Evening journal., 1897-07-12
Senate Conferees Session.

Washington, July 12.-The conferees
on the tariff bill held four hours ses-
sion yesterday The anxiety to reach a
complete agreement as early as possible
induced them TO meet on the Sabbath,
and last night both the house and sem
ate conferees appeared satisfied with
the progress that had been made. Sew
eral hundred OF the minor amendments
have been agreed upon. many Of them
mere changes of phraseology, and on
large majority Of these the house con-
ferees naturally have yielded.
None of the real important problems
in the bill. however. have as yet been
solved. All of them have received more
or less consideration, and there has been
a free exchange OF opinions. The tenn
per and disposition Of the senate and
house conferees on these important mat
ters have in this way been ascertained.
In several cases the conferees are
very close to an agreement Both sides,
so one of the conferees said. show
commendable spirit OF conciliation. and
while in several instances each side
seems to be holding out strongly for its
contention as to rates he said there
had not yet appeared on the horizon
anything which portended such diff
Guilty az would not in time be sur
mounted.
There is the best Of reason for be-
lieving that several Of the main points
Of contention will be compromised. This
Is especially believed TO be true of lum-
her, hides and wool and possibly sugar,
though on the latter the house confer
ees 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 cer-
tain 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
eonstitutionality Of the power conferred
upon the president by the senate reci-
procity provision. The stamp tax on
bonds and stocks provided for in one Of
the senate amendments has not yet
been accepted. The revenue afforded
by it furnishes a strong argument for
its acceptance in view Of the heavy an
tlcipatory importations. and there is
talk of widening its scope so as not only
TO include a tax on actual transfers
but on all recorded sales.
This necessity - revenue also fur
nishes a strong argument for the resto-
ration of the house rates on imported
tobacco. 1t is impossible to estimate
yet when a final agreement will b'
reached. and although various dates are
given as to the length of time the bill
will remain In conference, ranging from
Tuesday to a week from today, one o.
the most influential of the confereei
said last night that all estimates weri
necessarily pure guesswork.
He said that the decisions on the mat
ters of transcendent Importance in tn
bill were so interdependent that an ul
innate decision on one might involve
complete agreement on Others and tina
this final agreement might come at an.
time after the rest Of the matters o
secondary Importance were out of tn
way.
When the report is completed. 1t WI
at once go TO the house, where it is no
likely that more than one day WIN b
allowed for debate. The anxiety to sc
the bill on the statute books and N
great loss of revenue involved In eac
"a hours delay. 1t is argued, justine
the Republican managers in decnnln