The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-04-12
WILL BECOME A LAW TO-DAY.
PORTO RICAN TARIFF BILL PUT
THROUGH by HOUSE.

NOtes-RuIe Adopted Limiting ths
Debate-sEaEoOn's Adverse OpIniom
Quoted by Mr. Richardson.
Washington, April 1.-THE long and Bit
ter struggle over the Porto Rican tarife
bill ended to-day when the House, by
vote of 16l TO 1853, concurred in all the
| Senate amendments.
The bill now requires only the signature
of the speaker of the House and the Press
ident of the Senate, before going to the
President for approval These signatures
will be attached tomorrow and befora
nlghtfall the bill probably will be a law.
As the bill originally passed the House.
Ii was a simple bill imposing Is per cent.
| of the Dingley rates on goods going into
| Porto Rico from the United States ana
coming from Porto Rico into the United
! states. As amended by the Senate and
to-day agreed to by the House, all re-
| strictions on goods coming into the United
States from Porto Rico are eliminated ana
| certain foodstuffs ard other articles which,
| heretofore have gone into Porto Rico fres
| by executive order are excluded from the
operation of the IS per cent, duty imposed
on goods entering the island from the
|
IL government for the island is also attach.
ed to the measure.
Republicans Against 1t.
Upon the final vote nine Republicans
voted against the bill-Messrs. Heatwols
of Minnesota, Crumpacker of Indiana,
| Lane of Iowa, Ltteheld of Maine, Me-
| Call Of Massachusetts, II. G.. Smith of
| Michigan, Warner of Illinois, Fletcher of
| Maine and Lorimer of Illinois. Two Dem-
| ocrats-Messrs Davey and Meyer of Lou-
| isianR-were paired with Democrats in
| favor of the bill, and one Democrat-Mrs
| Sibiey of Pennsylvania-voted for 1T OUT
| right. a Mr.. Devries, the other Democrat
! who Voted for the original bill to-day
! voted against concurrence. Mr. Stallings,
| Democrat, of Alabama, was the only
member on either side absent and un-
| paired.
The vote came at 5 o'clock, after al
very interesting and at times exciting
| debate of five hours, which covered not
only the bill, but the special order under
which the House acted.
One of the most dramatic features OF
| the day was the reading by Mr.. Richard-
| son, the minority leader, of the original
| opinion Jof Charles E. Magoon, the legal
adviser of the war department. in favor
of the view that the constitution extended
| over Porto Rico eX-propre vigore Mr..
| Dolliver of Iowa, in reply. termed Mr..
| Magoon a clerk, who tried to overrule the
great lawyer at the head of the war de-
| partment.
Messrs. Fl. c. Smith Of Michigan, War
| ner of Illinois, Crumpacker of Indiana,
| Mccall of Massachusetts and Lorimer OF
| Illinois, all Republicans, made speeches
| against the motion to concur.
| The closing struggle over the measure
attracted immense crowds to the galleries
and marked a field day in Congress.
Rule Limiting Debate.
As soon as the reading of the journal
was concluded Mr.. Dalzell of Pennsyl-
vania, one of the leaders of the majority
| and a member Of the Committee on Rules,
| presented the special order under which,
the House was to operate, as follows:
Resolved, That Immediately upon the
| adoption of this resolution the COMMITTEES
| of the Whole House on the State of tho
| Union shall be discharged from the cons
| sderation of House bill SPAS Ohe Porto
| Rico bilD and the Senate amendments
| thereto; that the same shall be considered
| in the House until p. m. Wednesday,
| April II, 1900, when, without delay or
other motion, a vote shall be taken ON
| the motion to concur in the said Senata
| amendments en- crosse And oil members
shall have leave 10 print on the subject OF
| said bill and amendments for ten days
| from the adoption of this rule"
Upon demand of Mr.. Dalzell the previ~
Gus question of the adoption Of the rule
was ordered. This gave twenty minutes
| for debate on each side under the rules,
Mr.. Dalzell discussed the rule briefly. Ia
was the opinion of the majority. he said.
that the Senate civil government amends
ments should be concurred in. What the
country desired was not debate, but acs
ton.
Iniquity of the Measure.
Mr. Richardson, the minority leader
called attention to the fact that the rule
would permit the House to vote only upon
a single proposition. If 1t had been pos
sible for the Senate to add to the iniquily
of the original bill levying 10 per cent. OF
the Dingley duties on goods going into
Porto Rico, he said IL had done 50 in tho
so-called civil government amendments.
under which guise the Senate had imposed
an imperialistic government upon the peo-
pie of the island. ~
Mr.. DeArmond Of Missouri said the
rule was evidence that those who hal
decided to suppress intellect, chain the
will and stihe the conscience. realized that
they must do their work quickly.
Mr.. Babcock OF Wisconsin, chairmau
of the Republican Congressional Campaign
Committee. Indignantly resented the
charge of Mr.. Richardson that the Repub-
lican Campaign Committee had received
money consideration for the Porto Rico
tariff bill.
MIR. Grosvenor of Ohio, said that nlle-
glance to this bin was now the shibbo-
leth Of Republicanism. He hurled back
in Mr. Richardson's teeth the charge oe
bribery which had been reported to have
been made by Republican member.
"We do not believe it," cried Mr.. Gross
venor. 1--WE know it is a lie. (Repubh-
can applause.) l do not say any man
made the statement, but II he did he is a
liar" democratic jeers)
Mr.. Dalzell, reverting to Mr. Richard-
sons characterization of the rule as an
Outrage" recalled the rule brought in
when the Democrats concurred I'm the
Senate amendments of the Wilson tariff
bill "Scribes, Pharisees and hypocrites.'
he denominated the Democrats for pratt
ing about a change of base made by the
Republicans.
Last Effort for Free Trade.
Mr.. Richardson moved TO recommit the
rule, with instructions 20 report n new
rule and a substitute blll providing:
"l'irst For free trade between tho
limited states and Porto Rico.