The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-05-06
FROM THE NATIONS CAPITAL
THE SENATE FINANCE COMMIT
TEE DISCUSSED REPORTING
THE TARIFF BILL. !
DEMOCRATS Want 70 SEE THE Bill.
before Promising Anythiag-sena
tor Vest introduced a Resolution
In the Senate Inqufring Into
Flood Causes

washington, April 29.-The senate
hnance committee was in session for an
hour today, four republicans and four
democrats being present. The absentees
were fiatt (rep.) of Connecticut. Jones
(dem) OF Arkansas, and Jones (silyerr rep.)
of Nevada. No conclusion of any Kind
regarding the tariff bill was reached. al
though the republicans said they hoped
to be able TO report the bill TO the full
committee ON Monday. The republicans
asked that a time be fixed for presenting
the bill to the senate. but the democrats
OBJECTED to such date, saying they want
ed a reasonable time to consider the bill.
ana there would be no undue delay. The
democrats were not shown COPY of. the
bill, nor did they receive any inform stion
regarding its character
Ihe discussion was confined entirely to
the proposition of the republicans to nor
init the bill to be reported direct to the
senate and the alternative proposition to
consider it very briefly in committee. The
democrats declined the first suggestion,
but said with reference to the second that
they could not reply until they should
have an opportunity to see the bill. They
stated however, that under any circum-
stances they would expect to be given
sufficient time to thoroughly examine the
bill before consenting to its being reported
Beyond this they would ask nothing, as
they would not seek unnecessarily to de-
lay the bill for a day.
The republicans vouchsafed no informa-
ton in regard to the changes made in the
bill beyond stating that they were gen
orally in the line of reductions. The dis
cussions were of conversational char
acter and were participated in by all the
senators present.
One fact developed was that the republi-
cans do feel absolutely assured Of the
vote of Senator Jones of Nevada in COM
mittee. The democrats express confidence
that he would stand with them, ut least
to the extent to seeing that they had time
for consideration of the bill in committee.
The republican members of the finance
committee do not accept with good grace
the refusal Of the democrats to permit
speedy report of the tariff bill. They say
that the position of the democrats is I'm
precedented, the rule being to allow the
majority to bring in and present its
amended bill without effort on the part
of the minority to change the result In
committee. There is d possibility that
they may evade the democrats by report
ing the Dingley bill back to the senate
without any amendments whatever. This
could be accomplished by the adoption of
a resolution by the senate, discharging
the committee from the further consid-
GRAFTON of the bill and ordering it to re-
port baQk. The ACCESSIBILITY of adopting
such n course is discussed somewhat by
the republican members of the commit
tee. They say the amendments agreed
upon by the republican members could be
presented from time to time in the SEN
ate, and they feel that there would be
one great advantage in this course in
avoiding: the necessity Of getting the con-
sent of Senator Jones Of Nevada to every
change made before presenting the Dlil.
The democrats do not regard the outlook
thus presented very seriously. They do
not believe that the republican members
Of the committee would take the RESPONSE
bility of reporting the bill without q
a course as bluff"