The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-01
PORTO RICAN BILL PASSED.
1T GOES THROUGH THE HOUSE ON
A VOTE OF 172 TO 161.

INV Itin1tS
Life TO Two Years-Congressme
Brought From Beds of sickness TO
Note-Both sides Exerted Every
Effort to Get Out a Full Vote.
Washington, Feb 2S.-The battle royal
over the Porto Rican tariff bill ended in
tne House to-day in a sweeping victory for
the Republicans. The bill, amended as
agreed upon at the conference of Republi-
cans on Monday night so as to reduce
the tariff from % to 10 per cent. of the
American tariff and limiting its life to two
years, was passed by vote of 172 yeas
TO l6l nays
Six Republicans, Messrs. Crumpacker Of
Indiana Fletcher of Minnesota, Heatwoie
of Minnesota, Littlefeld of Maine, Lori
mer of Illinois and Mccall of Massachu-
sets, voted with the opposition against the
! bill, and four Democrats, Messrs. Davey
and Meyer of Louisiana, De Vries of Cali
fornia and Sibley of Pennsylvania, voted
with the Republicans for the bill. In ad-
| dition, Mr.. Warner, Republican, of Hi
nois, was paired against the bill with Mr..
| Boutelle, Republican, of Maine, for it. Two
| other Republicans, Mr.. Lane of Iowa and
| Mr.. Faris of Indiana, were absent and
impaired They were understood to be
against the bin. -Four Democrats who
were opposed to the bill, Messrs. Fleming
| of Georgia, Small of North Carolina,
Smith of Kentucky and Stallings of Ala
| bama We're absent and impaired. Other
! pairs for the bill Were Gibson of Tennes-
| see, Reeves of Illinois, Boutelle of Maine,
| Harmer of Pennsylvania, Bailey of Kan
sas Sheldon of Michigan, Wadswerth of
| New York, all Republicans, with Tate
| of Georgia, Sparkman of Florida, Fox of
| Mississippi, Bellamy of North Carolina,
! Cox of Tennessee and Eppes of Virginia,
| Democrats, all against the bill.
Herculean efforts had been made to get
| out the full vote, and this led 10 some
| remarkable incidents. Six men were
brought from beds of sickness; two of
| them from hospitals.
| Mr.. BrownloW of Tennessee was brought
in a carriage accompanied by his wife
| and his physician. He sat bundled up
near the entrance until his vote was given,
| and then withdrew. 1t was felt that the
| strain would be severe on him. but when
| Mr. Tawney the Republican whip, urged
| that the bin might be lost by this one
| vote, Mr.. Brownlow said Il would rather
| lose my life than see this bill defeated" F"
| Mr. TaWney and three associates were
| out in carriages until midnight last night
| accounting for every vote, and Mr.. I'm
| derwood, the Democratic whip, was SINH
| larly exertng every means to get out his
| vote. Three Democrats were brought from
sick beds.
The first test to-day was a substi-
tute offered by Mr.. Mccall on behalf OF
the opposition. 1t was the original Payne
bill for free trade with Porto Rico and
was defeated, 100 to 174 Only five Re-
I
| Fletcher, Republican, of Minnesota, who
subsequently voted TO recommit and
| against the bill, voted against the substi-
| tuS. a motion to recommit it, which fol-
| lowed, shared a similar fate, being lost,
| 160 to 172.
There was great excitement throughout
| roll calls, which were followed with eager
packed the galleries to suffocation. The
1 Republicans INDUCED in a demonstra ton
of wild jubilation when the final result
| was announced.
| Immediately after the reading of the
| journal the clerk began reading the bill
! for amendment under the e-minu4e rule
When section 3 was reached Mr.. Payne
| chairman of the Ways and Means Com
| mittee, offered the following substitute for
/ that section:
Section 8. That on and after the pas
| sage of this act all merchandise coming
| lItO lDo OHlteu states from 1OIIO ft1CO
and coming into Porto Rico from the
| United States, shall be entered at the sew
| eral ports of entry upon the payment of
| Is per cent. of the duties which are re-
| quired to be levied collected and paid
| upon like articles of merchandise imported
| from foreign countries; aud, in addition
| thereto, upon articles of merchandise of
| Porto Rican manufacture coming into the
| United States and withdrawn for consump-
| ton sale upon payment of a tax equal
| to the internal revenue tax imposed in
| the United States upon the like articles of
merchandise of domestic manufactures
| such tax to be paid by internal revenue
| and provided by the commissioner
| of internal revenue and to be
| procured from the collector OF inter-
nal revenue at or most convenient to
| the port of entry of said merchandise into
the United States, and to be affixed under
| such regulations as the commissioner of
! internal revenue with the approval of the
| Secretary of the Treasury shall prescribe;
| and on all articles of merchandise of Unit
| ed States manufacture coming into Porto
| Rico in addition to the duty above provid-
| ed in payment of tax equal in rate and
| amount to the internal revenue tax impos-
| ed in Porto Rico upon like articles of
Porto Rican manufacture"
Mr.. Payne explained that the substitute
reduced the duty from 25 to 10 per cent,
| and also removed some confusion regard
! ing double taxation He said he still be-
lieved, however, that 25 per cent. would
| be better. He said the amended bill prob
| ably will raise about 81, ,25O, 600 per annum.
Mr.. Berry Of Kentucky said the amend
ment proposed petty instead of grand lar
| ceny of the people of Porto Rico. He ridi-
| culed the laborious debate through which
| the House had passed over the question
| OF what the United States' meant under
| the constitution.
| Mr. De Almond of Missouri called at
| tention to the peculiar language OF the
substitute. The words coming into the
| United States" he said, were plainly in
| tended 10 evade the constitution. But he
argued that the numbering of the Queen 3
| English, and the violation of the can
ons of language" could not make IL con-
| stitutional.
MIR, Grosvenor of Ohio said that much
| of the opposition to the pending bill was
due TO the fact that 1t was misunder-
| stood.
MIR. otey Of Virginia convulsed the
| IIo,,aa and galleries by mimicking the