The National tribune., 1900-12-20

riculture.
In the House. the debate on the War
Revenue Reduction bill was opened by
the leaders on either side. Mr.. Payne, of
New York, Chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, on behalf of the ma
! jority. and Mr.. Swanson, of Virginia, on
behalf of the minority.
! Mr. Payne said that in reducing the
| revenue great care should be taken lest
reduction cause Il deficiency. The COM
mittee felt that they had gone far enough
i'll the amount of reduction. with due re-
gard to safety for the future. The $780,
000.000 remaining after the reduction pro-
posed took effect would not equal the ex-
traordinary expenses sure to follow IS the
result of the Spanish war-incuding in
tercst on the bond issued TO prosecute
| the war: the increased army, the increase
| in naval expenditures, and the pensions
| SI0,000,000 in all. He spoke of other
propositions to abolish certain sources of
revenue. and declared they should not be
accepted, especially the entire additional
| tax on beer. q reduction of So, 600.
The tax on beer should not be wiped out,
| he said, until every other vestige of war
taxes was removed; it would be grossly
| unjust.
Mr.. Swanson, minority member of the
committee said during four years taxa
| ton had increased over 0.00O,0 900, and
| if the heavy burden continued business
and commerce would suffer- He argued
that there should be Il reformation of the
tariff and an abolition of customs du-
ties, which had created trusts and monop-
olies. The Government should collect
more income from capital, incomes and
profit than from the consumption and the
business of the people. The revenue could
be safely reduced $T0000000, and this
the minority would move to do. The only
persons benefited by a large surplus were
those seeking unjust appropriations, the
National banks, DESTROYS of continuing the
large Governmental deposits free of in
terest, and the bondholders, who wanted
redemption at an eXorbitant premium.
WEDNESDAY, DEC. u.
The Senate, on Wednesday, met and
participated with the House in the cham
Der of the latter, in the exercises cele
brating the Centennial of the establish
ment of the permanent seat of Govern
ment in Washington.
THURSDAY, DEC. IS.
In the Senate on Thursday in execu-
tive session the Davis amendment to the
Hay-Pauncefote Canal Treaty was adopt
ed, by vote of 60 to II, after a talk
by Senator Elkins favoring the amend
ment, but saying it did not go far enough.
The article providing for defense of the
waterway, similar to one in the Suez
Canal Treaty, after which the Hay
Pauncefote treaty was patterned, was
omitted. The late Senator Davis discov
cred this and introduced an amendment
adopted by the Senate on this, Dec. 13,
and reading as follows:
at is agreed, however, that none of
the Immediately foregoing conditions and
stipulations in sections numbered ], 2, 3,
4 and of this article shall apply to meas
ures which the United States may find
it necessary to take for securing, by its
own forces, the defense of the United
States and the maintenance of public or
der"
1t was known to be desired by various |
Senators that the section prohibiting per- |
manent Notifications and tie provision for |
asking the advice and consent of other
Powers to the building of the canal be
cut out, and the abrogatIon Of the Clay |
ton-Bulwer Treaty be provided for. |
Amendments were offered covering all |
these points. 1t was also argued that |
if Great Britain refuses to accept the |
treaty with such amendments as may be |
put to it, the responsibility will be upon |
her, and the United States can proceed |
to abrogate the Clayton Bulwer Treaty. |
The foundation for this action was laid |
in a resolution offered by Senator Money |
as follows:
Resolved, That the President OF the |
United States be respectfully requested to |
consider the expediency of opening negO-
tiations with the Government of Great |
Britain for the abrogation of the Clayton |
Buwer Treaty, with assurance that such |
action on his part will meet with the |
hearty consent and support Of the Sen |
ate"
The vote in detail on the Davis amend |
ment was as follows. only -FOUR Senator's
Jones, of Nevada; Simon, OF Oregon; CAT |
fiery, of Louisiana, and Chiffon. OF Texas !
being absent, and not paired:
For the Davis amendment, G5-Aidrich, |
Allen, Allison, Bacon, Baker, Bate, Berry, |
Burrows, Butler. Carter, Chandler, Clark, |
Clay, Cockrell, Culberson, Cullom, Daniel, |
Deboe. Depew, Dillingham;, Dolliver, Ell |
kins, Fairbanks, Foraker, Foster, Hale, |
Hanna, Harris, Hawley, Heitfeld. Hoar, |
Jones ark. Kean, Kenney, Kyle, Lodge, |
Ian, Mallory, Martin, Nelson, Penrose, |
Perkins, Pettigrew, Pettus, Platt On. ". |
Pritchard, Proctor, Quarles. Scott, Sewell, |
Shoup, Spooner. Sullivan, Taliaferro, Tel |
Ter, Thurston, Townc, Turley, Turner,
Vest, Warren, Wetmore.
Against the Davis amendment, III
Republicans, Bard, Beveridge, Frye. Gal
linger Hansbrough, McCumber, Mcbride,
Mason, Plat Comm, Stewart. WOlcott;
Democrats. Lindsay. Morgan, Money,
Rawlins, Tillman, Wellington.
Senator Hanna. in the regular session,
spoke III 1dEOT the snip subsidy Dill.
He resented any imputation of any other
motive than that of interest in the coun-
try and good public policy actuating the
committee, and said the measure was be-
lieved the most practical legislation that
could be enacted on the subject. 1t was
necessary, in order to build up the Amer
lean merchant-marine, to afford our for
eign carrying trade protectiOn-some kind
of Fundamentally law. We must either
find foreign markets for our surplus pro-
ducts, or curtail our agriculture and man
ufactures one-third. 1t would mean the
throwing out of employment of tens of
thousands of men and the consequent in
creased competition for employment" If
we did not seize the trade advantages of
the Orient other Powers would. In the
event of war among any of the great
maritime Powers, which were now carry
ing "a per cent. Of our foreign commerce,
the interests of this country would be Sc
| riously impaired and the situation de-
plorable.
The House discussed in committee of
the whole the War Revenue Reduction
bill. A determined effort was made to re-
drce the committees reduction of the tax
| on beer from 81 per barrel with rebate
of 20 per cent. to 81 go fiat, but the House
stuck to the SLIGO.
FRIDAY, DEC. IA.
On Friday, it is understood. Republi-
| can Senators especially interested had a
conference with the President and Mr.