Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1864-03-04
SHERMAN'S REPORTED CLOSE
UPON MOBILE.
The Enemy Preparing for His
Attack.
The Administration Party Car
~ Louisiana,
Gopparhead Papar Destroyed at
Vioennes, Iud.
FROM WASHINGTON.
Special to the Cleveland Leader.l
WAsH1Harox, March

mAsHIEGroH, March 3.
Whisky has taken smother turn ss une1-
pected as any of the rest, the Committee be-
ing unable to agree how to tax it or how
much to tax 1t. and Congress has capped
the climax by deciding practically not TO
tax it at all.
The Free Conference, authorized yester-
day, resulted like all the rest Of the House
Committees, insisted on taxing the stock
on hand.
The Senate Committee insisted that no
such tax should be levied. The question
therefore came up in the House to recede
from its disagrsements with the Senate,
who either had to do that or lose the bill
altogether Members who had insisted on
taxing the stock on hand, changed grounds
by saying that as the question now stood
between taxing as the Senate wanted it or
not taxing il at all, they preferred to
yield to the Senate rather than to see the
whole tax.
General Garfield made a speech favor
ing change on this ground, and others
did the same. When vote came to be taken,
the majority for insisting on taxing the
stock on hand had dwindled to ten, but
the House insisted, and consequently the
bill was defeated.
No tax whatever, therefore, is levied on
whisky beyond what was provided by leg
islation of the last Congress, and a new
bill will, Of course, be promptly
brought in, but there is no telling when it
will get through, or whether the Senate
and House can agrOe on it any better than
on the one just defeated.
Garrett Davis continues his extraordi-
nary exsrtions. His latest performance
was the grave introduction Of a substitute
for the resolution from the Judiciary Com
miltee, proposing an amendment to the
Constitution, prohibiting slavery, prOvi-
ding:
1st. That no negro or person, whose
mother or grandfather had cOlored blood,
shall be considered citizen of the United
States, or be eligible to any civil or mill
tsry office, or to any place Of trust or
profit under the United States.
Cd. That the States Of Maine and Mas.
sachusetts, shall constitute one State, to be
sllled East New England, and New Hsmp-
shire, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode
Island shall constitute one State, to be
called West New EAgland, placing the
Navy Yard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Of West New England, at Pittsfeld, Mas
sschpsetts, or near Albany, New York, in
East New England, and interposing YER
mont and New Hampshire, between the
two parts Of one Of the new States, thus
placing Massachusetts, in the bowels Of the
ether.
Mr. Davis is in solemn earnest about it.
A joint resolution from the House, ex-
tending the time for the payment of boun-
ties to April first, passed the Senate to-
day.
Mr.. Wilson in calling it up, read let
ter from the Secretary of War, which
stated:
1st Thstin his opinion, the requisite
number of troops could be raised more e1-
pediiOusly by continuing the payment Of
bOunties to April hrSt than by any other
means.
ID. That great exertlons are being made
in the several States to raise their quotas
by volunteering to avoid the draft, the
people yrefsrring that mode Of raising
troops.
Sd. That Generals Burnside and Han.
cock, and State Legislatures and executives
are earnestly requesting such continuance.
4tb. That the measure was wise and
judicious, prSmotiVe Of public welfare,
and calculated most efficiently and quickly
to strengthen our military forces.
OF course the passage Of this resolution
on such Recommendation involves the
postpOnemsnt Of the draft.
The Secretary Of War communicated
to day the report Of Captain James and
Lieutenant Fisks's overland expedition to
the Rocky Mountains, and the gold fields