Milford chronicle., 1901-12-20
WASHINGTON NEWS

WhOlLlINulO IN NEW y.
Both Houses of Congress have
worked with unusual energy dur
ing the past week, and as a result
there will be some important leg
islation enacted before the Christ
mas recess. In the Senate a large
amount Of time has been devoted
to the discussion Of the Hay-Paun-
cefote treaty and final vote was
taken Monday.
December 10Th, has been fixed by
Eth Houses as the date of adjourn
ment, and it is quite probable that
it will be impossible for the Senate
to take up and enact the tariff bill
on the one day remaining after It's
passage by the House, but some of
the friends of the measure tell me
that, inasmuch as the bill was prac-
tically completed on Friday, they
are trying to get the Senators to
consider its provisions before its
formal passage by the House so
that they may be ready for imme-
date action on Wednesday. IF the
Senate consents to such hasty ac-
ton it will be unprecedented and
will be taken only as a result of
the pressing need of the govern
ment of bill providing revenue
for the defrayment of the expenses
of the Philippine Islands.
On Friday the Ways and Means
Committee reported "a bill to pro-
vide revenue temporarily for the
Philippine Islands. In explana-
ton Of the provisions of the bill and
the necessity of its passage. Chair
man Payne said the United States
has found itself confronted with the
necessity of making extensive pub
lie improvements in the Philip
pine Islands, that schools have been
established, roads built and repaired
and large amount of work in i'm
proving the Harbor of Manila has
been already performed, that the
continuance of such public i'm
provements will be necessary for an
indefinite period, that the Treasury
Department has been collecting the
duties scheduled in the Dingley
tariff bill on goods imported from
the Philippines and that the Taft
Commission has carefully pre-
pared tariff bill for the islands
calculated to afford the needed rev.
enue. By a decision of the. Su-
preme Court, the duties provided
for by the meassses mentioned
ID 70 -l6hgef be collected, and
III efore, the present bill became a
necessity to the continued admins
tration of the affairs of the Islands.
The bill provides for the collec-
ton of the same duties as were for
mally collected under the Dinqlev
and Taft Commission bills and con
verts all duties collected (on Phil
ippine goods imported into the
United States into the Philippine
Treasury. 1t permits foreign YES
sells to engage in commerce between
the Philippines and the United
States on payment of the same ton
mage dues as are paid by vessels
entering the United States from
foreign countries, and it further
provides for drawback of 90 per
cent. on imported goods manufac-
tured in the United States and
shipped to the Philippines.
The minority also presented a re-
port denouncing the bill as imper-
ialism, Directing to the general
curse of the United States in her
treatment Of the islands and dis
senting from practically all the
provisions of the bill. eve oppose
the whole policy of the majority in
dealing with the Philippine Archi-
pelago, are the words of the mi
nority report.
The Senate Committee on 18th
milan canals has reported favorablv
on Senator MOrgan's bill providing
for the construction of the Nicara-
guam canal. Senator Morgan in
reporting the bill went into the
matter Of the Panama Canal extern
sively and had only words of con
demnation for the methods of the
Panama Canal Company and their
representative, M. Hutin. The
present prospect is that the Senate
will pass the Morgan bill, but it is
believed that the House will pass
the Dill offered by Mr.. Hepburn
and now being considered by the
House Committee on Interstate
and Foreign Commerce. At the
meeting of that committee held on
Friday, the Hepburn bill was sup
ported by all but one member, Mr..
Fletcher, of Minnesota. The bill
was ordered reported, but will not
be taken up until after the holi-
days.when it will probably be made
the first in the order of business.
Senator Frye has made public
an explanation of his Ship Subsidy
bill. After stating that he believes
that his former bill was the best
that could be framed, the Senator
says that he has made some modi-
6cations in order to meet the objec-
tons which were raised against the
former measure. He asserts the
necessity of the provisions of the