Washington telegraph., 1864-05-25
Letter of Hon. A. II. Garland.
RICHMOND, Feb. y, 1864

hiCHADND, req. =; 1919.
Hon GEo G. WATKIS-:
Dear Slr-Your favor Of the 10th ult came
safely to hand some Ten days since. As most OF
il +, hates 10 matters of public character alto
sster ! u.ii riake IL response to il, 10 address.
through You. my constituents generally, well
the people Of the State at large. Probably il
is better l should do this as the next Congress
will meet the fr-t Monday in May next. which
does not give me time to visit my friends in per-
son and to return by that time.
On the 18th Of this month. the first Congress
under the permanent Government of the Confed-
crate States closed its term-and now that body
lives only in history. Great have been the il-
terests, and great the questions with which it
has dealt: and great. too, have beeu its labOrs.
LIS work will not fail to make deep its impress,
for good or for evil upon the rights and inter
ests of the people represented by its members.
| hope and believe, in the main, that most has
been for The good, welfare aud comfort of the
people at large. The legislation of it's previous
sessions is rally knuwn and derstood hy
the people. A short review Of the leading acts
passed at this, the last, session is all now pro-
pose.
The first move made by Congress at the session
just closed. was to repeal the law allowing sub
stitures. and place all the principals liable to
duty. in the service. There ID no doubt but that
great abuses had been committed under this act
aad the service Lad been deprived of many who
ought 10 have actively engaged in the contest.
Thgse abuses had, to "A great extent. demoralized
the whole country. and had caused no little
trouble and disaiiection among the soldiers them
selves. The chief and leading question in thu.
r pealing this law, whether IL was not i'm
pairing the obligation of u contract between the
government aud The principal. 1t was discuss
ed ut length and with ability A large major
ity did not believe there was a contract ut all
AID the ,w PASSED with only few opposing
Som" soliciiuae felt as to the fate of the law
brfore a court But recently cases arising un-
DIR il have hem decided in North Carolina and
Judge French there held the law repeating the
substitute Law 10 he valid and constitutional
This has been matter OF relief to many who
bad some doubts upon the subject. We did not
have full Information before as to ascertain
how many men this act wou put ia the service
but from all We can learn. thur 10 no question
if faithfully executed. we will pot in l-asi CO.
600 additional soldiers, which. in a struggle
like the one in which We are engaged is no
small item. Ia ths vicinity there was, at first
much complaint % this point, but I believe al
this iim.. all have bncome satisfied that il was
a wise and lu,hciOus act.
The cure .cy bli. entitled An act TO reduce
the Currency. and To authorize lhe new i-sne o.
Notes and Bonds was passed alter an unusual
amount Of debate The subject seemed 10 be
fraught with more than its ordinary difficulties
The Tine TOR funding all notes over IS not hear
ing Interest. the first of April this and the hrs
OF July on the other SIDE Of the Mississippi river
was deemed ample under the pressing wants Of
the day and the hour. After these periods all
the notes ef the denomination OF one hundred
dollars shall te taxed thirty-threc and third
cents, and a.so ten per cent. per month. At any
time before The dates specified. the Secretary of
the Treasury may exchange new notes for these
at the rate Of sixty-tsru and two-third- cents on
the dollar; and niter these dates, these notes
shall not be receivable In payment of public
dues. The outstanding notes of the denomina-
ton of five dollars shall bc entitled to all their
present privileges antil the lst of July cast. and
the lst OF Uctocer west Of the Mississippi river
aad after that they are scdLed thirty-tilree and
ole-third ceats. With authority to the Secreta-
ry . the Treasury 20 issue new notss to carry
Oh the government, and bonds to be exchanged
for Treasury notes, and the final Limitation on
the let of January. 1865, Of the l00-dollar notes
now in circulation. The above are the main
features of the act.
We had lost so much OF our country ia which
our currency was intended to circulate and per-
form its funct ous of n-oney, aud the former plan
Tor lundfilS nvl having succeeded aut.ci-
pated. the volume of our currency became great
er aud more unwieldy than ever-reachiny to
very nearly ssO0.00O, 600, being at least in ex-
cess of what w actually required a. four to one
The enormous prices Tor articles of subsistence
as consequence Of this state of affairs. were
! well cilcuated To alarm every. oae who gave The
matter moments reflection. There il no dou bt
on earth but that this is a strong measure, and
is true nu,hng but a strong measure would
do. For the present. its effects upon the money
market are very depressing. and we expected IL
would he. " viii so continue until the FIRST Of
April, when We expect much of the present cur
! rcncy tJbe retired. and the new issues will then
be IN ci ciAation- We apprchcnd, and dou bit
not Tor moment, thai alter that time q change
for the better will lie rapid and marked From
| ALI sources Of information we have il NAV be
safely said. this dill will diminish our currency
to sl25.00o,01N And to any one who has eI-
aminei the matter, this il Of no small conse-
queuce. when the great trouble is redundancy
of currency.
The Tar bH proper is presented to the country
Tor its endorsements, IL bring. in addition to the
tax imposed by the act of 24th APRIL a tax Of s
per ceat. upoL all property, real, personal and
mixed, With some exemptions dcdlctinp tb.re-
irom the tax IN KIND that may he delivered On
gold. silver, &c ten per cent. tax TO he assessed
as OF ls 0. Shares Ia corporations sc 5 Der
cent; gold. silver. &c. about ) pr cent and All
solvent credits. exclusive Of noI-inlerest bearing
Treasury notes, Per cent Upon profits Ia
trade and business, where liquors, -four, wheat.
corn. &c, have been soids ten per cent. so, too.
in exchange business. On profits macs Ly cnrn
panics. associations. &c., for 1864 above d
per cent. tax OF Is per cent in kind. Then
follow the exemptions.
THIS would seem to be 4 heavy tax; and of
itself 1t is. But when viewed with reference to
the times, il Is not. And it will b. perceived
the tax Is laid with ali due and proper di,crimi-
nation. Taxation, of course necessarily follows
war and now when all the avenues Of trade
and commerce are closed, there is 10 other dis
position to make of the money we have; and.
besides. 1t belongs 70 those who would crumble
abont taxation to tell how else are We 10 carry
on this war Ii they object to this course they
should, as the lawyers say, "give us a bitter
writ" Mr.. Fox once said, ia speaking of fore
Ing parties, that individuals gave up something
to friend, rather than surrender everything 10
an enemy. This is strictly true as to taxes and
all other contributions We make 10 our cause
From estimates have made, based. think,
upon reasonable dnta, this bill will yield us at
lea-t S2j0,0JD.010. II caanot do less If we hold
as much OF our country zswe now have fvr an
oth'r year.