Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1900-03-02
THE PORTO RICO BILL
House Republicans Announce
a Compromise Tariff.
MODIFIED MEASURE WILL PASS.
After a Long Conference II Is De-
cided to Limit the Operations of
the Law to Two Years and Re-
duce the Duty to 10 Per Cent.


duCe the Duty to IL Per Cent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27.-At the con
ference of house Republicans last night
on the Porto Rican tariff bill assurances
were given that the president believed
the measure constitutional and would APP
prove it if it came to him, and an agree
ment was reached to limit the operation
of the kill to two years and to reduce the
duty imposed by it from % to - per
cent of the American tariff. AS a result
the Republican leaders claim that the bill
will have the support of all the Republic
ans except four, Messrs. Mccall of Mas
sachusetts, Littlcfeld of Maine, Lorimer
of Illinois and Crumpackcr of Indiana,
and that this loss will be offset by affirm
ative votes of the opposition. They claim
the ssage of the modified bill is certain.
After the conference adjourned at II
O'Clock Chairman Cannon gave out the
following statement of the amendments
agreed upon by the conference:
The conference requested the ways
and means committee to offer an amend
ment to the bill as follows: Amend the
title to make it an act temporarily TO
provide revenue for the island of Porto
Rico and for other purposes and to add
the following section: This act shall be
taken and held to be provisional in its
purpose, intended to meet pressing
present need for revenue for the island of
Porto Rico, and is not to continue in
force after March 1, 1902 These amend
mcnts were adopted with practical una
nimity. Another to reduce the duty inn
posed by the act from 30 to II per cent
was adopted by a vote of 100 to II.
further amendment is to be offered by the
ways and means committee to make it
clear that no double duty is imposed
that the payment of an internal revenue
tax is the total tax on importations."
a memorial of protest and petition
from the people of Porto Rico to the con-
gress of the United States" was present
ed to the senate and house yesterday.
The petitioners ask that the military he
withdrawn, that Porto Rico he declared
an integral part of the United States,
that unrestricted free commerce he estab-
lished between the United States and the
island, that American money be substitute
ed for Porto Rican money and that Il
commission be appointed to cOdfy the
laws and consider insuar interests. The
petition is signed by the Porto Itican
delegates in this city.
Discussion of the right of ex-senator
Quay to Il seat in the senate as Il member
from Pennsylvania was begun yesterday
by Mr. Turley of Tennessee. He pre-
scented n constitutional argument against
the seating of Mr.. Quay, which was
given close attention 10y his colleagues.
lie will conclude today. Consideration of
the Hawaiian government bill brought
out q lively discussion between Mr.. Till
man of South Carolina and Mr.. Spooner
of Wisconsin, in which the former ad
mittcd that ballot boxes had been stuffed
and negroes had been shot in the south to
maintain white domination. An amend
ment was made to the bill striking out
the property qualification of voters fors
members of the legislature but little 9th
er progress was made.
The last day of the general debate on
the Porto Rican tariff bill opened in the
! house today with II 20 minute speech by
Mr.. Carmack tTcnnD in opposition to the
, bill. The alternative presented by the
bill, he said. was the abandonment of
our priceless principles or of our new
possessions The country had been daZ-
zlcd with the gorgeous picture of empire,
! vet at the very threshold of the new de-
parturc. he said. gentlemen ON the other
side had been appalled, lest the trade
| which they had looked at with coV"touS
eyes would bring ruin and destruction To
! American labor. Therefore the new pos
sessions were to hcCOHe colonies and h"
/ turned over to carpet Dagger advent drclS.
/ He said that Mr.. GrosvenOr the other
day had displayed dense ignorance WHEN
he had declared that this was the battle
Of 1850 over again He read from the
| Republican platform of 1850 to show that
| ii set up the very contention maintained
J I,,- II ,. no # i