, 1865-03-03
TAX ON SALES.
Remarks Of AIr. Odtl1, OF New Yorks
and mr.. Ahssons Of 1o1Eus In the
Elouhe Of Representatives..

Mr.. Odel1. The gentleman from Ohio {31r.
Cartloll) is in error VIII: he says no nation
has ever succeeded In or fairly tried tax On
sales. which he classes as belonging to dark
IN whicl, ne live. So also Is my colleague,
(Mr. Frank, in his statement tlat this mode
Of taxation has not been tried. This nation
has tried 1t With complete success. We are
now collecting taxes upon The principle Of
the amendment proposed by the gentleman
from Massachusetts, (Mr. Boutwcll.) It will
be remembered that at the last session Of
Congress the Commissioner Of Ways and
Means r. ported bill providing for the
specific tax Of fifty .cents for every hundred
shares Of Stock, bonds. and other securities
sold, and At the same rate per cent upon sa1es
Of gold, This proposal was not aeceded to
by The House, but an ad rdfoTen tar Of one
twentieth Of one per cent upon every hun
dred shares Of stock sold was submitted.
No better illustration can be given, 1or can
Letter argument BE- Madc, In favor e the
proposed tax upon sales Of merchandise sud
prod ucc Than the experience and result #
This Tux upon sales Of gold and stocks. The
receipts in one district In New York {the
Wall street district) alone for November,
December and January, reached the enormous
sum Of &, ,78D, 900. The specific tax OF fifty
cents proposed By the Committee would hare
yielded but SITE. coo.
have no hesitation In saying that no tax
las b.en collected during the year that has
been more cheerfully paid than what has been
collected from the stock aud exchange brok-
ers Of New York. have authority ID saying
thai, none has been more easily uscertained
and collected by The officials Of the Govern
ment..
Experience has demonstrated it's practica-
buity. When the amendment now proposed
by the Committee of Ways aud Means shall
become law, taxing all sales of stocks and
gold, whether bought on the account Of
brokers Or On commission, confidently be-
lieye, from the evidence Of tho past year with
this class of sales, that the Government can
confidently rely upon tho sum Of $l5,oO,0-D
from sales Of bonds and stocks alone.
The amendment proposed to tax sales, "a
ther to add to the taxes upon manufac-
tu1ers. has my cordial, hearty approval. It
has the sanction Of tic best informed COM
mercal men in the country, men whose inte-
rests will be most effected by It. It will have
system Of taxation that has been adopted.
presented d memorial, Q few days since,
ftism the Chamber Of Commerce Of New
York, praying Congress to enact Law taxing
salcs.
The commercial press With but few excep-
tions have been for weeks past advocating
this measure as just and equitable, bearing
upen all classes equally alike.
The Secretary OF the Treasury Informs the
House tbut he needs larger revenue, and
urges the subject upon us legislators to pro.
vide 1t. What is most needed is system or
taxation that will provide him with certain
revenue monthly paid into the Treasury, to
enable him positively to anticipate fund
upon which he can rely to pay the soldiers
and sailors Of our Amy and navy their wages
when due. 1t ia u necessity that is upon us.
We should meet It. The army has not been
raid for months. This is all wrong. Our de-
lenders should promptly recei7e their small
I'm frNry1 MI IN rfrr
out of the knowledge Of the fact that their
families ut home are in poverty and want.
a tax upon sales will provide the funds
needed monthly, and give to the Secretary ol
! the Treasury the money required for this OBJ
! ject. sincerely hope this measure will pass
the House with unanimity, and become the
Mr- Knsson. ! wish to say . single
Committee sises and the House ad-
JOHNS, and TINT is this :: that 90 fat
as from taking into consideration the precc.
| dent OF Spain upon this subject, hold al-
ways that the just and stateamanlike legisla.
}etion Of this country is derived from the course
| Of business and the current Of public opinion
| among our own people. There is no system
| Of public affairs in England like our own
none in which the course Of business is con.
! ducted In accordance with the convenience OF
I the neople rs in this country. And when nv
|
to embarrass the transactions Of trade, I ask
him why nc do not embarraes 1t when we put
| a tax npcn the Income OF the man derived
from this very property? You do not tax the
article sold, or because 1t is sold, but YOU
inst take the data which his sales furnish.
and you soy that one-balf Of one per cent. shall
| be paid to the Government upon the amount
| Of such ssles. Certainly gentleman know
that in the great mass Of business transac.
| lions Of this country there Is none In which
The seller would not make q bargain with au
agent for effecting . sale Of more than ono
| balf Of one per cent. BE occasionally em.
ploys itummers or agents on commission ii
| two and two and half per cent, to effect
sales Tor him to purchasers which such agents
may find In the market.
Nhou, therefore, you levy light tax like
this, yon do not cmbarrass trade ut Hil, but
siuply take O portion Of the profits which
thctsader derives. md in that way you make
the tax more equal than you ca1 In any other
way. Sales are made for profit, aud not for q
loss: and you simply yreselve +. ON the profits
small portion thereof. And do 5ou destroy
the mlddle-man In that way? Where is tho
middle-man that is destroyed by the addition
of onc-bnlf Of one per cent upon the profits
OF Gales he tfccts?' Bring tha matter to the
test Of practice; bring 1t to the test Of the
business Of any man you have in mind, and
you will find that 1t amounts to this, that no