Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-04-22
Congressional.
WASHINGTON, April 81.
General Corse is here.


SENATE-Mr. Collamer from the com
mittee on Postoffices and Postroads, report
ed favorably bill for the relief of post
masters who have been robbed by Confed-
crates or guerrillas. Bill passed.
Mr.. Wilson's bill to provide for the print
ing of the official reports of the armies of
the U. S. was passed.
MIR. Lane, of Kansas, called up the bill to
make Portland, Oregon, and Leavenworth,
Kansas, ports of delivery. Passed.
HoUsE.-The House went into committee
for the consideration of the tax bill. At
one o'clock the committee had acted on all
the general provisions, comprising forty
seven sections.
Mr.. Washburne, of ILL.,, offered an amend
ment providing that the stock of liquors on
hand be taxed 80 cents a gallon. 1t was
merely carrying out the principle hereto
fore adopted by Congress. Under the law
passed some time ago, foreign liquors were
taxed, and are now paying a dnty Of so
cents gallon.
Mr.. Stevens, of Pa, spoke against it.
Mr.. Stevens said he had hoped this sub
ject would not have been brought up here
again. to agitate the House and country. 1t
had already been settled by the House that
there should be no retroactive tax. There
was a provision it was true, in the bill,
which had been previously adopted with re-
gard to the tax on foreign spirits; but bill
had, he believed, already been introduced
in the Senate to repeal the law, which would
no doubt be passed.
He understood that anticipating its
prompt repeal the Secretary of the Treas
ury has never given any orders to enforce
the collection. He hoped this discussion
would cease, and this bill promptly passed,
and not put it in shape which would keep
it lingering between the two houses during
the remainder of the session. We have
lost $4,0O0,000 by the course heretofore pur-
sued on this subject.
Mr.. Washburne did not wish to go into
discussion of the subject, but he wanted
to obtain vote of this House on this sub
ject. The gentleman remarked that we
had lost four million dollars by the former
discussion and action of this House. He
world inform that gentleman that we lost
twenty million dollars by not insisting on
the proposition of the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Woody .. mesa
Notwithstanding the claim which had
been raised against the taxing of stocks on
hand, and the claim that he could not OBJ
tain the assent of the Senate to any bill en-
bodying the principle, he would call atten-
tion to the fact that the additional tax on
foreign spirits was allowed to stand.
He knew of no question which had been
so fully canvassed as this of taxing liquors
on hand, and he believed the country was
satisfied of its justice and expediency.
Mr.. Stevens said he believed such tax
was violation of the solemn pledge of faith
of the country.
Mr.. Broomall was opposed to this ques-
ton of re-taXing spirits.
Mr.. Morrill, said he remarked this as q
mischievous proposition. 1t could not pass
the Senate. 1t was very important that
this bill be promptly passed, in order that
it may take effect before the 1st of May, so
as to operate upon the income tax.
If the whisky OH hand was taxed, why
not other property. We have proposed, in
order to satisfy all parties to raise the duties
largely in this bill, in order to still further
satisfy them.
He proposed an amendment, which was
agreed to, making the tax one dollar per
gallon from the 1st of May, instead of the
1st of July.
Mr.. Washburne's amendment was re-
jected-52 against 20.