The National tribune., 1900-03-08

I
Richardson, of Tennessee. to recommit tn
bill 10 the Committee on Ways and McGns
In the course of the consideration of the bi
I i'll the Committee of the Whole, from IL t
3 o'clock, it was amended in accordanc
with the recommendations of the confcI
Cnce of Republicans Monday night, am
this secured the support of the great bull
of the majority party.
RI As passed, the bill reads:
Whereas the people of Porto Rico lav
/ been deprived of markets for Il larger por
, ton of their products, and have lost prop
storms, whereby they are impoverished an'
arc unable 10 pay Internal revenue anc
direct taxes; and
Whereas temporary revenue is neccS
sary for their schools. their roads. and theil
internal improvement. and the admiHistra
ton of their government: Now, therefore
be it enacted. etc.
That the provisions of this act shall
apply 10 the Island of Porto Rico and tC
the adjacent islands. and waters of the
islands cast of the 14th meridian OF longi,
tude west of Greenwich. which We're coded
Spain by treaty concluded April II. 1899
and the name Porto Rico rs used in this act
shall be held 10 include 10; only the island
OF that name, but all adjacent isluAds rs
aforesaid.
Soc. ,. That on and after the passage
OF this act the same tariffs, customs, and
| duties shall be levied, collected. and plid
upon all articles imported into Porto Rico
| from ports other than those of tie tHit2d
States which ar" required by law 10 be col
| lcctod upon articles imported into tho
| United States from foreign countries.
Sec. ;. That on and after The passage
of this act all merchandise coming into the
| United States from Porto Rico. and coming
into Porto Rico from the Cnitrd States,
shall be entered at the several ports of entry
! upon payment of ID per cent of the duties
which are required to be levied, collected,
and paid upon like articles Of merchandise
imported from foreign countries; and, III
addition thereto. upon articles of mcrchaa-
disc OF Porto Rican manufacture coming
INTO the United States and withdrawn for
consumption or sale upon payment of a tax
equal Ia the internal revenue tax imposed
in the United States upon the like articles
of merchandise of domestic manufactures;
such tax to be paid by internal revenue
stamps or stamps TO b" purchased and pre-
vidcd by the Commissioner of Internal
Revenue and 10 he procured from the Col
iector Of Internal Revenue at or most con
Vclipni 10 II" port Of entry of said mcrchan-
disc in the United States, and 10 be affixed
under such regulations as the Commi5-
SiOncr OF Internal Revenue. with the ap-
prOv2l of The Secretary of the Treasury.
shall prescribe; and on all articles of NOR
chandisc of United States manufacture
coming into Port,, Rico in addition To the
duty above provided i'll payment OF n tax
equal in rate and amount To the internal
revenue tax imposed in Porto Rico upon
like articles of Porto Rici3n manufacture.
Sec. 4. That The duties and taxes col
iectcd in Porto Rico in pursuance of this
act, less the cost of collecting the same,
and the gross amount of all collection of
duties and taxes in the United States upon
articles of merchandise coming from Porto
Rico shall not he covered into the general
fund of the Treasury but shall be held as a
separate fund, and shall be placed at the
disposal of the President. 10 be used for the
government and benefit of Porto Rico until
otherwise provided by law.
Sec. ). This action shall be taken and
held 10 be provisional in its purposes. and
intended 10 meet Il pressing present need
for revenue for the Island of Porto Rico.
and snail not continue in force after the 1st
day of March, 1902"
In the Senate on March l, Mr. CLAY. of
Georgia, spoke on the Philippine question
He WAS one of the Democratic Senators
who voted for the ratification Of the treaty
Of Paris.
Mr.. Clay, adverting to the commercial
advantages of holding the Philippines. said:
There is quite difference between
commercial! and territorial expansion. One
does not necessarily follow the other. ]
favor commercial expansion, but oppose
the latter where applied to territory be-
yond the Western Hemisphere.
No Senator upon this floor is more anx-
ious to enlarge our markets and to induce
the vast population of China. TO purchase
our surplus products of farm and factory
50 as to give employment to labor and en-
hance the value of both the raw material
and finished product Of producer and manu-
facturer than myself. Wars and domestic
insurrection are not the proper means 10
induce foreign consumers TO buy our goods
and wares and to become our customers.
The Hawaiian matter was further CON
sidcred. The bill, which establishes a
Territorial form of government in the Ha-
waiian Islands, was passed without di-
vision at the close Of the day. The bill |
creates the Territory Of Hawaii, with Il |
Legislature, Supreme and minor Courts. a |
GoTernOr and other officials; extends 10 the |
islands the United States Internal Rcvc-
nue., customs, and navigation laws. and |
provides for the election of a Delegate to |
the Islands in Congress.
The debate on the bill was int 'rrupted BY |
Mr.. Foraker, Chairman Of the Committee on |
Pacific Islands and Porto Rico, who re |
ported back from that committee the Porto |
Rican BILL passed Wednesday in the House |
with an amendment substituting for il the |
bill already reported to the Senate giving |
Porto Rico Il Territorial form Of Govern
mcnt. The substitute was also amended 50 |
as 10 make the tariff on Porto Rican trade |
ID per cent. as the House bill provides. in |
stead of the original rate Of % per cent.
Mr.. Platt, Of Connecticut, offered now
section, declaring that nothing III the bill |
shall be construed rs a pledge or promise
that the Territory of Hawaii will at any
lime in the future be admitted rs a State |
Dr. attached 10 any State; but his amend
mcnt was ruled out.
Ia the House routine matter principally
occupied the members. Two corrections
were made III the votes of the day before on
hc Porto Rican bill. Mr.. Snodgrass
'Tenn.) explained that he had voted TO re-
commit and Mr.. De Eries CCaiJ that he La | |
voted against the motion.
In the Senate on March 2 the Senate
substitute for the House bill 10 provide a
government for the Island Of Porto Rico was
pken up and its provisions discussed Mr..
Teller said that the measure was a remark
able ono. II seemed to him, he said. that
lc Committee had employed deal of in
iustry and care 10 make The Island of Porto
Rico part of the United States. "'rhe
people," he remarked, "arn ciiizcns Of the
nited States, the Committee has cstab-
ished United States courts, the ports are
nited States ports. and in every way the
committee has determined that the island
shall be part of the United States And
then the Committee inserts the remarkable
provision that we shall levy :! duty upon
Porto Rican products broIlpbt into tho