The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-12
cONFEREES ARE coNClLAToRY
-FOUR HOURS SPENT IN CONsULTA-
TON YESTERDAY.

Several Hundred of the Minor
Amendments Already Agreed Up
On-NOne of the Real Important
Problems of the Bill Solved Yet.
All of Them Given CursOry Con-
alteration and n Spirit OF COnces-
sion shown That Promises n
Speedy Settlement.
Washington, June 1.-THE conferees on
the tariff bill he'd four hours session to-
day. The anxiety TO reach a complete
agreement as early as possible Induced
them to meet on the Sabbath and tonight
both the House and Senate conferees ap-
pear satisfied with the progress that has
been made. Several hundred of the minor
amendments have been agreed upon, many
of them were changes Of phraseology and
on large majority of these the House
conferees naturally have yielded.
None of the real important problems in
the bill, however, have as yet been solved.
All of them, however have received more
or less consideration, and there has been
free exchange of opinion. The temper and
disposition of the Senate and House con-
this way been ascertained. In several
cases the conferees are close to an agree
ment. Both sides, so one of the conferees
said tonight show a commendable spirit
Of Cancellation, and, while in several in
stances each side seemed to be holding
out strongly for it's contentious as to
rates, he said there had not yet appeared
on the horizon anything which portended
such difficulty as would not in time be
surmounted. There is the best reasons
for believing that several of the main
points of contention will be compromised.
This is especially believed to be true of
lumber, hides and WOO. and possibly SUI
gar, though on the latter the House con-
ferees are standing particularly firm for
their schedule
On the subject of reciprocity the drift
of opinion seems to be in the direction of
the Senate substitute, but with certain of
the House provisions, that is, that the
list of articles which can be used as a
basis for reciprocity treaties will be
broadened, but that the Senate provision
requiring the ratification Of the treaties,
will be discarded.
Several of the eminent lawyers in both
branches of congress question the consti-
tutionality of the power conferred upon the
President by the Senate reciprocity provis-
ion.
The stamp tax on stocks and bonds pro-
vide for in one of the Senate amendments
has not yet been accepted. The revenue
afforded by 1t furnishes a strong argument
for its acceptance in view of the heavy an
ticipatory importations, and there is talk
of widening its scope so as not only to in
clude a tax on actual transfers, but on all
recorded sales
This necessity of revenue also furnishes
strong argument for the restoration of
the House rates on imported tobacco.
IL Is impossible to estimate yet WIEN
hnal agreement will be reached, and, al
though various dates are given as to the
length of time the bill will remain in
conference, ranging from Tuesday to
week from Tomorrow, one of the most in
huential of the conferees said tonight
that all estimates were necessarily pure
guess work. He said that the decisions
on the matters of transcendent Importance
in the bill were so interdependent that
an ultimate decision on one might involve
complete agreement on others. and that
this final agreement might come at any
time after the rest of the matters of sec
ondary Importance were out of the way
When the report is completed it will at
once go to the House, where 1t Is not
likely that more than one day will be
allowed for debate. The anxiety to get
the bill on the statute books and the
great loss of revenue involved in each
twenty-four hours delay. 1t is argued
justities the republican managers in de-
Ginning to give more than single day for
discussion.