The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-07-29
Senate Proceedings,

ence report was taken up today after rou
tine business was disposed Of and tn,
J formal reading of the report proceeded.
| During the early hours the discussion
was purely formal, most Of the time be-
ing given to identifying the numberc,
amendments with the text of the senat,
! bill.
! The first contest arose over amendment
600, relating to printing paper. The CON
ference reported Il rctaliatory proviso Il,
! follows:
That if any country or dependency shall
| impose an export duty upon pulp wood eX.
ported TO the United States there shall be
| imposed on printing paper when imported
| from such country or dependency an addi
! ti0nal duty of 1-1O of | cent per pound fol
| each dollar of export duty per cord 81
imposed and proportionately for fractions
| Of dollar of such exported"
Senators Vest, Jones of Arkansas and
| Teller vigorously protested against this
| amendment, saying it was Il new provision
not acted upon by the senate or house, and
was beyond the power of the conference
committee. Mr.. Teller characterized such
conduct as an outrage, as the committee
acted arbitrarily and came before the SEN
ate saying, in effect
What are you going TO do about it,
against the conference committee making
Il point of order against the rctaliatory
clause on the ground of its being new
matter. He said he would ask for q
ruling from the chair on the regularity of
the conference action.
Mr., Chandler referred to the broad lati
Jude given conference committees in the
practice of both houses of congress. He
raised laugh by telling Mr., Jones that
he had swallowed two tribes of Indians"
on conference report on one OF tho Indian
appropriation bills.
Mr. AidriGil. one of the cOnferees, de-
Tended the retalatory clause, saying it
was strictly within the rights of the con-
fcrccs, as the general subject was in de-
ference between the senate and the house.
The conference report must be accepted or
rejected as a whole. said Mr. Aldrich, and
the main question could not be diverted by
appeals for a ruling from the chair.
MIR. White of California referred to the
secret sessions of the republican confer
cnces, and ironically read Mr.. Chambers
remarks on the Wilson bill, wherein the
New Hampshire senator declared that the
bill had been brought forward in the dark
and should be blasted by legislative light
ming.
A lengthy discussion followed. when Mr..
Morgan argued that the committee had
exceeded its powers, and that it could not
arrogatc to itself the right to originate new
amendments. The senator branched Off
on the partisanship of the bill. The man
who would lift the tariff out of politics, he
said, would be another Thomas Jefferson
as bcncfactor to his country. The pres
ent bill was framed on purely partisan
lines, declared Mr. Morgan and was de-
signed to give benefits to party favoritcs.
Mr.. Morgan referred to the reports that
the splendid and ponderous speaker OF
the house of representatives had secured
house victory on the sugar schedule. The
senator thought there should be some mis-
withstandug his psndcrosity, the harder
he sat down on Il thing the higher it rises;
his sitting down on the
sugar schedule, up go prices. If he can
work the safety valve better than that
hc had better retire from politics"
President Hobart then announced his
decision on the point of order, holding that
it was not we'll taken. 1t was not, he
said for the chair to determine whether
the matter in a conference report was new
or was relevant All such questions we're
for the senate itself to decide on the QueS-
ton of accepting or rejecting the report.
When the amendment relating to hides
was reached. Mr. Allen of Nebraska asked
why the conference had provided draw
back of duty on leather exported made
from imported hides.
Mr.. Aldrich explained that the house
had insisted on the proviso. and he felt
that the drawback was payable under the
law without reference to this provision:
He thought about 100000 to S75O,O0O OF
hn ,tni
on hides, and probably about half of this
would be paid in drawbacks.
Mr.. Allen spoke against the bill as
whole. and incidentally referred to the
present coal strike. Contrasting it with
the promises of prosperity, The strike
would he arbitrated he said. and arbitrat-
ed in one way, namely in favor of the
coal baron and against the miner, and II
the miner protested he would be met with
the baton of the policeman or the bayonct
of the tin soldier.
Mr.. Teller and Mr.. Vest criticised the
hide amendment, the former saying that
the drawback clause was in the interest OF
the eastern tanners. as the western tan
ncrS. who did not export leather, would
get no drawback.
Mr.. Aldrich answered that the east and
west stood on the same basis so far as this
legislation was concerned.
Mr.. Aldrch said that three out of the
five senate conferees were from the west,
and he holly repudiated the statement
that New England and the east had been
unduly favored by the conferees.
The conference amendment omlttlnS
from the free list scientific books and peri
odicals brought out sarcastic speech
from Mr.. Vest.
The derided democracy had, in the vii,
son bill. placed paintings, statuary and
scientific books on the free list. thus con-
ferring benefit on all our people by in
viting to this country the best produc-
tons of art and science: now. however.
the 6. o. p. the party of culture, refine
ment and progress. took the backward
track and attempted to exclude these ar
ticle.
The reciprocity amendment occasioned
lengthy debate. Mr.. Teller inquired why
the president had been restricted to two
years in making reciprocity treaties.
Mr.. Allison explained that it was de-
sired to have our commercial relations
definitely established within reasonable