The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-02-22

only enable few nd yidas amuss large fortunes at tn
1t would seem from the reading of the report and
letter addressed byMr Walker To the Committee of Way
and Means dated the 2lst of December, 1916, pressn
, upon them the importance of immediate action callin
their attention to his report previously made 10 Congress
, keeping up the idea that if Congress delayed taxing
and coffee beyond the LIST of january, lS47 that il W
be .'nugdtoy TO lay this tax after that date and VOL
yield no revenue ''for several years TO come" "
MIR Walker 1t seems, was in favor OF tax on te;
and coffee, if II had been laid by the first of January
but if it was not done by that time it would avai
nothing The Secretarys reasoning was better than an,
he could give and he should leave it to speak for itself
coming TO the conclusion that the Secretary must be
against laying tax on tea and coffee, the first o
January had passed by.
The position the Executive was somewhat similar tc
his Secretary's. In 1871, Mr. James X Polk now the
President of the United States had just been defeated or
the gubematoria char of State in October % of the
same year Tbs legislature, which was in session. and
the citizens OF Nashville, rendered to Mr. Polk public
dinner Mr. Polk being toasted and eulogzed very high
ly, and responded to the in speech of con-
siderable length, reviewing generally the proceedings OF
the extra session of Congress and particularly the at
tempt to tea and coffee Mr. j. then read an extract
from the speech referred to, which is as follows:
New taxes have been laid not only wines silks, and
has been retained satthat article OF Indispensable
cessy and beast Every hrmers that swel fed
consumes of in year than the richest bro
ker in Wall The federal majority in Congress re-
fused to make salt free article, because the upon
necessary supply the deficiency in the treasury,
led by the distribution bill tax OF 20 per
ca also on ron steel sugar, monsses and many other arti-
uar branch OF Congress, by solemn VOTE imposed
OF 20 per cent on Tea and coffee also and in that form the
stricken out by the votes of democratic and
and other federal recording their
ticlcs'
Mr. j. thought this was conclusive on tea and coffee
at that time. On examining the Presidents annual
message there barely allusion made to the free
distributing more He then read from the message, as
follows:
eff however Congress should at the present session. i'm
pose revenue duty on the principal artlcesnow embraced
revenue of about millions and half amounting il is
estimated on the threth day of June, 1915 four mil
loan required would be reduced by that amount y
IT is submitted for your consideration, whether it may
not be proper ms war measure, to impose duties
on some of the articles embraced in the free list
Should it be deemed proper to impose such duties, with
Mexico, avoid that extent the creation of public
debt they may be repealed when the emergency which
gave rise to them shall cease exist and constitute part
Of the permanent policy OF the country"
1t must be clear to all, (Nlr j. sad) that neither the
Secretary nor President was in favor of taxing tea and
sion he had to- and in fact the President and Secre
tary were both in favor of taxing and coffee would
not make the slightest change in his mind. He OPP
posed to this tax IN lS4 when attempted to be imposed
by the federal party called by Mr. Polk, and he
opposed to it now. II not necessary to impose it
them was not necessary to impose tnow as he thought
he would be able to show before he took his seat But
Mr. D. would refer to few more distinguished indiviu
ais who were opposed to taxing tea and coffee Mr. Aa-
ron V Brown, who was in the Congress OF 1911, and
now governor OF Tennessee, and who is the intimate
friend of the President and rumor said he had hand
in forming the cabinet, voted against taxing and cof
fee Mr. Slas Wright, who is understood was to have
been of the commissioners TO settle the pending diff
culties between the United States and Mexico in 1871
voted against taxing tea and coffee. Mr.. Cave Johnson,
the Postmaster General in the Congress of 1911 and
voted against taxing tea and coffee Mr. Nathan Clifford,
the Attorney General, in the Congress, and voted
against taxing tea and coffee Mr. James Buchanan the
Secretary of State, opposed 10 taxing tea and coffee
and while the Congress- of 1874 made q
speech against it.
"Mr. Buchanan said, that this bill far, very far from
improved its passage through the Senate. It's most
ceptionable features had been stricken ont Coffee and
would continue TO be free articles and approach JUS
tice had been made in regard to railroad iron"
Mr. J. next alluded to Mr.. Thomas H. Benton the
Presidents intended lieutenant general the that was
TO take command of all the armies in Mexico, and those
that TO be sent herethe vicegereni of the repub
liza kind of Louis XIV, who in the midst Of his
ity, exclaimed that he was the sateand whom he ver
ly believed had vanity enough TO aspire to be supreme
governor OF the universe, If there vacancy the
office. This distinguished and mighty in his
tmatIon as well as that of Others, during the extra
sion, while the tariff bill under consideration offered
amendment to the bill imposing tax upon the ccua
ton of banks; and while his amendment pending,
made the following remarks Mr. J. read from Mr. Ben
tons speech the following:
Ihe amendment having been read Mr.. B. said, this is
very proper time, Mr. President bring proposition
OF is character proposition to bring bank noes into the
catalogue of taxable articles in the United States.
The time IS very appropriate for this proposition for ii
happens TO be time when taxation the order the day
When borrowing and squanderg debts, loans and tax
es the daily work OF Congress, and when the
RES and comforts OF life long, either free from tax,
me course o redncton and intended by the democracy
be made ee seized upon by the doninent par
y and subjected to and heavy tax. During the wise,
prudent and patriotic administrations of Jackson and Van
buren, the articles OF tea, coffee and many other articles,
TO the annual value of scycntysX millions of dollars
made free OF tax the great relief othc citizens and the
great encouragement to commerce , Mr.. Beaton's speech
on He farW, IN 1871 after Altering amendment TO
bunk notes.
Mr.. said he had made all these references to show
with unerring certainty the position Of the democratic
party in relation to taxing tea and coffee He had shown
how Mr. Brown, the governor of Tennessee, stood upon
this question. Mr. Wright, of New York Mr. Clifford
Mr.. Cave Johnson, Mr. r. J Walker Mr. James Blu
chanan: four out of six of the cabinet officers, were OPP
posed 10 taxing tea and coffee; the vIcEGERENr orbq
whole the presiiesh ia e Richmond Enquirer now OF
meayyashington Union if his memory dad not deceive
him. was equally opposed TO taxing tea ana cohee, ne
said if was true the Washington Union had been croak
ng GOOD deal about war-ax upon tea and Collect
was tea and coffee mornings and coee anu YEA tne
newt morning. and then wartaX upon the Tree aucies
nd sometimes the impression IS lett upon the nho' oh
reading the Union articles that the government woud oe
brought to n dead stand unless the TWO Hhllohs anu
half were raised from tea and coffee; which Mr. saa
was the yerest ouackery ridiculous IN the extreme, 10
assume that the government would founder unless Bpt
this item of tax from the old ladies' tea and coiee through
out the country to sustain the war. Even the remoer
from Alabama mir PAYNEl had undertaken to read the
House lecture upon tea and coffee the oer uay, au'
while at it, workel himself up into such fury, gestcu
aons so violent conortons of the face so eXtraodna
ry as at times seemingly TO threaten his own desucuoh
ii not those about Unexpectedly rampant, tearing pas
sion all to atters From his tone and menacng atqae'
we were induced TO believe all who disagreed win nm
in opinion about taxing tea and coiee were 10 pe eAoo
muncated from the democratic church But, on eNaml-
nation il turns ont he was one of those who thought