The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-06-10
The Tax Bill It's Passage by the
Senate.

The Tax Bill Its Passage by the
I Senate.
The Tax bin, which for the past three months
has been dragging its slow length along, has at
length passed the Senate. Only the concurrence
OF the House of Representatives in the amend
ments made since it reached the Senate, and the
signature of the President, are now necessary to
make it law. On the reception OF the bill, as
passed by the House of Representatives, 1t was
referred to the Committee of Finance OF the
Senate, by the chairman of which it was, after
long and careful consideration, reported with
amendments. The Senate then, in Committee
| of the Whole, acted first on each of the amend
ments proposed by the Finance Committee, and
| then on such amendments as individual mem
| bers saw fit to Offer
In another column we publish . compi-
lation of the rates of duty imposed by the
bill It will be seen that important changes
have been made in it since it passed the House
| of Representatives, the Senate endeavoring to
accomplish the object of the measure-tO raise
revenue from the people by taxation-with as
| little inconvenience to them as possible. In
| accordance with this intention, the Senate has
| stricken out the tax on gold and silver
watches, plate, &c. also that ON carriages
| and pianofortes kept for use. The purpose
of raising the requisite sum Of money by q
tax on manufactures has been steadily ad-
hered to- and the few articles not included
in that class on which tax was laid by the
House have been taken from the tax list. The
income tax has been changed, gradations being
made, so that the rich man is required to pay
larger proportion of his profits than the poor
man. The bill, as it passed the House Of Re-
representatives., required duty Of three per cent
to be paid on the excess of income ever 5000
The Senate amendment requires. on all incomes
over $780, and not over $4,000, duty of three
per cent to be paid; on all over $4,000, and
not over S5O,OOO five per cent, and on all over
$4,000, seven and one-half per cent.
The principal points of discussion were rela-
tive to the taxes to be imposed on distilled
spirits, tobacco, cotton, slaves and insurance
companies. The rate Of duty originally i'm
posed on spirits-fifteen cents per gallon-has
been raised to twenty cents. A prolonged
debate took place on this tax; but only twenty
cents were levied. Some Of the Senator'S
deemed this too high for the purpose of the
bill, while others believed that the revenue
could be sensbly increased by raising it still
higher Many amendments were proposed, but
all were voted down, and the tax left as the
Committee of Finance recommended Fifty
cents would be nearer the mark. On tobacco,
too, the rates have been raised.
After the bill had been considered in Com
mittee of the Whole, and had been reported to
the House, o clause imposing tax on raw
cotton was inserted. The Finance Committee
of the Senate recommended that this clause be
stricken out. This was accordingly done, but
afterwards the matter was reconsdered, and
tax of half cent pound imposed.
An interesting debate took place on the
question of allowing a drawback on goods
manufactured of cotton and exported for sale
in foreign country. The clause relating to
this allowance was altered so as to read, that
there shall be drawback on all articles on
which any internal duty or tax shall have been
paid, except raw or manufactured cotton,
equal in amount to the duty or tax paid thereon,
and no more, when exported" The effect Of
allowing nothing in return on raw cotton when
exported will be to cause foreign nations to
contribute, in the enhanced price Of the pro-
duct, several millions of dollars towards the
expenses Of our war.
The most important measure proposed was
the insertion of section requiring that, on per-
sons held to service or labor, tax of five dol
lars per head should be paid by the person
holding or claiming such service or labor. This
section was amended so as to require but two
dollars, and was afterwards, on reconsideration,
stricken out. The evident desire of most Sena-
tors was to impose this tax, thus reaching many
inhabitants of the Southern States, and causing
them to contribute towards defraying the ex-
penses of the rebellion they had inaugurated.
The great obstacle to the imposition of such
tax was the provision of the constitution that
no direct or capitation taxes shall be appor-
toned among the States, according to their
respective numbers. In the opinion Of several
Of the Senators most DESTROYS to insert this sec
ton, it would be contrary to the spirit and let
ter of the constitution to tax slaves in the man
ner proposed such tax being both capitation
and direct tax. On this account after careful
elaboration the Senate refused to insert the
section. Many changes which we have not at
present space to note were made in the bill
during its passage through the Senate. 1t will
be returned to the House OF Representatives for
concurrence in the amendments made since /.
left that body, and, if a conference committee
be not required, will in short time become a
law. The time fixed for the act to 60 into effect
is the first day of July of the present year.
The TRIBUNE TAKING LESSONS IN Journalism
Poor Greeley, Of the Tribune, is in very bad
way. He begins to appreciate his own inca