The herald., 1897-03-31

Dingley and his colleagues of the ways
and means committee will attempt to
have the duties imposed by the new tar
iff bill go into effect before the bill be-
comes a law. This novel and much
discussed policy was definitely resolved
upon at meeting of the the Republican
members of the committee held tonight.
The subcommittee, consisting of Rep
resentatives Grosvenor of Ohio, Tawney
of Minnesota and Dalzell of Pennsylva-
mia, which was authorized to report
upon the proposition, presented an
amendment which they had written. and
their colleagues instructed Grosvenor
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 10
and prior to the passage of the act, not
purchased or in transit prior to April
1. It creates lien upon the goods thus
imported for the amount of the duties
imposed and also makes the importer
and the person in whose possession the
goods may be found, not retail mer-
chant or a carrier, liable for the amount
OF the duties or for the excess imposed
by the bill above the amounts such arti-
cles may have paid II also requires
customs officers to retain samples of inn
ported goods, to the end that the evil
dence of Identification may be pre-
served. 1t provides for bringing suits
to recover the duties, both against i'm
porters and wholesale merchants, ana
gives to curcuit 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 opinions of able lawyers. among
them the Encouragement of Ohio.
When they presented to their colleagues
the authorities on which they propose
to sustain the amendment there was no
dissent from their views.
Letters have poured in upon Mr.. Ding
ley and his colleagues this week from
importers, asking what was proposed to
be done in the matter.
II importers can place their orders and
get goods through the custom houses
before April 18th 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
validity of the proposed amendment and
as to its acceptance by the senate, 1t will
doubtless have the effect OF discour-
a aging importations while the bill is pend
ing before the senate. The chief prece-
dent on which the committee relies to
sustain its action is a decision of the
supreme court growing out of the VIII
son act. That act did not become law
until Aug. 2S, 1894, although the bill
stated that the duties therein imposed
should be levied on and after Aug. 1st.
1t was beore congress nearly month
after the time fixed for its beginning, and
as the house accepted the senate amend
ments without sending the bill to con-
ference between the two houses the in
tention of the leaders to change the
date of its enforcement could not be
carried out The supreme court de-
cided in effect, however. as it's opinion
is interpreted by the ways and means
that the rates of the act be-
came operative on the date declared by
the act, although that date was twenty
eight days before 1t became law. There
are also decisions by state courts in
cases involving taxation which the COM