Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-30
Question Of Its Application
To Islands
THAT WE NOW POSSESS
Senate And House Committees Are
Busy and a Report Will be Made
in Near Future But it Win Not be
Unanimous. II

New York, Jan. 30.-A special dispatch
to the Tribune from Washington says:
The subcommittee of the ways and
NEAR committee to report on the au-
thorities a the law as to the, meaning
of the term United States" in the con-
| %stitutional provision which declares that
all duties, imposts and excuses shall be
uniform throughout the United States.
whether it includes simply the area ac-
tually included within the boundaries Of
the United States, or whether it covers
also the territory belonging to the Unit
ed States." will submit it's conclusions
to the full committee at the regular COM
mittee on Wednesday.
1t is pretty certain that the conclusions
will not be unanimous and it is equal
ly certain hat the majority will hold
that the provision of the constitution re-
ferred to does not apply to territory be-
longing to the United States" until after
congress enacts a law on the subject. In
support of this position the sub-commit-
tee will present a formidable and ire
sistible array of judicial and other au-
thorities, including the eighth act OF the
first congress relating to the northwest
territory.
There is hardly any reason to- doubt
thai the majority of the insular commit
tee of the house will tax a similar posi-
ton and be guided by the same princi-
pie in shaping legislation for the govern
ment of Porto Rico.
1t is probable that the committee will
not report a bill on that subject before
the senate committee shall have done so.
Steps have been taken to obtain a gen.
eral expression of viws of Numbers on
both sides of the GUS in regard to the
form of government to be established
and the kind of tariff and Internal reve-
nue. legislation to be enacted. Later this
week the Republican members of the
committee on ways and means following,
in this respect only, the example of the
minority of the same committee, which,
it is understood, has been made acquaint-
ed with the views of Colonel Bryan on
these subjects, will hold a conference to
compare, consider and discuss the vari-
Gus suggestions that nave been and will
be offered respecting the tariff and in
ternal revenue legislation for Porto Rico.
The Payne bill to extend the tariff inc
internal revenue laws of the United
States over thei island will form the basis
of discussion and comparisons. One Of
the suggestions already made is to modf-
fy the bill. so as to provide that Porto
Rican products shall be admitted into
the United States at so per cent of the
rates of duty imposed on like products,
respectively, when imported from a for
eign country and also to provide for a
sliding scale of reduction at the rate of
Is per cent a year on Porto Rican prod
ucts until the duties shall be extin-
! guished. This suggestion was not re-
ceived with much favor by several MEM
bers of the COMMITTEES to whose atten-
ton it was brought.
Chairman Payne, of the ways and
means committee, when interviewed. a
that the president had assured him re-
Gently that he still adhered to the posi-
ton taken in his annual message, in ia
vor of free trade between Porto Rico
and the United States. It is as yet far
from certain what position will be taken
in either the senate or house respecting
this matter.
In regard to one thing, however, the
members of the majority in both
branches are virtually unanimous
which is that a measure should and will
be enacted as early as practicable for
the benefit of the inhabitants OF the ISL
and. The opinion is also generally ex-
pressed that whatever may be done will
not imperial the system of protection in
the United States.