The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-12-19

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S,--In arguing
the tariff bill as applied to Porto Rico.
Attorney General Griggs to-day pre-,
senting the government position. basng
his argument upon q brief OF 200 pages,
the greater part OF which is devoted to
presenting the argument Of the United
States. while the remaining portion Is
in the shape Of an appendix, giving the
rext OF the peace treaty between the
United States and Spain and also the
text of other treaties. supposed to bear
upon the 5question. a z.
In presenting the governments side
Of the controversy the attorney general
first stated the two cases upon which
the proceeding Is based. This was fol-
lowed by general explanation and
summing uo Of the governments posi-
ton, after which came the citation Of
innumerable authorities, under appro-
PIRATE headings, with pertinent running
comment unon them. The attorney
geural contended that the United States
has the power to acquire territory;
that, having; acquired 1t, 1t has the right
to govern it; that administrative con-
structlon.; congressional action and Judi
cial precedent affirm that every port In
q ceded country is properly regarded
as foreign until laws are extended by
Congress to the new possessions: that
the clause Of the. constitution OF the
United States declaring duties uniform
throughout the United States is not APP
pllcable to new possessions. and that the
constitution does not extend OF It's own
force over acquired territory
Opponents in the Wrong.
In his general contention OF the United
states Mr. Grigss argued that his oppo-
Enents were wrong from both legal aud
a constitutional point OF view Refer
ring; to the legal aspect of the case, he
asserted that the Dingley act applied to
merchandise imported from Porto Rico
and the Philippines after their cesslon
to the United States the same as 1t did
before. and that in view OF the fact
thatStariff laws are in rem there Is no
principle OF Justice. much less of con-
stitutional restriction, which forblds
Congress from taxing in this way the
merchandise OF outlying possessions OF
the United States when brought into
the ports OF the Union.
He laid down as established the two
following propositions:
Q.) That the tariff act OF 1897 was In
tended by Congress to classify rs for
eign all countries not a part OF or be-
longing to the United States at the time
OF its passage and the subsequent ces-
sion OF the Spanish Islands to the United
States did not operate to admit imports
from those Islands free of duty, under
that law; (2.) that the tariff act so con-
strued and enforced violates no constI-
tutIonal rule OF uniformity.
Taking up the constitutional question
the attorney general declared that there
was no doubt that 1t was the Intention
OF the Paris treaty not to make the
ceded islands a part of the United
States. and also that 1t was intended
not to make the Inhabitants OF those
Islands citizens. The only thing that
could Justify n declaration that the
treaty is invalid would be that 1t vio-
.lates the constitution of the United
States.
Colonial Possessions Forbidden.
Calling attentlon'to the fact that those
rho Eattack tho trenty rpst thpjr cnsa