The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-04-30
REVENUE BILL PASSED.
House Adopted Measure by Sabstan.
tial Majority.
DEMOCRATS VOTED AGAINST 1T
WITH SIX EXCEPTIONS.

WITH SIX EXCEPTIONS.
| Two Republicans Were Also Opposed to
Measure-AH the Amendments of Oppo-
sition Were Voted Down-Many Demo-
| Gratis Declined to Vote,
Washington. April 29.-The House to-
day passed the war revenue bill with all
of thei amendments agreed upon by
the Republican members of the ways and
means committee added. In order to &C.
complish this, parliamentary manoeuvre
was necessary, as the whole time for
amendments was exhausted by the
minority in trying to amend the bond
feature of the bill. Mr.. Dingley offered as
substitute an entirely new bill contain
ing these amendments after the bill had
been reported to the House. This was an
old parliamentary trick frequently re-
sorted to years ago. The Morrill, tariff
law was passed in this way in its original
form after it had been loaded down with
amendments in committee of the whole.
Many amendments were offered to the
bond feature of the bill ranging from a
proposition for the substitution OF an in
| come tax provision to an authorization
for an issue of S15O, 600 greenbaoks,
but all were voted down.
| AT the last minute the Democrats de
cided to offer the motion to recommit
with instructions to report back the in.
come tax proposition as an amendment to
! the bill instead of as substitute for the
bond provision. This was due to the fact
that number of Democrats had declined
| to vote to strike out the bond provision.
The motion was defeated, 134-173. -Four
Republicans voted with tho Democrats
and Populists on this vote. But on the
final passage of the bill (Which was
carried ISL -131 the Democrats and Popu-
lists with six exceptions, voted solidly
against the bill.
| The Democrats who voted for the bill
were Messrs. Cummings, Mcclellan and
briggs Of New York; Fitzgerald, Mass.
McAleer, Pennsylvania and Wheeler OF
Alabama. Two Republicans, Messrs.
Linney of North Carolina and Thorpe of
Virginia voted with the opposition. Quite
number OF Democrats declined to vote.
Washington, April 29.-The House con-
vened at ton O'Clock this morning to
| allow two hours more of general debate
on the war revenue bill before the bill
was taken up at noon for amendment
under the five minute rule
Mr.. Bland, Democrat of Missouri dis
cussed the bond feature of the bill to
which, he said, the Democrats could
never agree. They could not agree to the
issue of any moro ''coin" bonds, which
would be construed under Republican
administration to mean nothing but gold,
So long as the minis wero closed to the
coinage Of one-half the money metal of
the wor Id the Democrats only under cir
cumstances of extreme stress could con-
sent to the issue of such bonds. He
argued the advisabiiity of the immediate
coinage of silver seigniorage.
Mr.. Newlands, Silver Republican of
Nevada, argued that the duration Of the
war would depend upon how long Spain
could maintain upon the sea the guerilla
warfare she had been accustomed to wage
upon land. He thought that the war
should be vigorously prosecuted and ap-
parent extravaganza now might prove
economy in the end.
Mr.. Grosvenor, Republican of Ohio,
said at such crisis as this there were, as
Stephen A. Douglass, said, but two
classes in the country, patriots and
traitors. He YVES willing to accept the
suggestions emanating from the Demo
cratic side, however, wild CT improbable
in good faith. He would not impugn or
even suspect lack of patriotism. Mr..
Grosvenor then proceeded to criticise
these suggestions.
Speaking of the bond feature he de-
clared that the bonds would be taken by
the people of tho country not only as q
profitable Investment, but as evidence TO
the world that this country proposes to
free Cuba in the face of Spain, Austria
or any other nation that saw tit to inter-
fere.
The other speakers before noon were
Messrs. Curtis, Republican of Kansas,
Shafroth, Silver Republican Of Colorado,
and Brown, Republican of Ohio.
At neon the House went through the
formality of adjoyrning and reconvening.
Then under the order the bill WAS taken
up for amendment under the five minute
rule.
Under the arrangement made. the bond
sections of the bill we're first to be open to
amendment Mr.. McMillin. Democrat of
Tennessee, offered on behalf OF the
minority the amendment to strike out
section ~, the bond provision. and insert
in lieu thereof the income fax amend
ment. 1t is Identical with thu income tax
provision of the Wilson tariff law with
| the taxable income reduced from $4,000 to
$4,000 per annum and the percentage In"
creased from two to three.