New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-04-01
PRICE THREE CENTS.
HOUSE PASSES TARIFF BILL.
WITH AN AMENDMENT PUTTING THE
NEW RATES IN FORCE TO-DAY.


BESIDES THE SOLID EEPr BI.CAN PHALANx. FIVE
DEMOCRATS AND ONE PoPuLrsT VOTED FOR
THE BILL. WHILE TWENTY ONE MEM
BERs REFUSED TO GO on REC
ORD AGAINST PROTECTION.
fBY rELEGr PHI TO THE rRrBusEI
Washington Mar n 31.-The House OF Repre-
sentatives to-day completed ts share in the
task set for the new Congress by President Nc
Knley's proclamation Of March 6. convokng
the two branches to face the public emergency
caused by the ruInous and spendthrft fiscal
policy Of preceding Democratic Administra-
ton SO far as it lies in the power Of the popu-
lar branch OF Congress the Wilson tariff for
deficit has been replaced by tariff which will
insure for the National Treasury annual in
come at least equal to It's annual expenditures.
and at the same time that an adequate revenue
has been secured for the needs Of the Govern
ment the gross Inequalities and arbitrary dis
ordinations OF rhe Wilson-Go hodge,
podge have been swept away TO make room on
the statutc-books for reasoned, orderly and
equitable system Of protection for American
labor and American products
1t has taken the House only two legislative
weeks to respond In practical and eHectiVe
way to the urgent demand Of the country Tor
remedial revenue legislation. From this time on
the fortunes Of this legislation are 10 be com.
mitted to the uncertainties and hazards when
surround public business in the deliberative
branch Of Congress-a branch In which no pollt-
ical party Is at present invested with recognized
responsibility control. That the House bill
will be long delayed there and in many I'm
portant features reshaped and transformed
seems now inevitablc but 1t seems equally safe
a,,I,g,, he
lines laid down by the Ways and Means Com
mittee and indorsed by the sold Republican
vote Of the House to-day
VOTE OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE.
The vote by which the House passed the Ding.
ley bill this afternoon was highly significant
one-showing. rs it did, the strength Of the pro.
lection sentiment even outside the lines OF the
Republican party. Two hundred and five Repre-
scntatives supported tho measure on its finai
passage-l99 Of them Republicans. Democrats
and | Populiss. One hundred and twenty-one
Representatives voted against the b-lli OF
them Democrats and Populists Twenty-one
Representatives-1S of them Populists and 3 Sill
verites-declned to go on record as hostile 10 the
system of protection and asked 10 be counted In
the list of present and not voting. Seven years
aeo the Mckinley bill failed to receive single
Democratic vote in the House Of Representa-
tives.
Three Louisiana Democi iats-Broussard. Davey
and Meyer-led the revolt to-day from the leader
81 ip Of Cleveland. Wilson and McMillin. and they
were Joined by two colleagues from TeXas-kle-
berg and Slayden-both new members. ana re-
hectng present rather than traditional Texas
sentiment on the protection issue. Howard. OF
Alabama, the only Populist who voted for
the passage Of the Dingley bill. The seven Popu-
lists who opposed The measure were Jehu Baker.
OF Illinois: Castle. Of California; Jett, OF Illinois;
Marshall Of Ohio; Peters. Of Kansas. Jerry sinp-
son of Kansas, and Todd, Of Michigan The
Populists and Silverites who refused to join the
opposition were Bell and Shafroth. Of Colorado:
vincent. Botkins, Mccormick and Ridgely OF
Kansas; Fowler. Martin Strowd. skinner ana
Shuford Of North Carolina: Greene. Maxwell.
stark and Sutherland of Nebraska Gum. ot
Idaho; Newlands. Of Nevada; Hartman. OF Mon
tana: Jones of Washington; Kelley and Knowles.
of South Dakota.
THE RETROACTIVE" AMENDMENT
In attaching TO the bill as it passed today the
so-called retroactive amendment prepared by
Mr. Grosvenor and accepted by the Ways ana
Means Committee the House attempts a s.rik-
ing novelty in tariff legislation. How far the
scheme Of making goods liable to duty at the
finished and problematical legislation still pend
ing in Congress cal be made to work is DELI
cate and highly perpIexing problem Mr.
Grosvenor's plan consists in making the differ.
ence in duties after tomorrow between the WILL
son-C;orman act and the rates finally 10 be
adonted by Congress lien on goods brought IN
between April and the date on which the Tarin
bill r. to became law. BY reverse process In
cases where the new rates fall eventually be-
low those in the Wilson German law rebate Is
to he allowed by the Government
The decision of the Supreme Court In June,
1Sg5 AZ 10 the date on which the rates Ia the
Wilson German law became operative bears
closely on the points raised against MI Gros-
venors retroactive amendment. lnasmuch az
the decision itself has been quoted as SUSTAIN
ing the position OF the Committee on Ways and
Means as well as controverting it, a review Of
the case will be found highly pertinent. The
Wilson -Gorman bill as passed by the Senate on
July g 1S.,i made August l. lSJi the date on
which the new rates were To take effect. After
six weeks of wrangling in conference the House,,
welded in n pani1 and accepted the bill exactly
ms Il stood when II came back from the Senate.
President CT ,veland withheld his signature. and
the measure became law by promulsation on
August 2S August still the date named
in the text for the new duties To become opera.
tive.
An importing house in NewYork. Burr a
Hardwicke. had brought IN some lace on Au.
gust s 1894 and duty was levied and collected
under the Mckinley act. then still in force.
Soon after the importers appealed for rebate
on the ground that the goods We're dutiable
under the Wilson -Gorman act. because brought
in after August l. The Board of General Ap-
praisers hetd that the rates Of the Mckinley act
held good on August ), and the judge OF the
Federal Circuit Court in New-fork reversed
this decision. maintaining that the wilson Cor.
man rates had gone into force on August l. the
case was sent up to the Supreme Court by tho
Circuit Court of Appeals for instructions. these
questions being asked:
First-should the assessment unGer the act OF