Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-02-19
Representative Moore ChaI-
Ienges Senate's Right to
Pass on Colombian Pact.
BASES HIS ARGUMENT
ON REVENUE FEATURE
Holds. as It RENTS Certain Import
Duties. It Should Come Before
the House of Representatives.

The point that the Colombian
treaty. now being considered in
the Senate at the suggestion OF
the President. is violation OF the
constitutional prerogatives OF the
House which is given the eNclu-
sive power over revenue-raising
matters, was made today in the
House by Representative !.
Hampton Moore of Pennsylvania
Mr.. Moore said that inasmuch as
the treaty proposed tosremit GER
tain import duties, the purse
strings OF the people OF the United
States are directly affected by the
provisions of the proposed treaty.
IF distinguihed senators and rep
resentatives.' said Representative
Moore, who have discussed this mat
ter on previous occasions, are right as
to the contention that it matters
whether or not the revenues are ere
ated or remitted by treaty, then it
would seem that the House of Repre-
sentatives must be consulted before
any such treaty as is proposed with
Colombia can be held valid"
Or. in other words, since the House
has the purse strings of the people to
watch through direction of the Consti-
tuition, any treaty that knocks out i'm
port duties to the extent that the CO.
measure to be first considered by the
House. That was the idea propounded
by Representative Moore and backed
up with many extracts from history
and constitutional law and legislative
precedence.
At the time he made his speech Rep
resentative Moore also introduced a
resolution directing the ways and
means committee to inquire whether
the treaty does not violate the House
as originally presented to the Senate
provides for the payment Of $25,000,000
and releases Colombia from paying cer-
tain import duties.
Argument Of Mr.. Moore.
In part, he said: ...t
THE President has forwarded to the
Senate and the Senate has under con-
sideration a treaty with Colombia
which proposes, by the payment Of $25.-
900. 900 of United Statees money. and
the remission Of certain import du-
ties and charges that would ordinarily.
and by law, accrue to the Treasury of
the United States, to make reparation
for certain alleged violations by the
United States of certain alleged in
juries which Colombia Is supposed to
have sustained through the loss of
certain alleged rights in the Isthmus Of
Panama. This treaty, so directly affect
ing the morals and the revenue of the
United States. Is being considered, as
we are informed, as If the power to
make such treaty, so involving the
money of the people, rested exclusively
with the President and the Senate, ir-
respective of the authority and power
specially delegated by the Constitution
to the House of Representatives. to
originate revenue legislation. 1t is
with respect to this apparent invasion
of the prerogative of the House that I
propose to put the House upon notice."
MIR. Moore took up the precedents. be-
ginning with the framing of the Con-
stitution. before the government was
fairly under way. He quoted Wash
ington, Rufus Choate and others and
also referred to House action at the
time of the freeing of Cuba, when "a
ity of certain tariff duties on Philip
pine imports, the House adopted a reso-
luton. brought in from the committee
on rules. legalizing and ratifying the
collection of certain duties in dispute,
it being stated by Mr.. Dalzell that the
act was necessary to remove any ques-
tion as to the operation of prior treaty
agreements"
Other evidences of the determination
of the House to stand by it's constitu-
tional preroSatives as related to reve-
nue. matters in treaties with foreign
nations were given.
Revenues Directly Affected.
In conclusion, he said
Unless we disassociate the Panama
Canal Zone from the United States. it
is evident. that the revenues of the
United States-that is to say, the
purse strings of the people'-are direct
ly affected by the provisions of the
proposed treaty as they have been
quoted, and if distinguished senators
and representatives who have discussed
this matter on previous occasions are
right as to the contention that it mat
ters not whether the revenues are Gre
ated or remitted by treaty. then it
would seem that the House of Repre-
sentatives must be consulted before
any such treaty as is proposed with
Colombia can be held valid.
LAS to existing revenue relations be-
tween the United States and Colombia
the records of imports and exports for
1914 lend of fiscal year, June 300
should be brought forward. According
to the statistical abstract u911 the
exports from the United States to Co
lombia amounted to $6.7S6,I53. That
sum represented the purchases of Co
lombia from the United States
1T is more important, for better
nd TO l liTlC nf f1a h
however. that We consider the imports
from Colombia, since they represent
purchases from that country by the
United States. Our total imports in
1914 were valued at S16,05I,l2O, of
which s14.641,5O3 worth of goods were
admitted to the United States free of
duty. There were dutiable imports
from Colombia, however, to the amount
of $1,409.617.
1T thus appears that the House of
the more popular
branch of the legislature. to which the
has delegated the power
of originating revenue legislation, has
not been consulted with respect to Il
treaty which. evidently, cannot be
without its approval"
Springfield, Mo-, Cars Tied Up.
SPRINGFIELD Mo- February IN