The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-02-15

The bill for the government OF Porto Ri
co was the subject Of consultation today
between the President and Representatives
Payne. DalzeII. Grosvenor. Watson. Brick.
( and Faris today. The result OF these con-
ferences is understood to have been that
! the President has decided that il will be
| impossible 10 secure the passage OF t.-s
Foraker bill with a free trade clause in
serted, and has agreed TO abandon that
project for the present
Mr. Payne viii call up the Porto Rican
bill in the House next Monday and the
Foraker bill proposing legislation for the
island viii be considered by the Senate as
soon as the Hawaiian bill. to be- taken up
tomorrow, is out Of the way.
There is a strong possibility that a sufi-
cient number Of Republicans in the House
viii bolt the tariff bill 10 de
feat IL. As reported from the Committee
on Ways and Means a tariff Of . per cent
Of the Dingley law is provided on goods
coming into the UniJed States from Porto
Rico and the same rate on goods going
from the United States into Porto Rico.
The Republican majority on the Ways
and Means Committee. with the exception
Of Representative Mccall Of Massachusetts.
agreed 10 favorabIy report this bin. Mr Ne
Gail. with the Democrats. reported against
it, on the ground that the Constitution Of
the United States provided that excises and
imposts and internal revenue taxes should
be The same throughout all the territory
Of the United States.
II vas az first thought that Mr.. Mccall
" ould stand alone among the Republicans,
hut it has since developed that there is a
strong undercurreut among the RepubIi-
cans against the bill. 50 strong. indeed,
there is fear among the leaders that the
bill vii be defeated unless the disseuJers
are won over
Among those mentioned as opposed 10
the bill. on constitutional grounds. are
Representative LittleEeld Of Maine Ne
I Call Of Massachusetts, Lorrimer Of Illinois,
T. trumpacker Of Indiana. Kahn of California,
Loud Of California and possibly Hepburn Of
Iowa The last three are on the Committee
on Irsular Affairs and when the caucus
Of the Republican members Of the commit
tee WAS held several DAYS ag0 Judge Crum-
packer opposed The bill in The caucus and
since then has made no secret OF his OppO-
siuOn- he admitted he was studying the
& constitutional phases Of the question and
unless he could --d stronger arguments in
f latOF OF the OH Ilal ne had so Tar lIScOT-
cred be would De compelled 90 vote against
IT, he feared. however ne would not have
time 20 prepare an exhaustive discussion
( from a constitutional standpoint Repre-
sentative Kahn is also studying the con-
{ sritUtiouaii,y Of the measure. Hc said to-
night De thought his people were opposed
/ 20 it.
/ The opponents Of the bili i00'5 20 Repre-
sentative LirJlefeld 20 sustain the reputa-
Z ticn he acquired by his presentation Of the
. constitutional questions in the Roberts
{ case bv making as equally powerful a
speech against this bill The pressure for
/ time IS tremendous. almost majority OF
The members having applied for time in
which 70 speak FOR or against the proDO-
sitlOn. II is certain that the Democrats
viii oppose the bill almost 10 a man. and
II anything like the number Of Republi-
cans VINO are credited with being opposed
10 The bill vote against it. the bill VIII
ae defeated
The number Of Republicans who dissent
from the views OF the majority is va
riously estimated as from ten 70 forty.
Several informal gatherings Of these mem
oers took place in the cloakrooms and lob
bics yesterday afternoon. which gave rise
TO the TUuOr there had been a caucus.
lJ is more than likely. however. that a
meeting OF the dissenters vii. be called
before the vote on the bin is taken. for
the purpose Of estimating their strength.