The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-02
By REPUBLICANS OF THE HOUSE ON
THE PORTO RICO BILL.
MADE A TEMPORARY MEASURE
To be Limited to Two Years aud the
Tariff Reduced TO fifteen Per Cent.
These Natter. settled In "a Conference
Last Night Presidents Views
Ascertained He Thinks the Bill Con-
st%itutional and will Sign It with
These Amendments.

Washington. February 2S.-At tae
conference OF house republicans tonight
on the Porto Rican tariff bill. assur-
ances were given that the president
believed the measure constitutional ard
would approve il IL IL came TO him and
an agreement was made tn limit tho
operation OF the bill to two years and
To reduce the duty imposed by IL from
- to Is per cent. Of the American tar
III. As a result Of this the republican
leaders claim that the bin viii have
the support Of all the republicans ex-
cept four-Messrs. Mccall, of Massa-
chusetts; Littlefield. OF Maine. Lori
mer, OF Illinois. and Crumpacker. Of In
diana. and that this loss will - Offset
by Affirmative votes 81 the opposition.
They claim the passage Of the modified
bill is certain.
After the conference adjourned a. IL
O'Clock Chairman Cannon "a out the
following statement OF the amend
ments agreed upon by the conference:
The conference requested the ways
and means committee 10 offer an
amendment to the bill as follows:
Amend the title to max IL an act tenn
porarily to provide revenue for the
island of Porto Rico and for other pur-
1SINF AAAA ~ ShAA A"t bA4tN aAAk .
"'Thi act shall be taken and held
10 be provisional in its purpose intend
ed to meet a pressing. present need
for revenue Of the island Of Porto Rico
and not to continue in force after
March /, 1902
These amendments were adopted
with practically unanimity. Another to
reduce the duty imposed by the act
from % to Is per cent. was adopted
by a vote of los to IL. 4 further amend
ment is to be offered by the ways and
means committee to make il clear that
no double duty is imposed: that the
payment of one internal revenue tax is
the total tax on importations."
About 125 republicans attended the
conference. The leaders had been in
consultation during the day discussing
plans for allaying the opposition to the
bill, and bringing the recalcitrants into
line. The republican members OF the
ways and means committee. except MI.
Mccall, of Massachusetts,. the dissent
ing republican. called on the presi-
dent at the White house this afternoon
to ascertain definitely the presidents
position. Assurance that he favored
the passage of the bill WAS given out
| afterward.
The republican members OF the ways
n means committee. together with
Speaker Henderson. remained at the
capital canvassing the situation during
the interim etwee the hours at r
o'clock and the assembling OF the cOn-
ference at s o'clock. Chairman Cannon
presided over the caucus.
J When Mr.. Payne submitted the two
amendments mentioned General Shat
tue, of Ohio. made a vigorous inquiry
regarding the presidents position, to
which Mr.. Payne responded. announc-
ing emphatically that the president
was convinced that the act was consti-
tutional and that he would sign the bill.
Mr.. Grow, Of Pennsylvania, the YEN
cradle e~x-speaker of the house. said
that the amendments proposed made
the bill an emergency matter against
which the question of constitutionalitv
ought not to be raised.
Mr.. Mccall and Mr.. Littlefield spoke
in good temper. but abated not one lot
Of their individual opposition to The
bill.