Birmingham state herald., 1895-12-25
IMPORTANT SESSION HELD
Horizontal t~ase the Topic Of Discussion at =.
 : Sesterday's Meeting.
CHANGES IN THE SCALE
Sri Ed Debete Arises Over Iron and Steel. gar Is Let Severely Alone-Time sS Chosen for Consideration Of
 the Measure.

Washington. Dec. 24--"Let the coun- try understand" cried a leading republi- can member of the ways and means com- mittee today, that the bill we shall pre- sent to the house on Thursday is a pure revenue measure, hurredly prepared to meet the exigency in our national finances and in response to the presi- dents plea that some measure of relief must be afforded by congress. There has been no attempt at tariff revision. Our measure is purely a revenue meas ure."
 The correctness of this declaration was shown by the action of the committee to- day in declining to hear Judge William Lawrence of Ohio, president of the National Wool Growers association, who desired to be heard in support of a higher rate on wool than that previously agreed upon. Repeated applications have been made to the committee in its collective and individual capacity from eastern manufacturers, who have deprecated nasty action in the preparation of the bill, that poStponement be had until their arguments could be presented. To all these applications the committee have turned a deaf ear.
 At this afternoons session of the re- publican members of the committee sev- eral changes were made in the rates agreed upon yesterday
 When an adjournment was had at o'clock the framework of the bill had been completed, and nothing remained but to put 1t in proper form. At yester- days meeting it was decided that farm products, including live stock, should en- joy a 25 per cent horizontal increase over the present law, because of the ruinous competition which the granger element along the northern frontier claimed to suffer from their Canadian neighbors. This led some of the eastern members to ask a corresponding increase on manu- factures of iron and steel This precipi- tated a spirited discussion, In which the committee divided practically on geo. graphical lines, the western men strongly opposing a higher rate than 15 per cent. After some debate an agreement was reached that the agricultural schedule should be placed in the same category as the other schedules, namely, at a 15 per cent horizontal increase. This was the only serious difference of the day, and it was speedily settled.
 Sugar alone is exempted from change. It was deemed inexpedient to include sugar in the horizontal increase.
 Lumber will be placed at 60 per cent of the Mckinley bill.
 The bond bill was completed today, and will be sent tonight to the govern ment printing office. The revenue bill will be laid before the full committee at II o'clock tomorrow morning.
 The committee on rules will report and pass through the house resolution set ting aside Thursday for the consideration of the tariff bill and Friday for the bond measure.
 The bond bill is simple in it's details. It provides for the issuance Of bonds, interest and principal payable In coin and redeemable at the option of the gov ernment at the end of five years. No pro- vision is made in the bond bill regarding the legal tender notes The bill. by separating the redemption fund from the general assets of the treasury. puts it in the power of the secretary tempo rarily to isolate the legal tenders when redeemed The two bills will go into effect upon their passage and remain in operation until August l. 1898.