New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-02-24
HEPBURN BILL STANDS
TILLMAN IN CHARGE OF 1T
Committee Orders Report Without
amendment, Reseruing Rights.
Iron The Trfhnna Rnrsan I


Washington. Feb. 23-ResoIved That In,
Interstate Commerce COMMITTEES report favor
ably House Bill No. 12,987 as il passed the House
OF Representatives, II being understood that
members OF the committee shall have the riaht
70 vote as they choose amendments or offer
amendments In the Senate on consideration Of
the bill.
Ihis was the resolution adopted to-day by
'the Senate COMMITTEES on Inter Commerce bv
which the Hepburn bill was reported to the SEN
ate by actual vote of TO s. Two Senator's.
Messrs Cullom and Carmack were absent, but
tneir votes being recorded by courtesy. made IL
s to 5.
The action OF the committee to-day creates a
situation in the Senate which will be one OF tba z
MOST remarkable legisIatively and politically in
ehe annals OF that body. By a vote Of 3 to
senator Tfllnan was directed TO deliver the re-
port on the bill Thus the spectacle will bs
presented OF an administration measure favored
Dy Republican President and Republican
attorney General. adopted by a Republican
Rouse brought into the Senate by a Democrat.
ana the one Democrat In that body most an
tasonistic TO the President OF the United States
and to the Republican party
To-day's vote in the committee. the Den,ocra+.
declare took the bill out of the hands Of tba Rs
punhcan majority IN the committee and Writ
uaAS handed IT over to the minority Senator |
iliinnan. who on the floor OF the Senate recently
said that he was dissatisfied with the Heuburr,
bill. and that freight train could be driven
through II. will now be IN charge of the n,eas-j
ure on the floor OF the Senate The bill itself
may even be called. when enacted. the Tillman-
Hepburn law.
CHANCES FOR COURT REVIEW"
The Republicans OF the Senate who favor the !
proposed court review" amendment are much
gratified at the action OF the committee In re-
porting the bill subject to the right Of amend-i !
ment In the Senate. and with the specific reser-
Walton that the favorable report does not pre-
clude amendment nor commit the majority
Republicans on the COMMITTEES to unqualiAed
support of the House bill
The statement was made after the COMMITTEES
adjourned that Senators Ellxins. AIdrfcb Ksan
and Crane. who. with Senator Foraker. voted
against the report, would favor the bill with the
addition of a court review" amendment IL "a
said by the pro-amendment Senators that the
tactical position OF the BILL from their point OF
view. is entirely favorable as many Deuocra+i,.
Senators desire TO vote for a court review
amendment. The bill will come into the Sonata
unhampered by any partisan declaration and nos
hedsed around by party lines Therefore they /
insist. Democratic Senators who believe in the
principle of court review will feel free to vote
for their convictions
1t goes without saying that the fight for Court
review will be waged with great vigo- and ear
nestness by the pro-amendment Senators. 1t IA
known that If the court review clause should
oe defeated several leading Republican members
will vote against the measure on it's final pas
sage Once the bill is before the Senate the
old fight over the phraseology OF the Court
review amendment, which has been waged in
committee, will be renewed. Shadings Of opin-
tO mira
as to presage great difficulty in finding ground ,
on which majority of the Senate can stand.
When the committee assembled this morning
to begin voting on amendments it was found
that the Democrats were inclined to report the
bill to the Senate without amendment and carry
the contest the court review clause to the
floor of the Senate. The knowledge that two /
IL not three Democrats were in favor of court
review" led to the conclusion that this action 4
favored to relieve those Democrats OF this
embarrassment OF seeming TO vote with the Re- J
pubcans against their colleagues.
FIGHT IN THE COMMITTEE.
The crisis came when Senator Dolliver read Q
telegram from Senator Cullorn requesting that
he be recorded against all amendments which
did not receive unanimous vote IN committees
and IN favor OF the Hepburn bill without amend
ment- The first amendment proposed TO be voted
on brought up the question OF whether Senatorj
Cullom's instructions covered that amendment (
Senator Dolliver said that IL the instructions
did not apply TO that amendment he knew onss
proposition they did cover. and that was mo-
ton TO report the Hepburn bill without amends
ment. This he accordingly made. Senator For-
aker demurred TO this course: he suggested thasl
IL was due to the dignity OF the Senate not TOT
bring in bill and sayi Here IS the bill the
House has sent over. and your COMMITTEES do5
not know whether it should pass should not,
so they leave IL TO the Senate to decide"
recess was taken for hour. IN which thel
Democrats conferred among themselves, and thsi
five pro-amendment Republicans went into con-
ference also. Immediately reassemblins TO-
was discovered that the Democrats were unitsds
against all amendments and were supported By
Senators Dolliver and Clapp. Republicans. with
the proxies of Senators Cullom and Carmack-,
Efforts were made 70 vote on one or two amend
uents, but the solid phalanx OF Democrats.
backed by the two Republicans. barred the way
1t was then that Chairman Elkins declared
that there was no use in consuming time. In J
trying TO perfect the bill and suggested that a
vote might as we'll be taken on reporting the
unamended bill to the Senate. This emil
nentIy satisfactory to the Democrats and Sena-
tors DoIliver and Clapp. The motion TO report
favorably was amended at the suggestion Oe
Senator Aldrich 10 reserve the right of all Sen
ators 10 offer amendments when the bill should
come up In the Senate.
The reporting resolution as thus framed was
adopted by the affirmative votes OF Messrs. Dol
liver CIapp. Tillman. McLaurin. Foster and
Newlands. with Senators Carmack and Cullom
recorded by proxy. The negative votes We're cast
by Messrs. Elkins. Aldrich. Foraker Kean and
Crane.
TILLMAN PUT IN CHARGE.