The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-27


their constituents. That was its sole OBJ
ject.
The discussion on the rule being closed,
the vote was taken and the rule was
agreed to-Yeas, 2is; nays. 50.
The vote was on strict party lines, ex-
eept that Messrs. Connolly OF Illinois,
Carolina, and Wilbur of New York, reps,
voted No" with tie democrats.
The bill was then read in full, and at
$50 o'clock the debate upon IL commenced,
with three and a half hours TO run, the
time to be divided equally between the
two sides of the Hause.
Mr.; Dingley, rep, of Maine, chairman
or the committee on ways and means,
opened the debate on the side of the ma
1ority. He said that when the Presidents
special message was read at the clerks
that there existed a serious condition of
the finances of the country and of the
FEDERAL treasury and appealing to the
until relief was afforded every member
felt that there was imposed upon the
House, not only a special responsibility,
but an urgent demand for immediate ac-
ton; and that it was the duty Of the
House to remain in session until some
measure of Legislation was passed that
would afford relief to the exigent state
of the treasury. The committee on ways
and means had taken the matter up and
proceeded TO consider what measures of
relief should be proposed. The first thing
that had attracted the attention of the
committee on ways and means was that
for two years and a half, there had been
a constant deficiency of revenue; until
that want had become chronic. He knew
that gentlemen on the other side claimed
that the revenue was sufficient; but the
fact was that from July J. 1898, up to to-
day there had been an insufficient
amount of revenue to cover current ex-
penses of the government to the aggregate
amount of S3, 100000. The deficiency for
the current year was over $ls5O,oO; and
for the current month OF December the
deficit approximated SS,O00,O00. What then
did the gentlemen mean and what did the
Secretary of the Treasury mean In say
ing that there was no need of additional
revenue?
They meant that with the proceeds Of
the sale of bonds and the use OF the
greenbacks received for them, the re-
ceipts exceeded the expenditures. 1t
seemed to him, and to a majority Of the
committee on ways and means, that tne
first course to be taken was to legislate
so as to provide sufficient revenue to meet
the expenditures of the government.
Mr. Dingley went on to discuss and
uphold the bill in detail, and said that
If IL became a law 1t would not only in
crease the revenue by over 100000 but
would also give TO the business interests
of the country the moral influence OF
government which was solvent, which
paid its debts, and whose credit was sec
ond to no government on the face of the
earth. (Republican applause)
Mr.. Crisp said that the bill, i'm order to
be responsive to the request of the Pres
ident, ought to be in line with the sug
gestions that came from that source He
insisted, from Secretary Carlisle's report,
that the cash balance In the treasury on
Dec. !, 1895, was $1T0O00,00O, being S9S,000
600 in excess of the gold reserve and ST.,
100000 i'll excess of any sums necessary to
build up the gold reserve.
There was therefore Quoting Mr. Car
lisle), no reason TO doubt the ability of
the government TO dis ,harge all its cur
rent obligations during the present fiscal
year, and have large cash balance at
its close, without imposing additional
taxation in any form on the people" His
friend from Maine (Mr. Dingley) knew
no one better-that there was In the treas
ury to-day over and beyond the gold re-
serve, more free money-three times over
than any deficiency which might occur
during the fiscal year. IL was not
question of borrowing money to meet eX-
penses. The money was already borrow
ed and was in the treasury and the ques-
ton was whether Ii should be used now,
or whether the House should rush, post
haste to impose additional burdens on
the people to pile up money in the treas
ury.
Mr.. Crisp went on to taunt the commit
tee on ways and means with reporting
bill for a horizontal rise of duties after
all the ridicule which had been cast on
Mr.. Morrison's bill for a horizontal cut;
and he said that the effect of the pending
measure was to declare that the Mckin-
ley tariff act was partly right and 40 per
cent. wrong Qaughterl. He quoted Mr.;
McKinley's criticism of the Morrison bill
as patchwork and a proof of Incidence,
and said that on the issue OF the pending
measure the parties would go before the
people in the next presidential campaign,
and he had no doubt that the people would
respond, as they had always responded,
in favor of themselveS-that was, In favor
of lower taxes democratic applause).
Mr.. Wheeler argued against the pending
measure.
Mr. Payne, a member of the committee
on ways and means, said that the republl-
cans in the House being ready to meet
the responsibility which was on them to-
day, had presented a bill to increase the
revenue. Two years from now, however,
they would meet the responsibility of that
hour and would present to the House and
Senate and to republican President
bill for the protection of American labor
and American agriculture, and would
write it on the statute book. (Applause.)
Mr.. Mcmillan, DEM, of Tennessee, a
member of the committee on ways and
means argued against the bill and re-
minded the republican side of the House
of the wise warning given by the present
speaker in the republican caucus which
nominated him in these words: History
will accord us praise for what we did in
the Fifty-first congress; and II may ac-
cord us praise in this congress for what
we do not do" What the House was do
ing to-day was one of the things to which
that warning was applicable; and the
country would give them more praise for
abstinence than for continuance in such
a course.
Mr. Dalzell, a member of the commit
tee on ways and means, repeated what
he had said in the discussion as to the
rules that the pending measure was in no
sense a protective tariff BILL or a revision
of the tariff or an attempt to correct
tariff Irregularities, but was simply an
emergency revenue measure, matured in
haste, under the whip and spur of press
ing and cruel necessity. When passed it
would be a conspicuous tribute to the pa
triotism of the republican party rising
above party prejudice at the summons
Of a democratic president.
Mr. Bell, pop, of Colorado, did not be-
lieve that the remedy for the trouble was
in increasing taxation, but in the coinage
of the silver bullion in the treasury and
paying ii out.
Mr.. Dockery, dem, of Missouri, argued
against the bill.
Mr.. Hopkins, rep, of Illinois, argued in
favor of IT'S passage.
Mr. Grosvenor. rep, of Ohio, said that
he gave his support TO the pending meas
ure because II was a revenue measure
and because IL was demanded by the mes
sage of the President
The discussion was ended for the oppo-
nents OF the bill by Mr.. Turner Of GeOr-
gia The administration OF President Har-
rison, he said, came into power with a
surplus IN the treasury over the gold re-
serve Of s243, 10000 II turned over 10 the
present administration four years later,
q surplus Of 90 o00O0. Of which 95l0)0O00
belonged 10 the fund deposited In the
treasury for the redemption OF green-
EanrgfaFH ~