The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-03-07

WnlCn swept galleries and fOOr while |
Mr.. Deliver was speaking. The Iowan
was ct his best and bis wit, eloquence,
and sarcasm in turn drew salvos of APP
plause from his Republican associates.
Before these closing speeches were
made Mr.. Cannon Of Illinois, chairman
Of the appropriations committee and |
one of the veterans on the Republican |
side, made an exceptionally effective |
speech in support of the bill
The Republican managers are now
confident that the bill will command
narrow majority on the fual vote.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2S.-The House
went Immediately into committee of
the whole on the Porto Rican tariff
bill. Mr.. Payne offered an amendment
reducing the duty TO 10 per cent, and
establishing the same internal revenue
taxes as in the United States. The
amendments were adopted.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-The tariff
bill, amended as agreed upon at the
conference Of Republicans 80 as to re-
duce the tariff from % to 10 per cent of
the American tariff, and limiting its
life to two years, was passed by vote
| of 172 yeas TO l61 nays. Six Republi-
cans, Messrs. Crumpacker of Indiana,
Fletcher Of Minnesota, Heatwole of
Minnesota, Ljttefield of Maine, Lori
mer OF Illinois and Mccall of Massachu-
sets, voted against, and four Demo-
Gratis, Messrs. Davey and Myer of
Louisiana, Devries of California and
Sibley Of Pennsylvania, voted with the
Republicans for the bill.
Herculean efforts had been made to
get out the full vote and this led to
some remarkable incidents. Six men
were brought from beds of sickness,
two Of them from hospitals. Mr.
Brownow of Tennessee was brought
in carriage, accompanied by his wife
and physician. He sat bundled up
near the entrance until his vote was
given and then withdrew. 1t was felt
that the strain would be severe on him,
but when Mr.. Tawney, the Republican
whip, urged that the bill might be lost
by this one vote, Mr.. Brownlow said:
81 would rather lose my life than see
this bill defeated" Mr.. Tawney and
three assistants were out in carriages
until midnight accounting for every
vote. and Mr.. Underwood, the Demo.
cratic whip, was similarly exerting
every means to get out his vote. Three
Democrats were brought from sick
beds.
Notwithstanding the agreement made
by the Senate TO vote on the Hawaiian
government bill yesterday, the final
vote was postponed until four O'CLOCK
today.
One of the features of the session
was the speech Of Mr.. McLaurin, Dem
ocrat, of South Carolina, on the Phil
ippine question. He is the first Dem
; ocrat in the Senate to declare himsel
for expansion. He secuted what BIZ
termed the "Bugbear of Imperialism
with which some Of his colleagues
were trying to brighten the people, de
clared the question was not one o.
= politics and maintained that the &C
!, QUESTION Of the Philippines would bt
, Of immense advantage to this country
= especially the South, by opening to thu
United States the trade of the Orient
In giving the conference report UpoI
i the financial bill Mr.. Aldrich explained
that one change provided distinctly tina
: the secretary OF the treasury should no
= use the money derived from the sale o
i bonds for the payment of the curren
: expenses of the govern ment, the pur
pose being to destroy any POSSIBILITY
{ that the So-cRlled endless chain Nigh
i be established. Many minor amend
ments were made, one OF which pei
9 mits towns Of 5000 inhabitants in
: stead of 1900 to organize nationa
: banks with capital OF S25, 900.
: Benefits 10 Porto Rico viii follo'
Immediately the passage of the Port
L Rican tariff bill by the Senate and it
5 approval by the President. The i'm
: mense stock Of tobacco, sugar and mol
i asses being held for the determination
: of Congressional legislation for tn
{ island insures a large customs colleC
ton at once that will be available TO
+ internal improvements and educationa
a 4 purposes.
The sale of stored goods to the I'm
tied States will provide money for laho
i and the development OF the island
u thus relieving the financial stringency
Z More than S2,000,000, according to Mi
!. Russell, will be turned over to th
y Porto Rican account within the frs
year OF its existence under the ne'
v tariff law.
!, The bill now goes to the Senate
u where it will be referred to the Com
G mittee on Porto Rican affairs, OF Whic
2 Mr.. Foraker is chairman.
The question then will arise whethe
= the Foraker bill, providing a govern
i ment for the island with q tariff pre-
c vision of % per cent, will be consider
5 cd substitute for the House bill. Th
alternative is TO amend the House bi
in the Porto Rican committee with fea
IT lures from the Foraker and the Coope
>, bill pending in the Insular Affairs com
a mittee of the House. The desire is t
q settle the Porto Rican problem as I
a government and revenues as speedil
l. as possible, but the INTRODUCED of tn
o constitutional questions involved il
. both propositions must of necessit
q compel lengthy debate.
). There is not the slightest possibilit
3 of the defeat of the House bill in an
t. aspect. The question simply is how t.
obtain an agreement between the tw
houses for a combination OF three pend
ing bills dealing with Porto Rican an'
" inSular affairs in several aspects.