The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-02
on the measure and amendments VIII
be taken at o'clock tomorrow
The senate at $40 o'clock adjourned.

The senate at $40 o'clock ADJOURNED
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE
The battle royal of the Porto Rican
tariff bill ended in the house today In
a sweeping victory for the republicans.
The bill, amended, as agreed upon at
the conference of republicans on Mon
day night, so as to reduce the tarin
from 25 to Is per cent. Of the American
tariff and limiting its life t. two years,
was passed by vote of 172 yeas TO 16l
nays. Six republicans-Messrs Crum-
packer, of Indiana; Fletcher, of Min
nesota, Heatwole, of Minnesota; Little
field, of Maine; Lorimer, of Illinois
and Mccall, Of Observation-Disclosures
with the opposition against the bill,
and four democrats-Messrs. Davey
and Myer, of. Louisiana; Devries, OF
California. and Sibley, of Pennsylva-
nia-voted with the republicans for the
the bill.
Hurculean efforts had been made to
get out the full vote and this led to
some remarkable incidents. Six men
were brought from beds of sickness;
two Of them from hospitals.
Mr. Brownlow, of Tennessee, was
brought in a carriage, accompanied
by his wife and physician. He sat
bundled up near the entrance until his
vote was given and then withdrew. 1t
was felt that the strain would be Sc
we're on him, but when Mr.. Tawney,
the republican whip, urged that the
bill might be lost by this one vote, Mr..
Brownlow said: ''I would rather lose
my life than see this bill defeated"
Mr.. Tawney and three assistants
were out in carriages until midnight
last night accounting for every vote,
and Mr.. Underwood, the democratic
whip, was similarly eXerting every
means to get out his vote. Three DEM
ocrats were brought from sick beds.
The first test today was on a substi-
"oTo oil ha1
of the opposition. 1t was the original
Payne bill for free trade with Porto
Rico and was defeated-160 to ia.
Only five republicans voted for the
substitute. Mr.. Fletcher, republican,
of Minnesota, who subsequently voted
to recommit and against the bill voted
against the substitute. A motion to
recommit it, which followed, shared a
similar fate, being lost-160 to 172.
There was great excitement through
| out the roll calls, which were followed
with eager interest by thousands f
| spectators who packed the galleries to
| suffication. The republicans INDUCED
| in a demonstration of wild jubilation
| when the final result was announced.
Immediately after the reading ~ the
| journal the clerk began reading the
| bill for amendment under the five min
ute rule.
When section was reached Mr..
| Payne, chairman of the ways and
means committee, offered the follow
/ ing substitute for that section:
Section 3. That on and after the
| passage Of this act all merchandise
ceming into the United States from
| Porto Rico and coming into Porto Rico
| from the United States shall be enter
ed at the several ports Of entry upon
| payment Of Is per cent. of the duties
| 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 con-
| sumption or sale upon payment of a
J tax equal TO the internal revenue tax
! imposed in the United States upon the
| like articles of merchandise of domes-
tic manufacture, such tax to be paid
! by internal revenue stamps or stamps
! to be purchased and provided by the
! commissioner of internal revenue and
| to be procured from the collector of in
ternal revenue at the point most con-
venient to the port of entry Of said
\ merchandise into the United States
and to be affixed under such regula-
tiors as the commissioner of internal
revenue, with the approval of the sec
retary of the treasury, shall prescribe
and on all articles of merchandise OF
United States manufacture coming
into Porto Rico in addition to the duty
above provided in payment of q tax
equal in rate and amount to the inter
nal revenue tax imposed in Porto Rico
upon like articles OF Porto Rican man
ufacture''
Mr.. Payne explained that the substi-
tute reduced the duty from 25 to 15 pei
cent. and also removed some confusion
regarding double taxation. He said the
amended bin probably would raise
| about S1,200, 600 per annum.
| Mr.. Berry, of Kentucky, said the
amendment proposed petty instead OF
grand larceny of the people of Porto
Rico. He ridiculed the laborious de.
bate through which the house ha6
passed over the question of what the
United States meant under the con
stitution.
Mr.. Dearmond, of Missouri, called at
tention to the peculiar language OF the
substitute. The words coming into
the United States" he said, were plain
ly intended to evade the constitution
but he argued that the numbering Of
the queens english" and the violation
of the canons of language" could no
make it constitutional.
Mr.. Otey, of Virginia, convulsed the
house and galleries by mimicking the
mannerism of some of the republican
leaders, concluding with parody upor
the speech of Mr.. Cannon, Of Illinois
| yesterday.
The Payne amendment was adopted
without division
Many members on both sides Of tn,
house made brief five minute speeche.
explaining their position. Mr.. Richard
son, of Tennessee. had read commu
nication from delegation of Porte
Ricans appealing for free trade.
Mr.. Payne. in reply. said the gen
tlemen who signed that communica
ton were all directly pecuniarily in
terested in exporting sugar and tobac
CO into the United States
Mr.. Payne then offered the following
section agreed upon at the conference
Of republicans on Monday night:
This act shall be taken and held t
be provisional in its purposes and in
tended to meet a pressing. present
need for revenue for the island Of Porto
Rico and shall not continue in force
after March I, 1902"
Mr.. Sibley, of Pennsylvania, an
nounced his intention of voting for the
bill But Porto Rico, he said, was g
mere incident to the broader PROPOSE.