Evening star., 1901-12-07
PHILIPPINE TARIFF
Matter Discussed by Ways and Means
Committee.
CONFERENCE AT War DEPARTMENT
Over 1000 Bills Have Already
Been introduced.
CURRENT CAPITOL NOTES

SGSeu III discussing among themselves
whether to report a Philippine tariff bill
that will serve as temporary bridge over
the difficulties raised by the Supreme Court
decision, or whether to go further and pro-
vide for solving permanently all economic
questions which the insular situation may
present.
Opinion Is divided in the committee. Some
members favor a quick action upon a SIM
pie bill that will extend the Dingley rates
to imports into this country from the Phil
ippines, and establish the duties of the. Taft
commission upon all imports into the Phil
iprines. whether from the home country or
foreign lands.
Others think that such a law should have
definite limit upon 1t, expiring in given
defstood that a permanent law would be in
pre- paration, the result of careful economic
investigation, and that it would go into
effect at a stated time.
zs 1t Is argued that trade conditions will be
unsettled as long as there is uncertainty
as TO future tariff action, and that such
uncertainty must exist in the absence of
better understanding of trade possibilities
ever, there is time limit on the measure
OF expediency that is soon to be passed
1t Is claimed that it will enable the COM
mercial interests to adjust themselves to
the known situation.
The question Will be determined by next
Monday or Tuesday, and after that day it
is expected there will be prompt action in
the committee and the House on the tariff
Dill. Assurances have been received by the
me mbers of the House committee that there
Is no disposition on the part Of the Senate
to attempt to initiate this tariff legislation
and that the bills introduced in the Senate
were only tentative.
Conference at War Department..
An important conference was held at the
War Department this afternoon in regard
to the legislation necessary to meet fiscal
conditions in the Philippines as a result of
the recent decisions of the United States
Supreme Court in the Fourteen diamond
rings and the ''Dooley' cases. There
were present Secretary Root, Senators
Lodge and Q. H. Piatt and Representatives
Payne and Dalzell. The conference lasted
nearly two hours, and the result will be
shown In the action of the House ways and
means committee early next week.
Over 1000 Bills Iutroduced.
II the number Of bills introduced in the
House is any indication of legislative en-
ergy, the session of Congress just begun is
to be record breaker. In the three brief
sessions Of the House which have been held
since Monday over one-third the number
of bills presented during the whole of the
Flfty-siXth Congress have been introduced.
The total rumber of bills presented in the
House during both sessions of the last Con-
gress was IA, 437. The number presented in
the three days of this session is !, 4,224. Mon
day l,34o were presented; 1904 were intro
duced Tuesday while at the sX-minute ses-
sion yesterday members of the House sue
ceeded in getting in 1,275 drafts of their de-
sires in the legislative line.-
The work of getting these bills properly
entered in the clerks books, having the
announcement prepared for the Congress
slonal Record, as well as copy for the gov
ernment printer that the bill may be prop
nrin cd in, fha
lay, is task which has required the clerks
in charge to violate the eight-hour law
most f1agrantly. The short session yester-
day caused work for Acting Bill Clerk A.
A. Richards and Printing Clerk F. D.
Mackey until midnight. However. the Rec
ord this morning contained complete list
of these measures, while the document
room is being flooded with them.
Mr.. Moody on the Fleming Resolution,
The proposition Of Mr.. Moody of Massa-
chusetts for investigation by special COM
mittee of the right Of Louisiana members
Of Congress to hold their seats has drawn
a rejoinder from Representative Fleming
of Georgia, who has presented a resolution
for the investigation of the right of the
Massachusetts, members of the House to
hold their seats
Mr.. Moody's resolution asserted that
certain class of voters was disfranchised in
Louisiana, thus invalidating the election
OF Louisiana representatives. Mr.. Flem-
ings resolution in part, recites: Whereas
the constitution of the state of Massachu-
setts, In contravention of the provision of
the federal Constitution, imposes additional
qualifications for suffrage by declaring that
no person shall have the right to vote who
shall not be able to read the Constitution
In the English language and write his
name:
Resolved, That when the said select
committee shall be appointed, it shall be
charged with the further duty of inquiring
and reporting, by bill or otherwise. whether
the representatives from the state of Mas
sachusetts are entitled to membership in
this House, and whether the number OF
representatives from said state should not
be reduced"
Mr.. Moody takes no exception to Mr.
Fleming's resolution. He is willing to have
Massachusetts take the same treatment, II
1t Is deserved, that is awarded to any other
state which disfranchises a portion of the
vote.
To Have Charge of District Bill.
The retirement from Congress of Rep
.resentative Grout, who for the three last
Congresses has had charge of the Dis
trict of Columbia appropriation bill on the
floor of the House, will make the seiec-
ton OF his successor in that capacity neces-
sary.
A meeting of the appropriations commit
tee has been called for Tuesday for the
purpose Of organizing, when this vacancy,
dS well DIS tIldt Caused Dy the retirement
of John Allen, who was also member of
the special subcommittee on the District
of Columbia, will be filed.
Representative Bingham Of Pennsylvania
would succeed to the Craftsmanship OF this
subcommittee in the natural order OF
seniority, hut it is not probable that Mr.
Bingham would relinquish his chairman
ship of the subcommittee in charge of the
legislative executive and judicial appro-
priation bill. This leaves Representative
James Thompson McCleary of Minnesota
as the next In line for the place. and there
is little Goubt that Mr.. McCleary can have
this craftsmanship If he SO desires. The
other remaining member Of the old COM
mittee represents the minority. Mr.. Benton
OF Missouri.
Mr.. McCieary is vigorous young repub-
lican from Minnesota His speech In the
House on the silver question was printed
as the argument OF his party. and over a
million copies sent throughout the country
during the first Mckinley campaign.
There Is a republican vacancy on the
subcommittee having charge Of the legisla-
tive, executive and judicial approximation
bill, which is considered a better assign
ment than the District bill committee
Just what the meeting called for Tuesday
VIII develop, OF course. cannot be accurate
" predicted.