The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1902-04-14
Expect to Pass Reciprocity Bill
During the Week
THE REAL TEST COMES SOON
When Bill is Laid Open for Amend
ment Democrats and RecaIcitrant
Republicans Will Attempt to
Overrule the Chair.

Washington, April 1S.-The leaders of
the House expect to see the Cuban recip-
rocity bill passed by the present week
but they admit that the debate may be
prolonged so that the final vote will not
be reached until next week Proceeding
as the debate is without rule It can be
drawn out practically as long as anybody
desires to speak, but the leaders believe
the general debate will exhaust itself
by Thursday at the latest Mr.. Dalzell
will close the general debate In favor
of the bill
When the measure is thrown open for
amendment under the five minute rule
a number of amendments will be offered
by the Democrats with view to opening
up way for amending the schedules of
the Dingley tariff law. II is known In
advance that all such amendments will
be held to be not germane to the bill.
whose titles provides for reciprocity with
Cuba, and that only amendments raising
or lowering the amount of the proposed
concession will be held to be in order.
Appeals Will Fall.
Appeals will be taken from the rulings
of the chair on the general tariff amend
ments, but 1t is certain that with possi-
bly, one exception, the appeals will be
unsuccessful. That exception may be the
amendment to take the difiierential off
refined sugar. 1t is admitted on both
sides of the chamber that the real fiaht
VIII come on that amendment. A num-
Der of Republicans who are opposing
the bill have announced that they will
vote to overrule the chair on that promo
sition and the Democrats expect to be
able to cast a solid vote for it. The weak
ness of the position of the friends Of this
proposition is that the test will rot come
directly on the amendment but on the
ruling of the chair. If motion to re-
commit with instructions to report back
such an amendm ent Is made, 1t win be
held to be in order under the general
| theory of parliamentary law, that the
| House cannot instruct the committee to
| do what itself cannot do. The Repub-
| lican opposition to the bill as shown last
| Tuesday on the motion to go into commit
tee of the whole, is in the neighborhood
| of forty.
Opposition is Strong.
Added to the Democratic vote, II soIidly
cast, the opposition would have a clear
majority of TO- But the Republican lead
ers express confidence in their belief that
trants will go to the length of voting to
override the chair to make with the DEM
ocrats majority of the House. More
over, they assert that some of the DEM
ocrats themselves will hesitate to adopt
this method of getting a vote on a prop
osition which they contend is plainly not
germane. If the danger involved in the
amendment to abolish the differential is
passed the bill will have plain sailing
on its final passage, as a majority of tkc
Democrats will vote for 1t.
THE SENATE.
Washington, April 13.-In accordance
with the agreement reached on Friday
last, the Senate on Wednesday will vote
on the Chinese exclusion BILL and the
present understanding is that the Philip
pine government bill will De taken llp
Immediately afterwards.
1t is probable, however that the Phil
ippine bill will soon be broken in on by
the calling up of the river and harbor-
bill. Being an appropriation bill, it can
be taken up at any time. but 1t is not the
desire of the committee to have 1t con-
sidered until there shall have been a
chance afforded to make further amend
ments In the committee. That opportun-
ity will not be provided until Thursday
following the vote on the Chinese bill.
The opponents of the Chinese bill win
press their fight from this time forward,
and IL they find they cannot secure Its
recommittal, they will concentrate their
efforts on proposed amendments. Espe-
cial effort will be made to secure the adop-
ton of the Platt substitute. There will be
number of short speeches on the bill
Monday and Tuesday and in addition to
these Senators Foraker and McLaurin of
South Carolina have given notice OF set
speeches for Monday. A portion OF the
day Saturday will be devoted to eulogies
on the late Senator Tyler of South Da-
kota.