Evening star., 1900-03-01
AT THE WHITE HOUSE
Prospects Of Porto Rican Bill in the
Senate
IT MAY BE MATERIALLY CHANGED
The President Viii Go to New
York Tomorrow
SOME OF TODAY'S CALLERS

Senators who have visited the White
House have not held prolonged conferences
with the President about what may be
done in the Senate with the Porto Rican
bill passed yesterday by the House, but It
Is positively asserted that a strong move
ment will be started in the upper house to
completely change the tenor Of the meas
ure What is in contemplation may not vet
have been outlined to the President, but IT
will reach his ears before any action is
taken
The proposition now advanced is to
amend the House bill by leaving the entire
question of a tariff for Porto Rico and of a
government for the island in the hands Of
the President until Congress has had time
to deliberate further. This would carry
the question of permanent legislation over
until next December. and in the meantime
the President would have legal sanction for
fixing a tariff at any figure he thought
best. The present military government
might be continued, or the President might
inaugurate a new system of civil govern
rent. Porto Rico would be left much in
the same position as Louisiana and Florida
were for some time, ii is said.
The strongest argument against this
proposition is that Porto Rico is crying for
relief, but this is met with the counter-ar-
gument that the President could promptly
give relief in whatever manner he thought
best. 1t is further asserted that he could
do so much better than II tied down with
specific laws; the operation of whatever
regulations he made would furnish expert
ence on which 10 base permanent laws.
What Visitors Think of IL.
The Presidents visitors today included
Senators Beveridge Quarles, Cullom and
Fairbanks. Representatives Litrleheld.
Lloyd of Missouri and Dolliver of Iowa.
Mr.. Dolliver presented NJ. L. Eidsuess, a
prominent citizen of Greatinger. Iowa.
Mr.. Dclliver said he thought republicans
everywhere would he satisfied with the pas
sage of the Porto Rican bill.
Mr.. Lttlefeld is not Of the same opinion.
He believes blunder has been made. He
says that he and the other republicans who
opposed the hill did no active work against
it beyond placing themselves on record
Had they attempted TO influence those who
were originally opposed to a tariff the re-
suit might have been different
Going to New York Tomorrow
President Mckinley will leave Washing
ton for New York at IL o'clock tomorrow
morning by way Of the Pennsylvania rail-
road. lie will go in a special car attached
to the regular train leaving at thai hour.
With the President will be Mrs. Mckinley,
Assistant Secretary Cortelyou. Executive
Clerk b. F. Barnes and Dr. p. VI. Rixey,
the White House physician.
The party will stop at the Manhattan
Hotel, the New York home of Abner Me-
kinley. On Saturday night the President
will attend the fourteenth annual banquet
of the Ohio Society of New York TO be
given at the Waldorf-Astoria. The Presi-
dent will make a speech, which Will, ii Is
said, be significant.
The presidential party will not return to
Washington until Monday. There Will be
no meeting of the cabinet tomorrow.
The President has no other engagements
in New York except to attend the banquet.
and he wants to rest Friday and Saturday.
In many ways, however, he will be able TO
feel the public pulse on pending matters.
Revision of the Custom Laws.
BY recent suggestion of President Nc
Kinley, the Merchants Association OF New
York appointed a general committee on re-
vision of the custom laws of the United
States. This committee has made a report,
recommending certain changes in the tariff
laws, and the report was submitted 10
President Mckinley today by the executive
board of the committee, consisting Of II. ID.
Cooper, T H. Downing, II. A. Metz and q.
w. ]. Angel.
The report will be transmitted to Secre-
tary Gage. and after it has been passed
upon by him will go back to the President.
who will transmit it to Congress with suit
able recommendations.
Among the changes urged in the present
tariff laws are the retirement On proper
pensions of the members of the board Of
general appraisers in New York at sixty
five years of age after fifteen years
service on the board; allowing a margin Of
per cent between the entered value and
appraised value of goods before penalties
shall accrue; that all hearings before the
board of appraisers shall be public, doing
away with the present secret hearings: the
privilege to add to the invoice value Of con-
signed merchandise to make the market
value.
The Marshall Centennial.
a subcommittee of the American Bar As
sociation waited on President Mckinley to-
day to tell him of the celebration which
has been arranged in honor of The centen-
NAL of the installation OF John Marshall as
chief justice of the Supreme Court of the
United States. The President expressed
much interest in the proposed centennial
exercises and accepted an invitation TO be
present
AT its last annual meeting the American
Bar Association appointed committee OF
one from each state and territory 10
range for such Il celebration on February !.
1901, one hundred years from the date of
installation. The committee appointed a
consisting of VIM. Writ
Howe of New Orleans, Anthony Higgins
OF Delaware. Simeon E. Baldwin Of Con-
necticut, John S. Wise of New York. Henry
L. Davis of the District of Columbia, and
W. w. Van Wrinkle of West Virginia This
met in this city this morning
and decided upon the general plan of the
celebration. This will comprise public
meeting IN this city on February I. 1901,
at which appropriate exercises will be held.
by a banquet at night. The details
Of the program here will be arranged by
the subcommittee and the Bar Association
of the District of Columbia. Simultaneous
ly with the celebration here the har as
of every state and territory viii
celebrate in proper manner. Law schools
and colleges will do the same thing and
the subcommittee will try to arrange for
a celebration by the public schools of the
The celebration will be national one and
the members of bar association All over
the country are taking much interest al
ready.