Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-01-26
THE ONE-TENTH TAX
Mr.. Wilson Advocates the Repeal of the
Discriminating Sugar Duty.
Notice Given OF Amendments to De
Ofered-Other Business Trans
acted In the House.

At the opening of the session Of the
House today on motion of Mr.. Bailey
| Tex.) bill was passed to grant to the
| Gainesville, McAllister and ST. Louis rail-
| road the right to construct two branch
| lines through the Indian territory; also on
| motion of Mr.. Flynn %. To to grant to
| the Oklahoma Central railroad a right of
| way through the Oklahoma and Indian
| territories.
Mr.. Ffthian Qll) asked unanimous con-
sent for the consideration of bill pro-
| viding special rules for the navigation Of
rivers and, harbors and inland waters Of
the United States, and to amend the act
to prevent collisions at sea.
Mr. Fithian stated this legislation was
| earnestly desired by the Treasury Depart
ment There was no objection, and the
hill was passed.
To Repeal the Discriminating Sugar
Tax.
After the call Of committees for reports
the House, on motion of Mr.. Wilson CIV.
Va), chairman of the ways and means
committee, went into committee of the
whole to consider the bill to repeal that
portion of the tariff act of August 2S, 1894.
providing for the imposition of a differe1-
1
on sugars of all grades imported from all
bounty-paying countries.
Mr.. Hopkins Qll) Immediately gave no
tice of amendment he would offer at
the proper time in the shape of a proviso
that the duty should remain in force as
against any country or dependency of any
country which Disseminated against the
United States, and Mr.. Meyer Ua) gave
notice of an amendment to increase the
ad valorem duty on all grades of sugar
from 10 per cent to 50 per cent ad valorem
MIR. Wilson's Speech.
In opening the debate Mr.. Wilson ex-
pressed the hope that it would be brief.
The House, he said, had twice sent to the
Senate bills containing provisions for the
free importation of all sugars, raw and re-
fined. He said the purpose Of this bill was
to repeal the proviso of the imposition Of
the one-tenth of a cent additional against
bounty-paid sugar.
For sixty years, Mr.. Wilson said, there
gar bounties treaties containing favored
nation clauses. By these treaties the
United States agreed not to discriminate
against the governments which were par
ties to them. The German government had
protested against this discriminating duty
even before the tariff bill became a law,
and Mr.. Wilson sent to the clerks desk
and had read the protest of the German
minister, dated July 10, 1894, against the
proposed duty as in contravention OF the
favored nation clause of the treaty be-
tween the German empire and the United
States. He also had read the formal pro-
test of the German government, dated Au-
gust 2S, 1884, and the letter of Secretary
Gresham to the German ambassador, dated
December Z, 1894, and the latters reply
thereto.
He then had read the formal notification
Gf the German ambassador of the exist
ence Of Texas fever among cattle imported
into Germany and the imperial edct pro-
hibting their admission, and another letter
specifically disavowing any purpose of re-
taliatfon on the part of the German gov
ernment and placing the @dict prohibiting
further Importation on purely sanitary
grounds.
Notification as to Cattle Fever.
The letter of October &c from the German
ambassador is a formal notification that
I'm consequence of the Introduction of
Texas fever by means of two shipments
frcm New York the importation of fresh
beef and cattle from the United States to
Germany Will shortly be prohibited 1 have
to add that shipments made from the
United States Up to the 18th of October
Will be admitted under compulsory slaugh-
ter at landing" The ambassador states
and concludes: Il reserve for a later COM
nunication to your eXcellency the partic-
uiarS OF these cases.
tary OF State, dated October 81, SAYS: THAT
which L had the honor to express on sew
eral occasions to your excelency as nv
personal opinion, is officially con-
Ermed by instructions which L have re-
celVed from Berlin. The imperial govern
ment when it decreed the prohibirion of
cattle, far from intending it us a retalia-
ton, was merely prompted by veterinary
considerations.
BY expert authority the existence Of
cases OF sickness was established in two
separate c2rgocs, which are recognized
with absolute certainty as Texas fever, and
only thereupon was the prohibition of I'M
portation issued. There remained no doubt
that in Germany one must have recourse
to protection against this dangerous dis
ease, which heretofore had not made its
appearance among cattle there, and that
resort 20 prohbltory measures was COM
pulsory.
Notwithstanding the immediate existing
danger, all shipments from the United
States up to the 10Th of October were ad-
mltted, out of special consideration, under
compulsory slaughter on landing. The
action taken in this case is exactly the
same pursued towards all other countries
whose cattle show any symptoms of con-
tagtous disease germs. The imperial gov
ernment believes that the government of
the United States has the less ground for
complaint, as its own sanitary regulations
are specially severe towards foreign coun-
tries section of the act of August 80,
1890, and No. of the provisions for its
execution exemp1ify.
A Wonderful Coincidence.
Mr.. Wilson pointed out what Sam Weller
would call the wonderful coincidence be-
tween the imposition of this discriminating
duty by the United States and the discov-
cry of Texas fever among our cattle and
the prohibition of their further importa-
ton. No reasonable man, he thought,
would doubt that these alleged violations
of treaty obligations were the real cause of
GermanyS action.
In passing, MIR. Wilson said he desired to
state that Denmark, Sweden and Belgium,
with whom we had large and profitable
trade, had followed the lead Of Germany,
and had excluded our cattle and dressed
beef.
LIKELY TO COMPROMISE.