The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-03-01
TALK IN CONGRESS
Senator Allison Explains the
Currency Bill.
Close of House Debate on Porto
Rico Tariff.
Some Of the Dissenting Repub-
liCanS Fall Into Line For
the Measure.


ate bill and the conference bill
The last of the struggle over the Porto
Rico tariff bill in the house opened at IL
o'clock with almost every member in his
seat and large attendance in the gal
leries.
Immediately after the reading of the
journal the clerk began reading the bill
for amendment under the five minute
rule. When section 3 was reached, Mr..
Payne, chairman of the ways and means
committee, offered the following substi-
tute for that section
Section 3.-That on and after the pas
sage 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 sew
eral ports of entry upon payment of 10
per cent of the duties which are required
to be levied collected and paid upon like
articles of merchandise imported from
foreign countries. and, in addition thereto,
upon articles of merchandise of Porto
Rican manufacture coming into the Unit
ed States and withdrawn for consump-
ton or sale upon payment of n tax equal
to the internal revenue tax imposed in
the United States upon the like articles
VI HcTCudHulSe Ol uOulcSllC manufacture,
such tax to be paid by internal revenue
stamps or stamps to be purchased and
provided by the commissioner of internal
revenue at or most convenient to the port
of entry of said merchandise in the Unit
ed States and to be effected under such
regulations as the commissioner of in
ternal revenue, with the approval of the
secretary of the treasury, shall prescribe,
al oil nrt;n nf .
United States manufacture coming into
Porto Rico, in addition to the duty above
provided in payment OF a tax equal in
rate and amount to the internal revenue
tax imposed in Porto Rico upon like ar
ticles of Porto Rican manufacture
Mr.. Payne explained that the substi-
tute did two things. 1t reduced the duty
from % to Is per cent, and it also re-
moved some confusion regarding double
taxation. Mr.. Payne said he still ad-
hered to the opinion that % per cent
would be better than 10, because it would
raise more revenue. but 15 per cent was
better than nothing. In answer to
question as to how much the bill as
amended would raise Mr.. Payne said the
estimate for the original bill was 81 7OO,-
OOO If that estimate was correct, the
amended bill would raise about $780,
600 per annum. Mr.. Payne took occa-
sion TO reprove some of his critics who
had complained that he had given no ex-
PLANTATION of his change of front. His
speech and his report, he said, gave a full
explanation. He had believed in free
trade with Porto Rico at one time. but
subsequent information had convinced
him that the duty proposed by the pend
ing bill should be imposed
Mr.. Berry Dem., KY said the amend
ment proposed petty instead of grand
larceny of the people of Porto Rico. He
ridiculed the laborious debate through
which the house had passed over the
question of what the United States"
meant under the constitution. If this
country had been called Columbia" in
stead Of the United States" 100 pages
of The Congressional Record could have
been eliminated. No one would have
lad the hardihood to contend then that
the constitution did not extend over
every foot of the soil.
Mr.. De Almond Dem.. MOI called at
tention to the peculiar language of the
substitute. The words Coming into
the United States" he said, were plainly
Intended to evade the constitution But,
argued, the numbering of the queens
hglish' and the violation of the canons
'of language could not make 1t consti-
tutional"
Mr.. Grow QRep, Pa.). the venerable
ex-speaker OF the house, and Mr. Graft
(Rep., llls.) spoke briefly in support of
the bill. The latter said his constituents
expected him to abide by the will of the
majority of his party. He did not desire
to go back to his district to apologize for
his party by announcing that he was
right and it was wrong. He referred
to the history of the efforts of the Demo
Gratis to prematurcly force the admins
tration into the Spanish war in vindica.
ton of the policy of standing by the ad-
ministration.
Mr. Fitzgerald Dem, Mass.) in oppos-
ing the bill referred to the expressed de-
termination of Secretary Root to increase
the number of native troops in Porto
Rico. Mr.. Fitzgerald wanted to know
to what nation those native troops be-
longed. Were they to be told that the
American flag they were sworn to defend
meant one thing for Porto Rico and an
other to the United States? Were they
to become American citizens at Is per
cent Off?
Mr. Bromwell (Rep., o., who has
hitherto opposed the bill, after paying
his respects to some OF his Ohio co.
leagues (Grosvenor and Shattuc), said
that he was now convinced that the ad-
minstration which three months ago rec
commended free trade for Porto Rico now
earnestly desired the passage of the bill.
Vt mattered little whether he returned TO
congress, he said, but it was of great i'm
Dortance that the Republican party
should remain in power. His announce
ment that he had decided to stand by his
party in the present emergency was
greeted with applause.
Mr.. Grosvenor (O) said that much of
the opposition to the pending bill was
due to the fact that it was msunder-
stood. AS late as last Saturday night
ths' editor of prominent Republican pa
per had made the statement to him that
the bill proposed that we should put our
hands into the pockets of starving Porto
Ricans When he learned that all the
money collected at both ends of the line
went to the Porto Ricans, he was aston
ished. He lind also a letter from "a dis