Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-04-28
CONGRESSIONAL.
PROCEEDINGS IN THE HOUSE,
(Entracts from our Daily Reports }
INCREASE OF TAXES.

INCREASE OF TAXES.
The House resolved itself into Committee Of the Whole
the Of the Union and resumed the
of the bill provide internal to support the Gov
ernment to pay interest on the pubic debt ana ior
purposes. -.
providing that the stocks Of liquors hand Dc taxed
forty per gallon He said he did not propose 70 as
ut length his proposition IL had been very ,h
cussed before when this subject was DeioIo 'no
committee and the House previous OCCASION ~ W"
merely carrying out the principle hereIocie
Congress- Under the law passed some 'e ns.;,s
egn liquors on hand we're taxed anu "oio ~" P"'Ne
duty of forty cents per gallon ~. a.. .,h;aot
Mr.. STEVENS said he had hoped that this subject
would not have been brought up sgaip TO agta,e the
Hnnsa and the country 1t had been already settled by
this House that there should be no retroactve a uo
was an ncongruy it was true IN the Dill wnlcn mao oeen
adopted 10 regard to the tax on foreign Spirits
but hin Lad believed already been introduced In the
Senate TO repeal law which would no doubt be passed
He understood that anticipating Its prompt repeal Inc
of the Treasury had given orders to en-
force the collection He hoped that this crusade would
be dropped and the bill would be promptly passed. and not
put in shape that would keep it lingering between the
two Houses through the remainder OF the session we
had lost four millions of dollars BY the course pursued
heretofore this subject.
Mr. WASHBURNE said he did not wish to 20 into
Of the subject only the gentleman
from Pennsylvania that his not factious opposition
He had when the former bill passed. given notice that
when this bill reported he should Introduce this amend
ment He wanted to obtain q vote OF this House upon
this subject The gentleman said that had lost Jour
millions dollars by the former discussion and action OF
his House this matter He told that gentleman and
he told the country that lost twenty millions by not
insisting upon the proposition of the gentleman from New
York (Mr +. Woody Notwithstanding the clamor that
had raised against the taxing OF stocks on hand and
the claim that we could obtain the assent the Senate
% any bill embody that principle, he would call atten-
ton to the fact that the additional tax foreign spirits
allowed to stand He knew OF no question that had
been SO fully canvassed this of taxing liquors hand
and believed that the country satisfied OF ts justice
| and expediency.
Mr. STEVENS said he would do the gentleman the jns
y than
he mentioned He also recolected that the gentleman
bad introduced resolution nstructng the Committee Of
Ways and Means to bring in bill providing for tax of
stocks hand which not adopted De believed that
such tax violation OF the soemny pledged faith of
the country The gentleman said we had lost twenty mil
lions by the rejection of this tax The largest estimate ne
could make Of the amount that could have been derived
from it, if all had been collected four million dollars
MIR j C. ALLEN said he was opposed to the amend
ment Of his colleague In the discussion which had here
ore taken place upon this subject the country had been
satisfied except his COLES que and two three other gen
temen of the impracticabity of the If this
amendment adopted the principle involved would open
up discussion which would keep here until the 6rst
OF January 1t be applied 10 every other article and
branch of manufactures Why was it that this prime pie
is attempted to be applied to whiskey alone, which Is al
ready by this bill taxed fourod its ordinary value He
did not complain Of that but this was applying rule
before adopted and preventing the passage Of any
tax bill at all.
Nil + WOOD said he hoped that the amendment Of
the gentleman from Illinois would be adopted He denied
emphstcsy that any thing had been settled against this
which had been brought to operate against it. The prin
cpe applied TO foreign liquors and far any prin
cpe at all had been settled it in favor of taxing stocks
on hand. This bill dscrmiuates all through against m
poTatons While every article of manufacture is heavily
taxed there tax at all agricultural products This
unequal unjust unfair and unconstitutional taxation.
Under this bill New York will pay revenue to the
Government than all the Western States. He wanted all
taxed alike He desired that the amendment should be
adopted and domes spirits taxed equally with the I'M
ported.
Mr. BROOMALL opposed to this question of re
taxing spirits when up before He knew why
this persisted in with regard to whiskey, except that
! it whiskey. This he did not consider sufficient
Mr. MORRILL, said he regarded this as mischievous
proposition. Ii could not pass the Senate Ii very
important thai this bill should be promptly passed in
der that II may take effect before the first of May to
operate upon the income tax There certain sort
Of symmetry in the bill it stood In order to continue
that symmetry it would be necessary the CENTENARY
principle adopted that the additional tax should be
applied spirits which should be manufactured hereafter.
If whskey on hand be taxed why not other pro-
peryi We have proposed in order to satisfy all parties
to raise duties largely in this bill In order to still further
satisfy them he proposed amendment which agreed
TO- making the tax dollar per gallon from the first of
May, instead OF first Of July.
The amendment of Mr. WAsHBURNE was rejected
Mr.. FERNANDO WOOD offered the following amend
ment a section:
That much OF the seventh section OF tho act Of Con-
of March 1864 70 increase the internal
&c ~ levies a spirits imported prior to March 7,
1851 be and hereby repealed and that the Secretary of
III moneys thus exacted spirits the original entry
Of which n ade prior TO said March z, 1864"
Mr. WOOD said that the law OF March 7th last levied
tax Of forty cents gallon all imported liquors on band
while, notwithstanding his efforts to include domestic Ii
quOrs the latter exempt There was no justice IN
this AL interests should bear equal burdens He strongly
urged the adoption OF the amendment to exempt foreign
liquors from the tax hand inasmuch this House had
refused to apply the principle 10 domestic liquors
Mr. WOOD then withdrew his amendment giving notice
he would oer it at subsequent stage Of the proceed
ings.
Mr.. LAW offered amendment TO reduce the tar on
beer lager beer porter and all other similar fermented
liquors from dollar to fifty cents barrel He argued
that the proposed duty too high, and that ques-
ton Of morals the use Of those drinks would lessen the
demand for sprituous liquors.
The amendment rejected--yeas 30, nays "a.
: Mr. JAMES c. ALLEN moved to reduce the tar to
sixty cents barrel contendng that this would yield
revenue than dollar.
Mr. MORRILL, showed that the brewers throughout
the country only demanded that they should be placed
equality with manufacturers Of other spirits We have
raised the latter and in that proportion the tax beer
&C would be two dollars and half a barrel
/ Mr.. ALIENS amendment was rejected.
An eudment adopted that beer, &c in bottles,
shall pay greater than in the proportion Of dol
/ lar barrel.
The House then resolved itself into Committee Of the
Whole tho state OF the Union, (Mr WAsHBURNE, Of
Illinois, in the char) and resumed the consideration
the internal tax bill
Section "a, imposing tax upon sales of bonds, stocks,
&c, being under confederation
Mr.. FRANK offered the following substitute for the
rates proposed by the committee, as follows;
i "On all sales Of gold and silver bullion and coin and
l.