Evening star., 1903-11-13
CUBAAIl:BILL \ REPORTED
al tR
Action sfthe Waysand Means
sa g Committee.
MAY VOTE 70 THURSDAY
MEAsUREsero BE TAKEN Up IN
HOUSE MONDAY.
Chairman Payne Expects That It Will
Be Passed without Change
on Schedule Time.

L
Be Passed without Change
on Schedule Time.
| Chairman Payne of the ways and means
committee reported to the House from that
| committee today the bfii carrying into ef-
feet the Cuban reciprocity treaty. He gave
netics that he would call up the bill for
| consideration next Monday, and by an
agreement with the minority vote will be
| taken next Thursday at p. m.
| The meeting OF the committee occupied an
hour. Two amendments were offered In COM
mittee but both were rejected by the repub-
Ecan vote. One offered by Mr.. Cooper ex-
tended the provisions OF the treaty to all
| other countries, The other. offered by Mr..
| Williams, the minority floor leader, abolish
ed the difrerential duty on refined sugar.
| The fact that no republicans Joined with
| the democrats for the removal of the differ
| entail is taken to mean that there will be
no revolt of republicans In the House
| against the adoption Of the special rule
! under which the bill is to be considered.
| After that rule Is adopted there will be
| no opportunity for democratic amend
| ments to the bill. Chairman Payne ex-
poets that the bill will pass the House
/
| o'clock.
| Only two democrats voted in committee
against the favorable report on the bill,
Mr.. Robertson UIa-) and Mr.. Cooper
(Tex). These votes represented the OPP
position of the cane sugar growers of
! Louisiana and Texas to reciprocity 1t
| is thought that in the Senate democratic
| opposition to the legislation will be con-
! fined to the senators from those states,
/ with the possible addition of the Colo
RADIO senator's. The general prospect for
ootf thA
| Congress is considered excellent.
Program Of tho Democrats.
| Tho democrats of the House will hold
| caucus tomorrow evening at 8 O'Clock to de-
termine finally upon the amendments to be
offered by the minority In the Cuban reci-
| procity legislation, and the policy to be
| pursued in debate.
| Representative Williams Of Mississippi,
! leader of the minority, asked unanimous
| consent on the floor of the House today
| that the minority of the committee on
| ways and means be allowed until Monday
| afternoon next to present its report. There
was no objection.
| 1t is known that two amendments will be
| urged by, the minority. one removing the
differential on refined sugar, and the other
eliminating from the treaty that portion of
/ article g. which binds the United States
| government not to reduce the duty on sugar
| for period of, five years. ,-,,.s
l
amendments will be accepted by the ma
| jority. He does not think there should be
| an attempt TO Lind future Congresses by
pledge against further sugar reductions.
| There shoii1d be reserved the right to abrO-
gate the treaty,
| The position of the democrats in the mat
/ ter will be thoroughly stated In the debates
Of next week m s.a.
| Notified to Be Present.
| Chairman Ray of the democratic caucus
has; notified. the republican leaders that all
pairs have been declared off for the vote
| Monday. Representative Tawney, the re-
| publican whip, has notified every republic
| can member to be present at the session of
| the House Monday. -sa
The Committees Report
The report of the committee on ways and
means on the Cuban reciprocity bill says:
| THE committee on ways and means, to
| whom was referred the bill Oh. r. 1920 to
| carry into effect convention between the
United States and the republic of Cuba,
| signed on the 11th day of December, in the
year 1902 having had the same under con-
| sideration, report the same back with q
| recommendation that the bill pass.
1.-THE enactment of this bill into law is
necessary to. give effect to the convention
providing for reciprocal trade between this
| country and Cuba. This results not merely
| because the convention itself provides that
/ 1t shall not take effect until the same shall
have been approved by the Congress- but
| because the Constitution gives no power to
| the President and the Senate to make a
| convention or treaty changing the rates of
revenue. That power Is expressly lodged
in the Congress (Sec 8, article OF the Con-
| stitution) Section Of the same article
provides that all bills for raising revenue
| shall originate In the House of Representa-
| tives. 1t Is not intended here to cite au-
| thOrities or advance reasons on this propo-
j oft M OH nj
| with unrefuted arguments on the affirma-
| tive of this contention and the practice of
Congress has been uniformly In the same
| direction. The reciprocity treaties with
Great Britain. in reference to our trade
| relations with Canada, and with Hawaii
| were by their terms each dependent upon
the passage by the Congress Of appropriate
| legislation, reducing the duties and making
provision for the carrying into effect Of
| their terms. Every treaty requiring the
payment of money. from the Jay treaty to
the treaty OF Paris with Spain. has been
| referred to the Congress to make the neces-
| sary appropriation Of money. Foreign coun-
| tries in making treaties with us are bound
! to take notice OF this requirement Of our
Constitution, and whether it is expressed
| in the treaty or not, the whole matter is
subject to the necessary legislation by the
Congress.
| "The convention to which this bill refers
| Is by its terms not to take effect until the
| same shall have been approved by the Con-
| gress. If. In the judgment Of Congress, the
| terms OF the treaty are to become the law
Of the land. 1t is necessary both by the
| terms of the convention and by force of the
express requirement of the Constitution
| that Congress pass the requisite legislation
authorizing the change in our revenue laws
Preserves House Contention.
"To render the convention valid it is
necessary TO enact into law the language
Of the provfso, Of Article VIII. and no
| sugar, the product of any other foreign
country shall be admitted by treaty or
convention into the United States while this
convention is IN force, at lower rate OF
duty than that provided by the tariff act of
! the United, States approved July "A, 1897
| To enact these words into law would be to
admit by Implication that duties could be
lowered by treaty or convention. Your
| committee 1conrot consent to this PROPOSE
| tion, nor Is II believed that such an admis-
| sion would be sanctioned by any member of