The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-04-01

contended that there was no doubt OF
the right of the legislature to enact ret
respective legislation if that power avs
mot forbidden. The constitutional limita-
ton was that congress should have no
right TO pass bill of attainder or an ex
post facto law, and provided that no state
should pass an ex post facto law or a
law impairing the obligation of contracts
II was plain that the constitution intend
ed TO deny this right to states, and, by
implication, retain it in congress. He
quoted a decision of tn supreme court,
made in 106, in support of his conten-
ton, ard a decision Of the supreme court
Of owa, which held no prohibition against
an ex post facto law to the effect that a
retrospective law was not necessarily an
ex post facto law. This law would be
retrospective, he said, in that it would
levy customs duties or merchandise
bought or shipped after tomorrow He
declared thai it was a liberal provision in
that it did not apply 10 goods now
afioat.
HIS STRONGEST POINT.
Mr. Grosvenor's strongest point was that
In connection with the present tariff bill,
which bore date Of August l, 1894, but
was not finally eracted until twenty-eight
days later Although this was uninten-
tional, the supreme court had held that
It was retrospective. The income tax, al
though i had been held unconstitutional
mot on that point, however, levied on
every dollar held on the first Of the pre-
ceding anuary. Whisky in bond. manu- =
factuTed under the 90-cent tax under the
operation Of that bill, paid 20 cents addi-
tioraL
RICHARDSON DISPUTES IT.
Mr.. Richardson, Oem., Tenn.,) conten-
ded that the supreme court decision in
the case Involving the Wilson law, in
which the opinion Of the supreme court
was delivered by Chief Justice Fuller,
decided exactly contrary to the centen-
ton of Mr.. Grosyenor. Goods imported
between August 1 and August 2, 1894,
it was decided, should pay the McKin-
ley and rot the Wilson rates
IF you are going to make this law
take effect tomorrow, why not say to-
day. demanded Mr.. Bland, Oem., MOI,
''or why not the day the Mckinley law
was reported?''
The real purpose" he added, was
70 check all imports so long'as the bill
twas pending before congress- il that
should be until next March"
BAILEY CONCLUDES IT.
The debate OF the amendment was con-
cluded by Mr.. alley, who said:
Mr.. GrosvenOr fails to distinguish be-
tween the power Of congress to pass ret
respective law and TO put two inconsist-
ent laws in action al the same time The
proposition Of the ways and means COM
mittee is that congress shall have the
power TO compel the people of the United
States TO live at the same time under
two diffrent and conflicting laws. Even
If, by some strange decision Of a court
congress could exercise that power. it
would not be wise to exercise it You
propose to put the people under laws that
are yet in the uEfathomable wisdom Of
the United States senate"
ON THE HOME STRETCH.
The debate having been ended, Mr..
GrosveliOr proposed an amendment to
the amendment, which was that the lien
imposed ON goods by this act, imported
between a law and the enactment of the
act, should be only to the amount of the
EXCESS Of the duties of this act over the
Wilson act. The amendment to the
amendment was adopted.
The vote was then taken by tellers on
the original amendment, fixing April l
as the date OH which the bill was 10 go
into effect, and IL was adopted, $50 to
I21
The clerk resumed the reading of the
bill, but he had not completed a single
page before motions to Strike out the
last word" and the last two words"
were again forthcoming, and made the
ground for five minute speeches. Some
Of these were fast and furious.
The galleries by this time were crowd
ed 10 suf1ocstion. Many prominent per-
sons were present.
STANDARD VS.. SCHEDULES.
Mr.. Hartman ISL. Rep, Mont) declar-
ed that if this bill became a law il would
be by the cooperation of an ant;-gold
standard majority in the senate. The
silver Republicans of the United States,
he said, favored adequate protection. He
thought some of the Democrats had
made a mistake in emphasizing the tar
if issue. 1t was not a battle of the
schedules, il was the battle of the stan
Glrds.
Mr.. Pierce Dem., Tenn) repudiated
the Democrats on his side who were sell
fisaly seeking urotection for themselves.
Whether it was mica in North Carolina,
beauxite in Georgia, sugar in Louisiana,
or cotton throughout the SOUTH
Mr. William Alden Smith CRep., Mich.)
protested because opportunity had not
been accorded to amend the bill in any
OF its schedules Notwithstanding the as
surance given at the opening of the de-
ba;e. But. he was a protectionist and
would vote for the bill.
The debate was suspended for a few
minutes while the committee rose for the