The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-03-20
SUPPLIES FREE OF DUTY.
Uncle Sam May Import War Ma
terial Without Charges.
PoSToFFlCE APPROPRIATION BILL.
The House at Inst Finishes ON IL.
Usual Fight on Two of M
the sections.

Washington, March 19.-The house to-
day passed the postoffice appropriation bill
which has been under consideration since
Wednesday. The main points of attack to-
day were the appropriations of 100000. 900
for railway transportation OF mails and
| sl71 900 for special facilities between New
York and New Orleans. These items an
| nually provoke more or less of contest.
| This year the opposition seemed TO be less.
| Efforts to reduce the appropriation for the
! railway transportation signally failed and
| the vote of the Southern mail subsidy was
| II to 90 against striking out.
BY neat parliamentary maneuvering the
| opponents of the subsidy were prevented
from getting a direct vote on motion to
recommit with instructions.
| Washington March 19.-At the opening
of the session of the house today Mr..
Dlngley, the floor leader of the majority.
offered the bill reported from the ways and
! means committee providing for the free
entry into the country of guns, ammuni
ton and other naval supplies and war ma
teral purchased abroad till January 1.
1899. lie explained that the committee had
unanimously reported the bill. 1t was
asked Tor by the secretaries OF war ana
navy.
Some OF the democrats undertook to poke
fun at Mr.. Dingley by asking him why
these supplies should be admitted free of
duty If the foreigner paid the tax.
Mr.. pingley replied rather sharply that
it was perfectly understood that where ar
ticles were purchased abroad and imported
the purchaser paid the duty.
This is a bill 10 indemnify the tax
payer., observed Mr. Dockery Dem, MOI.
MIR. McMilln said he believed that the
government should always have the right
70 i,nno,t and he thourht there should be
general statute for that purpose The bill |
was nosse5 without division.
Mir Henry Dem. Miss.) claimed the |
floor on a question of personal privilege. !
and sent TO .ba clerks desk Tor the pur- |
rose pt,N of having il read to the house QUO
tatlon iron. an interview with the Spanish
on,boss,dor NJ Vienna contained n, the
associated Press dispatch, in which the
AMBASSADOR said that If the United States
I'm the event of war should incite the fhiI-
inpine islands TO revolt spain could ro-
Senge herself hy raising revolts In the
American Southern States
Before the reading Of The interview was
concluded Mr. Dlngley made the point that
II ala not constitute question of privi-
Ieua
7.It contains reflection against a mr.
tion Of the peopls of the United States
which desire 10 repel.'' said MIR. Henry.
But The sneaker held that II had rot
presented question Of privilege and he
n,as t,lSo, off tha fioor
Then The house went into committee Of
the whole and resumed consideration OF
The nostoffice augmentation bill If was
agreed there should be an hours debate on
The paragraph appropriating $50. 800 900 for
inland transportation of mails.
The debate was rather lively. MIR. Bland
mem MOI championing a reduction Of
the rates paid the railways for transmits
sion of the mails. The rates on all other
classes of freight had been greatly re-
duced since 1873. yet there had been no
in twenty years He thouqht
there should be a reduction of at least 20
per cent
Mr.. Castle (Dem. Cal) offered an
amendment to reduce the appropriation to
'9Sl2,OOO.
MIR. Grosvenor defended the appropria- !
ion. which he thought was we'll expended
IN the splendid expedition with which our