Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1900-03-12
How the Porto Rico
Bill Was Passed

Washington, Feb. 2S.--The last day
of the struggle over the Porto Rican
tariff bill in the House opened at II
O'Clock with nearly every member in
his seat and very large audience in
the galleries. The leaders on both
sides were actively engaged in rallying
their forces and making computations
upon the final vote, which is to be TAX
en- under the order at o'clock Mr..
Underwood of Alabama, the Demo-
cratic whip, said the result would be
very close and would turn upon the
vote of two or three men on the Demo-
cratic side. Mr. Tawney, the Repub-
lican whip, saiu the bill would have
five votes to spare. He said the main
danger lay in the motion to recommit.
Immediately after the reading of the
journal, the clerk began reading the
bin for amendment. under the five
minute rule.
When Section 3 was reached Mr.
Payne, chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, offered the follow
ing substitute:
Section 3-That on and after the
passage of this act all merchandise
coming into the United States from
Porto Rico and coming into Porto Rico
from the United States shall be entered
at the several ports of entry upon the
payment of Is per cent Of the duties
which were required to be levied, col
lected and paid upon like articles of
merchandise imported from foreign
and in addition thereto, upon
articles of merchandise of Porto Rican
coming into the United
States and withdrawn for consump-
ton or sale, upon payment of a tax
equal to the internal revenue tax i'm
posed in the United States upon the
like articles of merchandise of domes-
tic manufacture; such tax to be paid
by internal revenue stamps to be pur
chased and provided by the Commits
sioner of Internal Revenue, and to be
procured from the Collector of Internal
Revenue at, or most convenient to,
the port of entry of said merchandise
in the United States, and to be affixed
under such regulations as the Com
missioner Of Internal Revenue, with
the approval of the Secretary of the
Treasury, shall prescribe; and on oil
articles of merchandise of United
States manufacture coming into PorIo
Rico, in addition to the duty above
provided in payment of a tax equal in
rate and amount to the internal reve-
nue. tax imposed in Porto Rico upon
like articles of Porto Rican manufac-
ture."
Mr.. Payne explained that the substi.
tute did two things-it reduced the
duty from 25 to Is per cent, and 1t
also removed some confusion regard
ing double taxation. Mr.. Payne said
he still adhered to the opinion that
25 per cent would be better than Is
per cent, because it would raise more
revenue, but Is per cent was better
than nothing. In answer to a question
as to how much me bill, as amended,
would raise, Mr.. Payne said the esti-
900. II that estimate was correct, the
bill would raise about 1885,
900 per annum.
Mr.. Payne took occasion to reprove
some Of his critics who had complain
ed that he had given no explanation of
his change of front. His speech and
his report, he said, gave full expla-
nation. He had believed in free trade
with Porto Rico at one time, but sub
sequent information had convinced
him that the duty proposed by the
pending bill should be imposed.
Mr.. Berry of Kentucky said the
amendment proposed petty instead of
grand larceny for the people of Porto
Rico. He ridiculed the laborious de-
bate through which the House had
passed over the question of what the
Omitted States" meant under the Con-
stitution. If this country had been
called Columbia" instead of "The
United States" 1900 pages of the Con
gressional Record could have been
eliminated. No one would have had
the hardihood to contend then that the
Constitution did not extend over
every foot of soil.
Mr.. ayne offered the additional Sec
ton agreed on by the Republicans
Monday night, as follows:
This act shall be taken and held to
be provisional in its purpose ana in
tended to meet pressing present need
for revenue for the island of Porto
Rico, and shall not continue in force
after March /, 1902"
Mr.. Powers of Vermont, Sibley Of
Pennsylvania, Tompkins Of New York
and Hepburn of Iowa spoke in behalf
of the bill.
The bill was opposed in short
speeches by Mr.. De Almond of Mis-
souri,, Mr.. Fitzgerald of Massachusetts,
and Mr.. Otey of Virginia, and was
defended by Mr.. Grow of Pennsylvania.
Graf of Illinois, Mr., Cromwell Of
Ohio, who had hitherto opposed the
measure, and Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio.
The Payne amendment was adopted
without division.
Mr.. Payne offered preamble to the
bill reciting the serious condition Ut
affairs in the island, and it was adopt
ed on a rising vote of 1863 yeas to ISL
nays.