The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-04-01
Porto Rican Bill About Ready
to be Passed.
WILL VOTE ON TUESDAY
FINAL TWO DAYS DEBATE BE-
GINS ON MONDAY.
Feature of Yesterdays Session of the
Senate Was Fairbanks Discussion
of the Pending Bill-How Allen
Got a Brief Into the Record
Havemeyer Quoted.

Washington, March 31.-So far as the
committee in charge Of the measure is
concerned, the Porto Rican bilL was
completed today. with the exception of
two amendments which senators had
requested should lie over until Monday.
The final two days debate on the bill
Will begin at IL o'clock Monday. At
o'clock Tuesday afternoon the votes
VIII be taken on the pending amend
ments and the bill.
The feature of tOday's session was
an exhaustive discussion of the pend
ing measure by Mr.. Fairbanks of In
DIANA. Particular interest was mani
rested by senators on both sides of the
chamber in the speech, in view of the
attitude OF Mr.. Fairbanks colleague,
MI. Beveridge. Several of the Indiana
members of the house listened to the
speech and cordial hearing was given
Mr.. Fairbanks by senators of all par
ties. He supported vigorously and un-
equiVocally the pending measure.
Mr.. Allen read a brief prepared by
Harmon f. Randolph. a member of the
New York bar, on Constitutional Sta
tus of Our Island Possessions. A few
minutes earlier Mr.. Allen had been re-
FUSED permission to have the brief
printed as a public document, Mr.. Nc
Comas objecting. After Mr.. Allen had
read about one Of the fifty-four pages
OF the brief, he was given permission
10 print 1t as a part Of his remarks.
Havemeyer Is Quoted.
Mr.. McComas then had read a recent
statement of Mr.. HavemeyeT, president
or the American Sugar Refining COM
pany, in which he argued in favor of
the free admission TO the United States
Of sugar from Porto Rico, and eX-
pressed the belief that the time would
come soon when it would be admitted
free. Mr.. McComas adverted Sarcas-
ucally To the agreement upon the Porto
Rican question, which, he said. Mr..
Havemeyer and Mr.. Allen were in.
When that section of the bill relating
to the legislative assembly of Porto
Rico was reached, Mr.. Pettus (Ala.)
offered this amendment:
That the legislative assembly of
Porto Rico shall have no power or au-
thOrity to enact any law in conflict
with the constitution of the United
States" The amendment was IOst-I5
to 81.
Mr. Fairbanks Qnd) then addressed
the senate in support Of the pending
measure
At the COHCluSlOn Oh MI FAIRBANKS
remarks Mr.. Davis presented compila-
tons of tariff statistics in support of
the remarks he had made a few days
ago, some points in which he said had
been challenged.
Public Indebtedness Limited.
The consideration of the Porto Rico
bill was then proceeded with. 1t was
provided by an amendment offered by
Mr.. Allen and accepted by Mr.. Foraker
that mo public indebtedness of Porto
Rico. or Of any municipality thereof,
shall be authorized or allowed in eX-
cess Of per cent Of the aggregate tax
valuation of its property" The COM
mittee had fixed the limit at 10 per
cent of the tax valuation.
The committee amendments, with the
exception of twO-the one relating to
the question Of citizenship of Porto
Ricans and the other fixing the quail
ficatiOns of a delegate to the house Of
representatives of the United States
were agreed TO.
After a brief executive session the
senate at 4:10 p. m, adjourned until II
O'Clock Monday morning.