The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-05-31
THE INSULAR TAX CASES
GREAT INTEREST IN THE SUPREME
COURT DECISIONS.
QUESTION AS TO PHILIPPINES
Goes Over Until Next Term OF the
Court-The Facts In this Case Similar
to the Delima Case Which the Court
Decides Against the Government.
Treasury Department to Continue
Collection Of Dfngley Bill Rates on
Imports from the Philippines.

Collection or Dingley Bill Rates on
Imports from the Philippines.
Washington May 2S.-After a session
of three minutes today the federal su-
preme court adjourned until the second
Monday in October. The brief session
was devoted to the formal disposition
of motions. The two remaining insular
cases, one of them that of the fourteen
diamond rings, dealing with importa-
tions from the Philippines, and the
other known as the second Dooley case.
Involving the question of expectations
from the United States to Porto Rico,
failed to receive attention today and
they go over until the next term.
Interest in the supreme court deci-
sions centered at the war department
today and efforts were made to ascer-
tain the intention of the department
regarding the Philippines as they are
under the departments control. Sec
retary Root would express no opinion.
saying that he had not yet the full text
of the decision before him and that it
would require careful consideration be-
fore the entire import of the three opin-
ions could be ascertained with a view
Of governing future action.
Several senators and representatives
called on the secretary today and dis
cussed the situation with him, giving
their views and interpretations of the
opinions rendered yesterday and the
bearing they would have on the future
government of the Philippines. Among
these were Senator Lodge of Massachu-
setts, chairman of the Philippine COM
mittee of the senate. He expressed the
opinion that the decision of the court
would make Philippine legislation alb
solutely necessary in the coming ses--
sion Of congress. He also was clearly
of the opinion that under the Spooner
law the president had absolute power to
provide for a revenue, both customs
and internal for the Philippine islands
in the general scheme for the Philippine
government.
Another suggestion made by sena-
tors, previous to the time when it was
supposed that a decision in the Philip
pines case would be rendered by the
court similar to the Delma case in
Porto Rico, was that an export duty
on goods coming from the Philippines
to the United States could be levied in
order to prevent free trade from the is
necessity will be obviated, however, by
the determination of the treasury de-
partment to continue to collect Ding
ley rates on Philippine products and
goods coming from the islands.
Figures Were furnished at the war
department showing the collections
from the Philippines. From April II,
1888 to February %. 1901, there were COL
lected on goods imported from the
United states to the Philippines 81
012,925. During the same period there
were collected on exports from the
Philippines to the United States $196 149.
From April II, 1899, until April II, 1900,
the date of the passage of the Foraker
law, the collections on imports from the
United States to Porto Rico were
$436, 6,237.
1t is believed that the war department
will soon promulgate a tariff for the
Philippines. The Philippine commits
sion. together with officers in charge Of
the customs in the island prepared
provisional draft for a new Philippine
tariff which was published in March.
That draft has been undergoing num-
ber of notifications at the war depart
ment and is still receiving considera-
ton. Secretary Root has been holding
back this tariff, awaiting the decision
of the supreme court in the lnSular
cases and it is now probable that it will
not be promulgated until he has had
time to examine the opinions Of the
court with care.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, May 2S.-The
president and members of the cabinet
spent much of the time today reading
and discussing the published reports OF
the opinion of the supreme court in the
insular cases.
The decision of the Delima case,
if followed in the Philippines case, as
&c n1 will rQCnlt
in the calling Of an extra session of
congress. In the Delima case the court
decided that the duties collected on
Porto Rican goods before congress en-
acted the Foraker law were illegal and
must be refunded. 1t is presumed that
the court, following the same lines OF
reasoning, will decide that the duties
collected on goods from the Philippines
were also illegal and are subject to
free entry into the United States until
congress acts as it has already done
in the case of Porto Rico. Such de-
cision would mean not only the refund
ing of duties heretofore collected, but
would open the ports of the United
States to merchandise and goods OF
every description from the Philippines
until congress meets in December. It
is obvious that importers might take
advantage Of this to ship goods into the
United States through the Philippines
and thus defraud the government on
it's revenues. Whether the danger
from this source is great enough to
warrant the calling of congress in extra
session will be decided only after full
deliberation 1t may be that this
danger may have been already obviat-
ed in the enactment of the Spooner res
olution delegating temporarily to the
president the power to govern the
Philippines.
To Promote Second Lieutenants