pound.
Mr. Perkins, of California, offered an
amendment to this amendment TO make the
duty cents Per pound (the present duty. |
California, he said, was the pioneer state in
the development Of the borax industry
Under protective tariff the price had fallen
from 25 to cents per pound, and reduction
of the duty to cents would paralyze the in
dustry.
At this point the resolutions on the death
of Mr.. Brattan. OF Maryland, were introduced
and passed, and the Senate as a mark of re-
spect adjourned.