Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-20

II TTvOO
and. fifty. The whole military material of the
| aountry so far as legislation is concerned, is alb
sorbe,l by the conscrptiU1 acts. There is none LETT
ON which militia law csuiopcrate, except the eN-
empted classics, and the boys nndcr seventeen, aud
the men over Hty years Of age. 1t was deemed OK
pedeut to allow this material to remain subject TO
the control of the State authorities for the pur-
poses OF locaoicc TO aid In the arrest of deserters,
and TO enforce the sdministratogsof State laws.
II * also true that the President has recommend
ed the passage OF law suspending the privilege OF
the writ of hd6edS corpus. This Recommendation
\ was the uyect Of Special Message in secret SEES
sion III occupied the attention Of Congress tog four
Tor 1--WE weeks. After mature dciberaiicn, the mea
SIRE was laid aside, upimportant and neNpedient
Sples can be arrested and tried summarly, without
4 suspend,ng the writ of hqbe1tS corpus. Conspira-
/ cies, tending in any manner tethe injury OF our
canse were provided for by special act passed at
the present session, "to define ahd punish censpr
i acy against thc Confederate States" The States
of North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi had ex-
i pressed through their Legislatures great repug-
nance to the past legislation of Congress suspend
| ing the writ, AMI n large portion of the people
/ throug bout the country was arrayed against the
policy of that legislation. 1t was deemed wise and
1 prudent to concate opposition at time when dis
sensi0ns are ruinous; and as the benefits to be de-
rived from The suspension ofth writ we're conjec-
| turai the deliberate judgment Of Congress was ex
pressed BY its silence on the SUBJECT 1t Is TO be re-
eretted that the ExecutyeNloes not concur Ia these
views and again calls on Congress to revise its &C
ton and tossuspend the writ OF hdJedS corpus,
measure alniost Indispensable TO the successful
conduct of the war" II the facts stated in the Con
fdentia Message, alluded 10 by the President, he
the basis of the opinion that the suspension OF the
writ s'i indispensable TO the successful conduct OF
| the war, the Congress does not concur in that
| opinion. The writ has not been suspended since
| August last Its not perceived that the military
reyerseS or tho country since that period were occa
stoned by the absence ofthe legislation asked for.
In regard to imprcsSmentS, Congress at the pres
ent session has passed bill declaring that the terms
| :. lust compensation used in the Constitution,
entite the owner whose property is impressed, TO
the market value thereof at the time and place OF
impressmcnt. This legislation was considered ne
&C Ssary, in consequence Of judicial decisions IN
some Of the States, and because of the difficulty 81
i procuring supplies any other terms. Indeed, II
was supposed that the Executive had reached te
same conclusion, as the Commissary General, on the
10th December, 1864, had advertised that he would
pay for supplies the price fixed by local appraise
men; which is Ia fact the market price. The PresL
dspt, IN hig ANNUAL Message of Noyemher last, did
not call the attention of Congress to any difficulties
attendant on the execution OF the impreSsmcnt laws.
The present Message, for the first time during this
session, suggests notifications of those laws, ami
the recommendations of the President Will doubt
less receive the respectful conside of Con-
gress IL may well be doubted, however, whether
the present specie yalne, payable in the future Will
induce the owner of property to part with III anu
| whether the passage Of such measure would not
result in general concealment of provisions, and
/ consequent starvation Of Ihe army.
1t is apprehended by the President that some de-
gree of embarr assment in the management Of the
finances will be felt in consequence OF the made
utlate provision made by Congress aud IL Is init
mated that some of the measures recommended by
him were retarded as to lose much OF their val
ne, and Others after being maturcd, were for the
same. r,ason abandoned, being longer applicable
| TO our altered condition, The Only financial meas
are abandoned after being matnred, was the cur
| teucr lii recommended by the Secretary of the
I Treasury, and endorsed by the President in his
| Annual Message. Ii may be remarked that tlo
faihire 10 ennct any fiscal measure, which has nol
auicicnt vitality TO render it valuable and applied
bio for the short period of four months, does not
deserve much regret. The currency bill was recon-
| mended to Congress- aud based on the condition
| the finances presented by the President in
his Message, and by the Secretary of tile
| Treasury in his report. II was abandoned VIII
out regret, because, at . subsequent perlI
| of the session, it was ascernlincd that tile
arrears of public debts constituting cash demands
on the treasury exceeded, by nearly four hundred
/ millions the amount originally reported to Con
eress by the Secretary OF the Treasury, The eur
rency bill contemplated tine reduction of the cur
rency to one hundred ana nifty millions, by con
version of the treasury notes into 1.-THE certificates,
payable after the war, aud by an annual appca-
Il tion of portion OF tho taxes, in the nature OF a
i sinking fund The Treasury notes received for
1.-THE certificates were to -bc cancelled. The MIL
tary reverses, which impaired the> credit OF the
| Goyernment TO such an extent as to destroy the
Suitability of any OF its bonds, left little hope that
treasury notes would be exchanged for tithe cerii
Gcata. As soon az the enormous increase in the
arrears Of debt was discovered above mentioned,
/ all idea of reducing the currency was abapdonediS
impracticablc. For these reasons, the cOhlnHiee
OF conference, having charge Of the currency bill
agreed 10 abandon it, as useless pledge OF future
resonrscs without corresponding present advantage.
Indeed if the bill had been passed the hrst day
of the session il would have expired from naniton
| ON the 9Th day of January, 1862 the day on which
the Secretary of the Treasury reported to Congress
| the deficit uf four hundred millions, and recon-
| mended an increase OF taxation 10 meet il.
The tax bill is regarded lay the President "a libe
| ral though inadcquate. No nation on earth ever
/ conducted protracted war by resources derived
IRON taxation alone. The message iniimates re-
cret that the rec6n,nen dation by the Secretary Of
| the Treasury, Oh a tax on agricultural income,
canal 10 the Augmented tax on other income, paya
ule ia treasury notes, was rejected lay Congress-
This Il aydentN mistake, IL assumes there has
been an increase of taxes on other than agricultural
INCOMES. The present income taxes are those laId
by the act of April, 1868, amended ana Te-enact
ed ON the 18th of February, lsG4. To require the
| arricultuTist 10 pay tax on the income derived
/ from his farm, IN addition to the one-tenth OF his
gross Productions and the property tax of nine per
\ cent ad valorem, would be niaIniestiy unjust ana
loppress1ve Alter the delivery Of his title, to tax
the income OF the agricuhrisI derived, from tile
property producing the titbe would leave little for
family subsistence, for the purchase Of supplies ne
cesssry for carrying his agricultural operations,
/ and Tor the payment of the ad valorem tax on his
pronerty Congress- therefore, did not concur in
! The recommendation OF the Sciseary of the Urea
s6ry, believing it 10 lie highly inexpedient.
| The recommendations Of the Secretary Of tie
| TreaSuary have IN the main received the approbi
| ton OF Congress- and every disposition has been
manifested to Cooperate with him. The tax hill
adopted very nearly approxinses the rate desired
/ by him. He recommended ten per cent. on pro-
\ perty. Congress has imposed tax of nine per
cent. A new foreign loan was authorized in secret
session. his request, without any limitation on his
authority, except as to the amount. transfer OF
pertain sterling funds abroad was by. joint resolu-
| ton directed 10 be made from the Navy to the
| Treasury Efforts we're made to raise specie. A