The record-union., 1897-03-31
Before the Measure Now Pending Has
Become a Law.
The Subcommittee of the Republican
Members of the Ways and Means
Committee Reports an Amendment
to That Effect, Which Will be Pre-
sented i'm the House To-Day, With
Little Doubt That 1t Will be
Adopted by Party Vote.

WASHINGTON, March 30.-Chair-
man Dingley and his colleagues of the
Ways and Means Committee will at
tempt to have the duties imposed by
the new tariff bill go into effect before
the bill becomes a law. This novel and
much discussed policy was definitely
resolved upon at a meeting of the Re-
publican members of the committee
held tonight. The subcommittee.
consisting of Grosvenor of Ohio, Taw-
ney of Minnesota and Dalzell of Penn
sylvania which was authorized to re-
port on the proposition, presented an
amendment which they had written,
and their colleagues instructed Grosve-
nor to offer the amendment tomorrow
in the House. There is no doubt that
1t will be adopted by party vote.
The substance of the amendment fol-
lows:
THAT the duties imposed by the bill
shall be enforced and collected on all
goods imported subsequent to April
10Th and prior to the passage of the
Act, not purchased or in transit prior to
April 1st" It creates a lien on the
goods thus imported for the amount
of duties imposed, and also makes the
importer and the person in whose pos
session the goods may be found, if not
a retail merchant or a carrier, liable
for the amount of the duties or for the
excess imposed by the bill above the
amounts such articles may have paid
1t also requires customs officers to re-
tain samples of imported goods, to the
end that the evidence of identification
may be preserved. 1t provides for
bringing suits to recover the duties,
both against importers and wholesale
merchants. and gives to Circuit Courts
of the United States full and complete
jurisdiction to hear and determine such
actions and to enforce the Judgments
The members of the subcommittee
had investigated the question of the
constitutionality and validity Of the
proposition personally, and had secured
the opinion of able lawyers among
them the Attorney General of Ohio.
When they presented their colleagues
the authorities on which they propose
to sustain the amendment, there was
no dissent from their views
Letters have poured in upon Dingley
and his colleagues this week from i'm
porters, asking what was proposed to
be done in the matter. IF importers
can place their orders and get goods
through the custom houses before April
10th, the amendment will not affect
them, but they will be obliged to take
their chances in such attempts.
While there is much doubt expressed
by members of Congress as to the va
lidity Of the proposed amendment, and
as to its acceptance by the Senate, it
will doubtless have the effect of dis
couraging importations while the bill
is pending before the Senate.
The chief precedent on which the
committee relies to sustain its action is
decision of the Supreme Court grow
ing out of the Wilson Act That Act
did not become a law until August 2S
1894, although the bill stated that the
duties therein imposed should be levied
on and after August 1st. It was be-
fore Congress nearly month after the
time fixed for its beginning, and as the
House accepted the Senate amend
ments without sending the bill to a
conference between the two houses. the
intention Cf the leaders to change the
date of its enforcement in a conference
could not be carried out. The Supreme
Court decided, in effect, however. as it's
opinion is interpreted by the Ways and
Means Committee, that the rates of the
Act became operative on the date de-
clared by the Act although that date