Birmingham state herald., 1897-04-30
NJ CONCLUSION REACHED By the Senate Finance Commit
 tee as to Rates. TIME FOR CONSIDERING The Measure Wanted by the Democrats in Con- mittee-Senator Jones' Vote a
 Doubtful Commodity

Washington, April 29.--The senate finance committee was in session for an hour today, four republicans and four democrats being present. No conclusion of any kind regarding the tariff bill was reached. The discussion was confin.d entirely to the proposition of the repub- licans to permit the bill to be reported direct to the senate and the alternative disposition to consider it was very briefly stated in committee. The demo- crats declined the first suggestion, but said with reference to the second that they coud make no reply until they should have an opportunity to see the bill They stated, however, that they would under any circumstances expect to be given sufficient time to examine the bill before consenting to it's being reported. Beyond this they would ask nothing, as they would not seek unneces- sarily to delay the bill a day. The re- pubicans state their reason for making this request to be that they were much fatigued with their work in committee and admitted also that they were desir- ous of avoiding the importantly to which they knew they would be subjected when the contents of the bill should become known. They also stated that thsir work was not sufficiently advanced to permit the presentation of copies of the h. safed no Information in regard to the charges beyond stating they were on the general line of reductions. The dis cussion was of a. conversational charac- ter and was participated in by all the senators present.
 Ons thing developed at the conference wia's that the republicans did not feel ab- solutely assured of the vote of Sena ter Jones, of Nevada, in committee On the other had the democrats expressed con- fdence that he would at least stand with them to the extent of seeing that they had time for consideration of the bill in committee.
 The republican members of the finance committee do mot accept with good grace the refusal of the democrats to permit a speedy report of the tariff bill They say that the position of the democrats is unprecedented, the rule being to allow the majority to bring in and present it's amended bill without effort on the part of the minority to change the result in committee. It is possible they may evade the democrats by reporting the Dingley bill back to the senate without any amendments whatever This could be accomplished by the adoption of a resolution by the senate dischlarging the committee from further consideration of the bill and ordering 1t reported back.
 The advieability of adopting such course was discussed at length by the republicans of sthe finance committee af- ter receiving the proposals of the demo- crats. Thsi amendments agreed upon by the republican members of the finance committee could be presented from tina to time and they feel that there would be one great advantage in this course in avoiding the necessity of getting the as- sent of Sena tor Jones to every change made before presenting the bill. The democratic members do not regard the outlook thus presented very seriously. They do not believe that the republican members of the committee would take the responsibility of reporting the bill without change and pronounce the talk of such @ course as a bluff"