These political elements in the House were strong enough to prevent action on the customs tariff, but a bill was passed reducing some of the internal revenue taxes.

This action seemed likely to prevent tariff revision at least during that session.

Formidable obstacles, both constitutional and parliamentary, stood in the way of action, but they were surmounted by ingenious management.
The Constitution provides that all revenue bills shall originate in the House of Representatives, but the Senate has the right to propose amendments.

Under cover of this clause the Senate originated a voluminous tariff bill and tacked it to the House bill as an amendment.
When the bill, as thus amended, came back to the House, a two-thirds vote would have been required by the existing rules to take it up for consideration, but this obstacle was overcome by adopting a new rule by which a bare majority of the House could forthwith take up a bill amended by the Senate, for the purpose of non-concurrence but not for concurrence.

The object of this maneuver was to get the bill into a committee of conference where the details could be arranged by private negotiation.