Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 35, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 February 1902 — WEEK’S DOINGS IN CONGRESS [ARTICLE]

WEEK’S DOINGS IN CONGRESS

Business Transacted-? by the House and Senate in the National Capital. WAR TAXES TO BE REPEALED. Special ImpoiU on Banker*, Broker*, and Grain Dealer,, to Be Taken Off —Rate on Beer to Be > 1 Per Barrel —Total Reduction Will Amount to >77,000,000. „ Tuesday, January 28. Bitter denunciations, unmodified criticism, and personal taunts marked the discussion of the Philippine tariff bill in the Senate. At times physical encounters seemed imminent and at the close of the session Senator Frye warned the Senators that they had broken the rules and told them to be more careful in the .future. The Republican policy was denounced in moat bitter terms by opponents of the administration, who declared it worse than Spansh rule. Members of both sides lost their tempers, goaded to anser by the ugly charges of their opponents. Senators Tillman and Spencer were chief parties to one exciting discussion, and Senator Teller made statements which aroused the ire of Messrs. Lodge, Foraker and Beveridge. Senator Spooner of Wisconsin introduced a measure which 18 generally understood to be the administration canal bill. The bill provides for the appropriation of $135,000,000 for the construction of the Panama canal and $180,000,000 for the construction of the Nicaraguan canal. The choice of a route is left to the President, who is also charged with the responsibility of assuming direction of the work of construction and the expenditure of all moneys appropriated by Congress for that purpose. The President is limited to the expenditure of $40,000.uu0 for the Panama 1 company’s existing property and franchises. There is an appropriation of $10,000,000 at the disposal of the President, so that work may be begun without delay. The bill is a compromise intended to placate the friends of both the Nicaragua and Panama routes. The House was not In session. Wednesday, January 29. For an hour the Senate was in spirited debate over the question of alleged censorship of press dispatches in Manila. The Secretary of War was quoted as saying that no press censorship now existed in the Philippines, and a letter from Gen. Greely, chief signal officer of the army, was presented by Mr. Beveridge of Indiana, making the statement officially that “the press is entirely free.” It was contended by the opposition that a press censorship did exist in the Philippines and that copies of every news dispatch given to the cable company were filed with the military authorities. That, it was maintained, constituted a virtual censorship. The house adjourned after being in session only twenty-flve minutes. Mr. Hopkins of Illinois reported the permanent census bill and gave notice he would call It up next day. A request to make the oleomargarine bill a special order for next Monday was objected to on the Democratic side.

Thursday* January SO. By a unanimous vote the ways and means committee reported a bill to repeal all the war revenue taxes except the impost on mixed flour. The repeal means a total nominal reduction In the annual revenue of $77,000,000. The repeal will affect the remaining special taxes Imposed by the war —viz: On bankers, brokers, grain dealers, pawnbrokers, customhouse brokers, theaters, museums, circuses, etc., billiard rooms and bowling alleys, playing cards, dealers In and manufacturers of tobacco. The reduction on fermented liquors will amount to 60 cents per barrel; that on tobacco and snuff will be three cents, bringing the rate back to six cents a pound. The repeal will include the tax on bonds, debentures, etc.; certificates of stock, sales of agreements, stock transactions, inland and foreign bins of exchange, bill of lading, indemnifying bonds, certificates of brokers’ contracts, customhouse entries, warehouse entries, steamboat passage ticKets. The legacy taxes also come off.. Other reductions include the excise taxes on persons and firms engaged in refining petroleum and sugar; special tax of banks and bankers, stamp tax on parlor and sleeping car berths, etc. The rate on beer, now $1.60 per barrel, will be brought down 'to sl. The House passed the bill for the creation of a permanent Census bureau. By the terms of the bill all employes on the rolls upon the date of the passage of the act will become eligible for transfer to other or retention in the oermanent organization. Friday, January 31. In the senate an extended speech on

the pending Philippine tariff bill was delivered by Mr. Morgan of Alabama. He maintained that the enactment of the bill as It stands now would not be a constitutional remedy for the situation that it is designed to relieve, but with the adoption of his amendment he said the bill would stand the closest scrutiny of the courts. Mr. Morgan said that he had not heard as yet any objection to the proposed tariff, and took It for granted that the tariff was just and necessary. Mr. Morgan pleaded for a government in the Philippines which could be prepared at all times to meet emergencies in accordance with the laws of the United States. The bill fixing the salaries of certain United States judges was taken up. This bill increases the annual salaries of the federal judiciary. Mr. Stewart gave notice of an amendment providing that salaries of senators and representatives be $7,500 per annum. The senate adjourned until Monday. The house prepared to defend Itself against what It considers the threatened invasion by the senate of its prerogative in the matter of revenue legislation by directing the ways and means committee to investigate the subject.

Farewell Dinner to Gaffe. Ex-Secretary Gage was given a farewell dinner at Washington by officials of the treasury department. Structure to Coat >7,000,000. A structure to cost $7,000,000 is planned for the state department and department of justice at Washington. Much Gold In the Treasury. The amount of gold in the treasury Jan. 31 was $545,876,305, the highest point ever reached in the history of the government. Unde Sam Pay* Damages. The house has passed a bill appropriating- $15,845 to ~pay for damages caused by the explosion of a caisson in Chicago during world’s fair year. To Give Cuba Tariff Concession*. Several of the Republican anti-reci-procity members of the ways and means committee reported ready to acquiesce in the president’s plan of giving tariff concessions to the Cubans.