The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-17
PORTO RICAN BILL PASSED.
PROVIDES FOR GIVING THE ISLAND
NEEDED RELIEF.

Give Porto Rico Schools and a
Proper Form of Government.
Jones Withdrew His Amendment
and offered AnOther-Senate De-
bate on the Measure.
Washington, March 16.-The Porto Rico
appropriation bill was passed by the Sem
ate to-day. Its text follc US:
BE it enacted, etc, That the sum of
S2,O95. 455, being the amount of customs
revenue received on importations by the
United States from Porto Rico since the
evacuation of Porto Rico by the Spanish
forces on the 18th of October, 1885, to the
1st of January, 1900, shall be placed at the
disposal of the President to be used for
the government now existing and which
may hereafter be established in Porto
Rico and for public education, public
works and other governmental and public
purposes therein; and the said sum or so
much thereof as may be necessary, is
hereby appropriated for the purposes
herein specified, out of any moneys in
the treasury not otherwise appropriated"
This relief appropriation bill, recon-
mended in a special message by President
Mckinley followed a debate, at times
spirited. extending over parts of two days
Before its passage Mr.. Allen of Nebras-
ka offered an amendment to the bill de-
claring that the constitution extends over
Porto Rico by its own force, but it was
lost by the decisive vote of Sc to H. Mr.
Jones of Arkansas withdrew free trade
amendment offered by him and that prop
osition therefore, did not reach a vote.
Other efforts to amend the bill were fruit
less.
Amendments offered.
When consideration of the. Porto Rican
appropriation bill was taken up the chair,
having ruled that the committee amend
ments to the bill had been adopted, other
amendments offered were in order. The
committee amendments provided that the
money appropriated should be that col
lected up to Jan. l. 1900, the appropriation
10 be used for public educat ton, public
works, and other governmental and pub
lie purposes"
The first amendment was that of Mr..
Allen Of Nebraska 1t provided that the
constitution was by force of the treaty
concluded between the United States and
the kingdom of Spain at the city of
Paris, France, April II, 1899, extended over
the Island of Porto Rico and it's inhabi-
1ants"
Mr.. Allison entered motion to lay the
amendment on the table, but withheld it
While Mr.. Chiffon of Texas addressed the
Senate on the general proposition of the
amendment and the Porto Rican question.
He said the bill is as wrong and danger
Gus in principle as the tax on tea which
fired our forefathers. The constitution, he
urged, goes wherever the flag flies Mr..
Allison's motion to table Mr. Aliens
amendment prevailed, 36 to II, as follows
Neas-AllisOn, Baker, Bard, Beveridge
Carter, Davis, Deboe, Elklns, Fairbanks
Foraker, Foster, Frye, Galllnger, Geer,
Hale, Hanna, Hawley, Kean, Lindsay
Lodge, Mcbride, McComas, McCumber,
Mcmillan, Penrose, Perkins, Pritchard,
Quarles, Ross, .SeweI Shoup, Simon,
Spooner, Thurston, Warren, Wellington,
Netmore-36.
Nays-Allen, Bacon, Bate, Berry, Butler,
Chiffon, Clark of Montana, Clay, Cock
rell, Culberson, Harris, Kenney, McLau-
rin, Morgan, Rawlins Tillman and Turley
III.
Withdrew His Amendment.
The amendVent offered yesterday by Mr.
Jones of Arkansas was then laid before
the Senate. Mr.. Jones said he had decid-
ed, to withdraw the amendment In a
discussion of his position he declared that
great storm had ragged in Porto Rico
and likewise a great storm was raging in
thlS country, the cause of the latter be-
ing the action of the House on the Porto
hcan question. He said there was now
strenuous effort on the part of the Re
publicans to get out of this storm and
the bill now proposed was the means they
We're employing to land safely.
lie declared that the course of the Gov
ernment toward the people of the island
and not the hurricane had paralyzel the
industries of Porto Rico. The remedy
was reversal of the action of the govern
ment and authority for the Porto Ricans
to bring their products here free OF duty
ana letting them buy and sell wherever
lhey might please.
Inc course we have pursued toward
these people" said Mr. Jones' lis wrong
ana indefensible. What the Porto Ricans
want is not charity but justice. 1t is per-
lectly evident that the prostration of af-
idIfa on the island is due to the high taxes
with which the people there are afflicted" ="
n answer to question by Mr. Allen of
Nebraska Mr.. Allison replied that under
the military government in Porto Rico all
Iood products farm implements and many
other useful and necessary articles were
admitted free of duty. Mr.. Allen asked
what rates of duty the goods of Porto
Eleo we're now paying in the United
States
They are paying the rates fixed by the
Dlngley act" replied Mr.. Allison. THE
oill we shall pass for Porto Rico will be
liberal and just TO all"
Mr.. Jones inquired where the money
came from that was being expended IN
Porto Rico and had been expended hereto
fore.
Mr.. Foraker replied that large amount
mad been expended from the war emer-
Sency fund and that some had been ex-
pended from customs receipts
NO Duty Hereafter.
Remarking he could not ascertain just
What the object of the bill was, Mr.. Jones
said he would content himself by Offering
The following amendment:
From and after the passage of this act
no duty shall be collected on articles COM
ing into Porto Rico from other parts of
the United States or on goods coming
rom Porto Rico into other parts Of the
Initcd States"
Mr.. Pettus of Alabama declared his OPP
POSITION to the bill, holding such appro-
plations Were dangerous as precedents
and ought to be abandoned
Heplying to an inquiry from Mr.. Vol