The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-15

WASHINGTON. Dec. A-The house to-
| day adjourned without disposlng of more
| than half OF the war revenue reduction
| bill. General debate closed at o'clock,
| after which the bill was opened to amend
| ments under the fve-minute rule.
A determined effort was made TO reduce
! stll further the tax on beer below the
| committees rate of SLIGO u barrel but the
ways and means committee overwhelmed
| the opposition
| The committee. however. sustained two
| signal defeats In connection with the
| beer tax Mr.. Payne offered an amends
| ment In the language OF the bill passed
by the house last session, designed TO
| abolish the use of small beer packages,
one-sixteenth and one-eighth barrels. but
| II was defeated by S5 TO "a. after charges
| that its purpose was to crush out the
small brewers were made
| Another defeat occurred In connection
| with The amendment offered BY Henry
| Smith of Michigan. The bin abolished
4 the one-cent stamp tax on express re-
| ceipts and telegraph messages, but re-
! tained the tax on railroad and steamship
| freight receipts. Mr.. Smiths amend
ment restored the tax on express receipts
and altered the form OF the section. so as
| 10 compel the company instead of the
shipper To pay the tax. The amendment
| preeipitated a lively debate. In tho course
| OF which Mr.. Smith made personal ellu-
1
| connected with one OF the express COM
1 panies MFR. Payne vigorously fought tho
amendment, but IL was carried. 1e3 to los
| The text OF the amendment is as fol-
lows:
Express and freight: II shah he the
duty OF every railroad steamboat
company carrier. express company.
| corporation. or person. whose occupa-
tion Is TO act as such, TO make within
| the first fifteen days of each month
| sworn statement to the collector OF In
| ternal revenue In each of their respect
1 I've districts stating the number Of
| shipments received Tor carriage and
| transportation whether IN bulk or In
| boxes. bales, packages, bundles. or not
| so inciosed or included. for which any
| charges whatsoever have been made,
| andfor each of such shipments received
| for carriage and transportation tho said
| railroad or steamboat company, car
| rier express company or corporation,
| or person whose occupation u f. 20 act
a. asos,Saa snsh ,hsii ,hs, pay tax q cent
| such tax shall be required on
bundles 9r paskases Of newspapers
| at the time OF shipment"
Debate In Detail.
Msssrs. Maddox Of Georgia. oiey Of vir-
| vinis. Lewis OF Georgia and Suizer Of
/ New York opposed the bill.
MIR Gaines. OF Tennessee. concluded the
general debate for his side OF the house.
MIR Dalzeil. of Pennsylvania. closed for
! the Republicans with comprehensive
| speech Of an hour. Those who sought
| the total repeal Of the wat taxes, be
\ said seemed 70 forget the extraordinary
/ expenses that might have TO be met in
/ 1899. They made no provision for "A river
and harbor bin. for big armor plate con-
tracts. for subsidies for the merchant
! marine. n the bin pending IN the senate
should pass Tor the construction OF the
! Nicaragua canal. and for the possibility
| that the supreme court might decide that
the constitution followed the nng. IN
4 which ease the United States would have
| TO refund all duties collected IN the ports
I OF Puerto Rico. Hawaii and the Philip.
/ pines Better surplus. he said. than
| a deficit. In hts opinion " were better
/ not 10 have gone beyond the fs0sf1g.eop cut
recommended by the secretary ~ the
| treasury. lie said the siooo.V9 reduce
tion beer htd been made as cnn-
cession 20 members ON the floor. Il would.
he said be unsafe % reduce that tar
| another dollar.
General debate was closed and the TIN
WIS read for amendment under the fiva~
4 minute rule. Mr.. Payne. Chairman ~
I the ways and means committee, from
the committee. offered an amendment TO
make the beer tax $3.50 per barrel fiat In
stead ~ dikensns ~ % per cent, as
originally drawn.
Newisnas Amendment Lest.
MIR Nswlands. Of Nevada. offered an
I amendment 10 reduce The lax 20 81 - rer
Z barrel lie urged that the tax on beer
Z could be reduced. and the taxes on the
accumulated wealth ~ the country FOR
the frat time placed under contribution
Z could be retained.
Mr. Payne opposed tho Newlands
amendment. which. he said. weuia make
reduction % - .eooeo On beer a total
reduction ~ tss.VAf.a. sueh a reduction.
! ~, al4 sfid necessarily sfeate deficit
NGs asnenasps wss lost, -
,5so al
3f BaFfhoIGt. of Missouri, offered an
afuendmsnf making the rate ubo
Mr. Ailea, MisdsMlppl. made short
and KITTY sreech. CLOSING. ne said. hls
'srsat lsaislatiye career iIe referred
Ironiraiiy to the need of keeping up taxa
ttcn ard spending more money He
raised a laugh - describing a walk in
the fashionable quarters ~ Washington
and finding she palatlal residences oeeu-
pied by brewers. He opposed any fur
ther reduction Of the beer tax
Mr.. BaFtholdt and Mr. Fitzgerald. Of
MassachusetfE. spoke Ia favor of the
amendment. which was defeated, ~ 10 rs.
Sir. SBizer, Of New York. charged that
( the Republicans had obtained large
campaign fund from the brewers upon
a pledge 10 repeal the 81 additional tsx
| upon beer. They had been false 20 their
promise and he predicted that the brewers