Evening star., 1894-04-04
SOME TARIFF TALK
How Senator Quay Explained a
Petition as to Sugar.
SENATOR ALLISON RESUMES His SPEECH
The EngIish-HiIbom Contested
Election Case Settled.
H I L B RN UNS AT E D

In the Senate today the report of the Sec
retary Of Agriculture relative to the visible
supply Of wheat, in response to the resolu-
ton of Senator Pettigrew, passed yesterday
was read and referred to the committee on
agriculture.
Among the petitions and memorials pre-
sented was one by Senator Gordon of Geor-
gia. being a protest of the Baptist Churches
Of Atlanta, Ca. against the constitutional
amendment proposed by Representative
Morse (Mass.) recognizing the Deity in the
preamble to the Constitution. 1t was re-
ferred to the judiciary committee.
A Tariff Petition.
A lively debate was precipitated by the
presentation of a memorial from the Phila-
delphia board of trade praying for adequate
duties on sugar. Senator Quay, who pre-
sented the memorial, sent it to the clerk
desk to be read, but Senator Harris, carry
ing out the threat made yesterday that he
would object to the interposition Of any
business which would delay the tariff bill,
objected to the reading of the memorial.
whereupon Mr.. Quay withdrew the me-
mortal and began to read 1t himself.
Mr.. Harris objected to this also and re-
quested that the rule regarding petitions and
memorials be read. He said that they could
not be read at length either by the clerk nor
MIR. AIdrich's Hint.
The rule was read. when Senator Aldrich
suggested to Senator Quay that upon any
question coming up in the morning hour he
could address the Senate upon it and read
the memorial as part of his remarks.
Mr.. Harris agreed as to the correctness
of Senator Aldrich's hint, but characterized
1t as an ingenious method Of violating the
rule.
Senator Vest took the same position as
Senator Harris and asserted that II all pc
titions were to be read the entire time of the
Senate would be fully taken up.
Senator Aldrich said that the committee
on finance had heard certain interests. while
others had been precluded. This practically
amounted to a denial of the right of petit
ton. The discussion was further taken part
in by several other Senators on both sides
of the chamber.
The Vice President held that the purpose
of the Senate in enacting the rule was evil
IDENTIFY in the interest of economy OF time,
and he was compelled to sustain the point
of order of Senator Harris. Senator Quay
asked if it was the decision of the chair
that he might make brief statement. ana
the Vice President assented.
MIR. Quay's Statement.
Mr. Quay then explained that the petit
ton was from the Philadelphia board of
trade one of the greatest commercial bod
les in the country, composed Of men OF
high intelligence and wealth.
1t dealt with the duty on sugar imposed
by the pending BILL holding that it would
result in the Importation of loaf and granu-
lated sugar. The petitioners urged that
all sugar Of 9S degrees polariscope test
or No. l6 Dutch standard should be sub
ject to a tax of S1.36 per 100 pounds and
IA of a cent per pound additional on re-
fined sugar, or s1.51 per 100 pounds.
The duty proposed in the bill would en-
danger the 3O0O.O00 invested In the
.l.nz A. M
men employed in the industry there.
The incident was thus closed, and, on, mo-
ton of Mr.. Gallinger On. H), the Senate
took up the bill to more effectually sup
press gambling in the District of Columbia.
The bill as amended was then passed on
a yea and nay vote of 32 to IL.
The resolution offered by Senator PETER
some time ago directing the finance COM
mittee to report a bill repeating all laws
authorizing the Secretary Of the Treasury
to issue bonds without speclilc authority
from Congress was laid before the Senate
and Mr.. PETER began speech in favor of
his resolution.
At o'clock Mr.. PETER asked unanimous
consent that the resolution should lie over
until tomorrow morning, when he would
continue his remarks. 1t was granted.
Mr.. Allison Resumes His Tariff Speech
The tariff bill was then laid before the
Senate as the unfinished business AMI Mr..
Allison took up the thread of his argument
at the point at which l. was dropped yes
terday. arguing against the substitution of
ad volorem duties in pace of the specific.
He pointed out the -iitficultv-almost the
impossibility-of accurately ascertaining the
Value of an article in the exporting coun-
try.
Contesting the assertion of Senator voor-
hees that prosperity under tariff for rev.
enue only continued until the war, he point
ed out that the Morrill, tariff was signed by
a democratic President in 1861, repeating the
tariff of 1896 before the war cloud settled
upon the country.
As to Specific Duties.
He said he understood the duty had been
made specific on tin plate in this bill at the
request of tin plate importers who feared
dishonest appraisement at their expense
under the ad valorem system. The duty on
coal had been made specific. he said. be-
cause American coal producers knew that
an ad valorem duty would practically be no
duty at all. The same was true of iron ore
and sugar.
He said the cutting down of the duty on
lead ore was to the detriment of silver lead
and silver ores being found commonly in
juxtaposition. While asserting that ad Valor-
EN- duties were the only just duties, they
had made specific duties on the products of
states whose representatives had access to
the committee that fixed the schedules.