lson Law with much the
same concern manifested by President Cleveland in 1888 over the surplus.
A new tariff law must be passed, and, if possible, before a new
Congressional election. An extra session of Congress was therefore
summoned for March 15, 1897. The Ways and Means Committee, which had
been at work for three months, forthwith reported through Chairman
Nelson Dingley the bill which bore his name. With equal promptness the
Committee on Rules brought in a rule, at once adopted by the House,
whereby the new bill, spite of Democratic pleas for time to examine,
discuss, and propose amendments, reached the Senate the last day of
March. More deliberation marked procedure in the Senate. This body
passed the bill after toning up its schedules with some 870 amendments,
most of which pleased the Conference Committee and became law. The Act
was signed by the President July 24, 1897.

[Illustration: Portrait.]
Nelson Dingley.

The Dingley Act was estimated by its author to advance the average rate
from the 40 per cent. of the Wilson Bill to approximately 50 per cent.,
or a shade higher than the McKinley rate. As proportioned to consumption
the tax imposed by it was probably heavier than that under either of its
predecessors.

[Illustration]
Warships in the Hudson River Celebrating
the Dedication of Grant's Tomb, April 27, 1897.

Reciprocity, a feature of the McKinley Tariff Act, was suspended by the
Wilson Act. The Republican platform of 1896 declared protection and
reciprocity twin measures of Republican policy. Clauses graced the
Dingley Act allowing reciprocity treaties to be made, "duly ratified" by
the Senate and "approved" by Congress; yet, of the twins, protection
proved stout and lusty, while the weaker sister languished. Under the
third section of the Act some concessions were given and received, but
the treaties negotiated under the fourth section, which involved
lowering of strictly protective duties, met summary defeat when
submitted to the Senate.

[Illustration: Cone shaped dome, atop a cylinder of columns, atop a
rectangular base.]
Grant's Tomb, Riverside Drive, New York.
Copyright, 1901, by Detroit Photographic Co.

The granite mausoleum in Riverside Park, New York City, designed to
receive the remains of General Grant, was completed in 1897, and upon
the 27th of April, that year, formally presented to the city. Ten days
previously the body had been removed thither from the brick tomb wh