Democratic standard. [volume] (Georgetown, Brown County, Ohio) 1837-1850, 1841-09-07
From tue Globe.
raE TEA AND COFFEE TAX.

matter;
"Fhers was one feature in which the
bill was particularly Objectionable 10
most of Wings. viz: the tax on tea and
coffee. The Wing members held a eau
=, Gus Or this subject, al which large ma.
iority determined that Tea and coiiee |
should be exemot from tsxaton. Ac-
cordingly, when The bill was under con.
sideraton in the Committee OF the
Whole, Mr.. lawrence of Pennsylvania, a
prominent Whg member, moved TO
. amend the bill by adding lea and coffee
to the list of free articles.-Before the
question could be taken on this PROPOSE.
lion, M. Clifford Of Maine, leading
Loco FOcO, and ready parliamentary
tactician, (havng been Speaker Of one
branch Of Msine,) Immediately moved
to amend the amendment OF Mr.. Law
renee, BY adding to tea and coffee, sugar,
molssses, and S y The whole Loco
iocO party then united with Mr.. c. IN vO'
ting for the amendment, and. in conlunc.
ton with such of Tho anii..arih Wigs IS
wished tea aud coifsa 10 be taxed, car
ried the amendment. Ths Wings were
=, thus placed in an awkward predicameni,
Frpm which they, in vain attempted 10
cxtricate themselves. Winthrop Of Bo5
toa called for 4 division Of the question
On Che amendment as amended; 20 as 10
present the question separately, but the
Chair very properly decided that the
vote Of the committee having joined them
together, the Chair could not put them
Gsunder. The Wing party werc thus
compelled either to vote for the entire
proposition oil to vote the whole down.
Under these circumstances they could
not hesitate to reject it entirely. And
thus it comes to pass that by dexterous
man9uVre Of the LOcos, tea and coffee
are to be tlxEdm
"a King James, when pursuadod to cit in
judgment in the Court Of the Kings
Bench, at Westminster, was correct in
The opinion SHAT were it not Tor the
chiefs story on the other side there
would be no difficulty in hanging the ma
tiOn." And tho writer in the Wing
would have immortallzed himself aRc
saved his party from csnsurS, at the ex
peuss of Mr.. Clifford, had not The facti
in tho case been such as TO convict hin
of gross error.
As this, however, is matter TO be de
vided by the record, let us appeal Il
that; aud how stands the case2
l. The Secretary Of the Treasury, in
his report TO the extra Session Of Con
Rress, recommended tax upon lea and
coffee.
Q. The Committee Of ways and
Means reported bill TO tax those ar,
ticles twenty per cent.
3. The Chairman Of the Committee OF
Ways and Means, [Mr. Filmorel in
opening his budget in the House adVoca'
ted this tax, on the ground that they
we're luxures sad not nocessaries.
4. When the bill was brought under
the rule Of silence, and amendments
we're 70 be voted upon without de bale
Mr.. Lawrence of Pennsylvania, a Wing,
and formerly Speaker Of the House OI
Representatives Of hiS State moved tO
strike out tea'and coffee, and thus leave
tkem free Of duly.
5. Mr.. Clifford moved TO amend Mr.
Lawrence's motion, by adding TO it ''mo
lasses, sugar and ssIt." Telers were
demanded, and there were liz yeas anC
81 nays. So the amendment to tn
amendment was adopted
6. Upon taking the question on tht
amendment as amended by tSllsrS, thu
whole was rejected by yeas liz, nay
70,
7. Mr.. Williams Of Maryland nov
moved to amend the bill by striking on
"salt" alone; ard though a qaestion o
order was raised, as the committee hat
lust refused TO strike Out salt, Mr., Cush
ing, Of Massachusetts, "a Whig) th'
chairman ofthe committee, oveHulSd rh,
question Of order, and the question wa
taken upon salt alone aud lost
8. Notwithstanding ibis decision ofth'
Chair, aud notwithstanding the parlia
mentary knowledge Of Mr.. Lawrence
the original mover, and many others o
be party, no whig attempted TO get
vote to exempt tea and coffee separated
from the operations Of tho bill.
9. When the tariff bill came into tn,
House, the Wings called the preyiou
question, thus cutting off all amendments
and, upon the demand, "Shall the previ
GUS question be now putt" every Demo
erai in the House voted in the negative
10. When Mr.. Profit Of Indiana com
planned because the gag was psrsiste,
in al the existence Of those vital amend
men,s, Mr.. Stapley Of North Carolin
avoved that the responsibility Belongs
TO the whig party, and spoke of the Splen
did dePiiaph which a grateful people woul'
iuscEibe upon their tombstones for haV
ing served in this Congress.
II. After the bill had passed, anC
While the little was under consideration