The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-28
CHANGE is MADE.
Amendment to Porto Rican Tar
iff Bill Adopted.
Reducing Rate of Duty From %
to I5 Per Cent.
is ON IT'S PASSAGE.
Final Vote on the Measure al
3 O'clock.
Opponents Continue Fighting to
the Last.

Washington, Feb. 2S-The last day of
the struggle over the Porto Rico tariff
bill in the house opened at II O'Clock
with almost every member in his seat
and a large attendance in the galleries.
The leaders on both sides were actively
engaged in rallying their forces and
making computations upon the fina!
vote which is to be taken under the or
der at o'clock. Mr.. Underwood of Ala
bama, the Democratic whip said the re-
suit would be very close and turn upon
the vote of two or three men on the
Democratic side Mr.. Tawney, the Re
publican whip said the bill would have
votes to spare. He said the main dan
ger lay in the motion to recommit
Immediately after the reading of the
Journal the clerk began reading the bill
for amendment under the five minute
rule When the third section was reach
ed Mr.. Payne, the chairman of the ways
and means committee offered the fol-
lowing substitute for that section:
Section 3-That on and after the pas
sage of this act all merchandise com
ing into the United States from Porto
Rico from the United States shall be
entered at the several ports of entry
upon payment of Is per cent of the du-
ties which are required to be levied, col
lected and paid upon like articles of
merchandise imported from foreign
countries and in addition thereto, upon
articles of merchandise of Porto Rican
manufacture coming into the United
states and Withdrawn for consumption
or sale upon payment of a tax equal to
the internal revenue tax imposed in the
United States upon the like articles of
merchandise of domestic manufacture:
such tax to be paid by internal revenue
stamps or stamps to be purchased and
provided by the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue and to be procured from
the collector of internal revenue at the
most convenient point to the port of
entry of said merchandise in the United
States and to be affixed under such reg
ulatiOnS as the commissioner of inter-
nal revenue with the approval of the
secretary of the treasury shall pre-
scribe; and on all articles of merchan-
disc of United States manufacture com :
ing into Porto Rico in addition to the
duty above provided in payment of a
tax equal in rate and amount to the in
ternal revenue tax imposed in Porto
Rico upon like articles of Porto Rican
manufacture
Mr.. Payne explained that the substi-
tute did two things-it reduced the duty
from 25 to Is per cent, and it also re-
moved some confusion regarding double
laXatlOn. Mr.. Payne said he still ad-
hered to the opinion that 25 per cent
would be better than Is per cent be-
cause it would raise more revenue but
10 per cent was better than nothing In
answer to a question as to how much
the bill as amended would raise, Mr.
Payne said the estimate for the origf-
nal bill was $1,700,0O0 If that estimate
was correct the amended bill would
raise about 81 ,250 600 per annum
Mr. Payne took occasion to reprove
some of his critics who had complained
that he had given no explanation of
his change of front. His speech and
his report, he said. gave a full expla-
nation. He had believed in free trade
with Porto Rico at one time, but sub-
sequent information had convinced him
that the duty proposed by the pending
bill should be imposed.
Mr.. Berry (Ky) said the amendment
proposed petty instead of grand larceny
of the people of Porto Rico. He riii-
culed the laborious debate through
which the house had passed over the
question of what the United States
meant under the constitution. If this
country had been called 'Columbia'' in
stead Of the United States 200 pages
of the Congressional Record could have
been eliminated. No one would have
had the hardihood to contend then that
the constitution did not extend over
every foot of soil
The bill was opposed in short speeches
by Mr. De Almond CLo), Mr.. Fitzger-
aid CMass), and Mr.. Otoe CVa). and de-
Tended by Mr.. Grow Pa), Mr.. Graf
Ol), Mr.. BromweIl (Ohio). who had
hitherto opposed the measure, and Mr.
Grosvenor (Ohio).
The Payne amendment was adopted
without division