The Hawaiian gazette., 1908-12-11

phasizing that, when any legislation
such as tariff bill is on the ways.
They never take the pains to emphasize
that most legislation OF that character
has to come from the House, by provi
sion OF the constitution, and that the
Senate, even IL it be the bulwark of
vested interests, as has been claimed,
legislates much more carefully than the
House and, in many instances, much
better.
Long Discussion in Senate.
The tariff debate in the Senate will
almost certainly last two or three
weeks, perhaps month or even two
months, and during all that time, as
well as during the deliberations of the
Finance Committee, the House will be
meeting formally every three DAYS and
promptly adjourning for three days
more.
As soon as the last Senate rollcall
on the Payne bill has been taken, the
usually long and earnest struggle in
conference begins The conferees may
take week or month to adjust their
differences, during which both Senate
and House may enjoy three-day re-
cesses. All the tariff bills of recent
years have been passed only after ter
mittee has chance to get into the
limelight--when the tariff is being re-
vised-and it naturally keeps all the
glory for itself. They will resent any
'butting i'm except from the Speak
err. Members of the very powerful
Appropriations Committee, for in
stance, must sit with folded hands. OF
course, an individual member, or two,
who bestirs himself greatly, may gain
some notoriety and, perhaps, some rep
utation of Importance, in connection
with the proceedings, but it is very
improbable that anyone in the House,
except the Speaker and the Ways and
Means Republicans, will exert any
notable influence in fashioning the
bill.
The Senate leaders will be chiefly
three-Senators Aldrich of Rhode Is.
land, chairman of Finance; Hale of
Maine, member thereof, and Culber
of the Senate minority. There is more
probability of individual Senators, out
side Of the Finance Committee, exert.
Ing some positive influence in shap-
ing the tariff bill than of like oc.
currencp IN the house.
The Dingley law was enacted under
very similar circumstances to those
under which the Payne law will be
passed. It's chronology may therefore
he worth while, ms indicating some.
thing of what may be expected Of next
spring extra session. The extra, or
first, session of the Fifty-ffth Congress
was called to meet March 10, 1897, by
President Mckinley, eleven days after
he was inaugurated. Representative
Dingley of Maine, chairman of Ways
and Means, introduced bill No. $40,
"to provide revenue for the govern.
ment and to encourage the industries
of the United States" on March Is.
1t had been prepared by the Republi-
cans of the committee previous to that
time, and No. $40 represented the de.
liberate Judgment of the committee
1t was formally reported to the House
Friday. March 10, there having been
n meeting of the full committee in
the meantime, at which the Democrats
of the committee were given the
courtesy of having first look at the
measure.
| Discussion on the Dingley Bill.
/ The House debate on the bill begar
Monday, March %, and was concluded
with the passage Of the bill March 81
The House had met at 10 o'clock daily
and had held evening sessions from
till IL for purposes of debate. The
Senate received the bill April and
it was Immediately referred to the
Finance Committee, which reported il
back to the Senate May 4. The Sen
ATE debate on the bill. which had vir
tually been rewritten by Senator AL
drich, was not concluded till July q
The conferees were forthwith appoint
ed, but did not reach an agreement
till July 10.
i. Senate and House thereupon entered
into debate on the conference report
and it was July "a before that repor
had been finally accepted by bot
houses. 1t was signed by Presiden
Mckinley the same day, which day thu
extra session adjourned.
While both branches of Congress
were almost as strongly Republican
then as now, the chances favor more
speedy enactment at next springs ses
, sion. President Taft will likely have
! the Payne law by the middle of June
perhaps earlier
, The Wilson law was enacted Mt thu
regular, or long session, of the Fifty
third Congress. 1t assembled December
4, 1898, and lasted till August 2S o.
the following year. The Republican
have become very chary of framing
| tariff bill at a regular session of Con
gress. 1t can be done only at the Ions
session, which meets in December
after President is inaugurated, ant
, generally runs up to within few
months of the next Congressional elec
ton. The formal party claim Away
r is that there is not sufficient oppor
5 tunity for calm deliberation over
I tariff bill at a regular session, but
t stronger reason is that if the peopl
4 get mad when they at last find on
, what tariff law contains, there
Q time for their anger to cool befor
0 election, provided the work is done i
: an extra session. Otherwise with pub
, lie sentiment aroused right in tn
i midst of campaign, the party tina
, enacted the tariff law will almost Ger
tainly be defeated in the election TO
CnnoraeQ