The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-03-06
THE NATIONS Law MAKERS
House Passes Porto Rican Tariff Bill After
Strong Fight by Littleheld

Z the provisions Of this act shall apply 10
/ the island o. Porto Rico and to the adj
lacent islands and waters % the islands
Z lying cast % the seyenty-fOurth meridian
. Of longitude vest OF Greenwich. which
was coded 20 the United States by the
government Of Spain by treaty concluded
+ April eleventh, eighteen hundred and
nlnety-nine; and the name Porto Rico. as
used In this act, shall be held 20 inclgie
not only sne island OF that name. but all
the adjacent islands a. aforesaid.
sec. ? That on and after the passage
Of this act the same tariffs. customs. and
duties shan be levied. collected. and paid
upon all articles imported into Porto
Rico from ports other than those OF the
United States. which are required By law
20 Be collected upon articles imported
into the United States from foreign coun-
tries.
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 United
States shall be entered at the several
ports OF entry uIon payment OF Is per
cent. Of the duties which are required 10
be levied. collected, and paid upon Ike
articles Of merchandise imported from
foreign countries; and, in addition thereto.
upon articles Of merchandise OF Porto
KIcan manufacture coming into the Unit
cd States and Withdrawn for consumption
or sale upon payment Of A tax equal 10
the Internal revenue tax imposed in the
United States upon the like articles Of
merchandise OF domestic manufacture:
such tax 20 be paid by internal revenue
stamps or stamps to be purchased and
provided By the Commissioner Of Inter
nal Revenue and 20 be procured from the
collector CT internal revenue at or most
convenient TO the port Of entry of said
merchandise IN the United States. and TO
be affixed under such regulations as the
Commissioner Of Internal Revenue with
the approval of the Secretary of the
Treasury, shall prescribe; and on all ar
ticles of merchandise Of United States
manufacture coming into Porto Rico IN
addition to the duty above provided in
payment Of a tax equal in rate and
amount to the internal revenue tax i'm
POSED in Porto Rico upon like articles of
Porto Rican manufacture.
Section g. That the customs duties col
lected in Porto Rico In pursuance Of this
act. less the cost Of collecting the same.
and the gross amount Of all collections Of
customs in the United States upon ar
ticles Of merchandise coming from Porto
Rico, shall not be covered into the gen.
craI fund Of the Treasury, but shall be
held as a separate fund, and shall be
placed al the disposal Of the President 10
be used for the government and benefit of
Porto Rico until otherwise provided by
law.
Section s. This act shall be taken and
held 10 be provisional in its purposes. and
intended to meet pressing present need
for revenue for the island Of Porto Rico
and shall not continue in force after
March /, 1902"
"Will the United States throw away the
golden opportunity by giving up the Phil
ippines?" asked Senator McLaurin, of
South Carolina, in the Senate yesterday, in
the course Of a carefully prepared speech
on the Philippine question. Mr.. McLaur-
ms views were listened 10 with more than
usual interest, in view of the fact that he
Is one Of the few Democrats in the Sen
ate who are In favor of expansion. He
occupies a position at variance with that
Of his colleague. Mr. Tillman, but having
reached the conviction that the Philip
pines ought TO be retained, he did not hes
itate to place himself upon record.
Mr.. McLaurin believes that by the ac-
QUESTION Of the Philippines the United
States holds the key to the eastern situa-
ton. Il believe in holding them" he said
yesterday. "and | believe the Southern
farmers and manufacturers will sustain
me in my position. l believe further" he
added, that the presence of the United
States and of its flag, the emblem of hu-
man freedom. progress, and civilization.
will carry TO the millions in the Orient I'M
numbered blessings which in the coming
years Will be for their betterment and
ameliOratiOn, and will conduce to the
Vag.FrU re- \
tons and the commercial supremacy of
the nation"
Mr.. McLaurin pointed out in great de-
tail and with an abundance of figures the
benefit which had already accrued to the
South through the trade with the Orient.
deprecated the action of the Democrats in
making expansion a political issue, and
SAID that the fear of Imperialism was
nothing but a ghost