Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1865-04-08

| SAoS SNiAS SASot oIa NAeoA PAAhSAPASS Ao'N
been left untouched. 1t was so easy, and
wi:hal so natural for Congress to yield to
the temptation of increasing the currency,
that We can bear with little more pa
tience the inconvenience and loss of the
legal-tendsr clause, and the terrible blum.
ders of is taxation. The acts of Congress
may be classified under three heads: FL
nancial, Military and Private. Under the
head o. financial, we find large increase
in new leans authorized, amounting to
an aggregate OF nearly thousand millions
of dollars. and an increase in tariff and
revenue duties. Many articles that former
ly bore light burden, or that were not
taxed at all, now carry a heavy impost.
King Petroleum is badly scratched. The
crude article is taxed dollar barrel, and
the refined twenty cents a gallon. Cigars
are taxed cent each, or ten dollars a
thousand, without regard to quality. This
is an Improvement on the late plan. But
a still greater Improvement would be the
collection of the tax from the consumer
instead Of the producer, on the sale Of the
article. Railroad companies are authoriz-
ed to collect an additional fare of one cent
upon each passenger to cover the Govern
nent tax. Savings banks and State bank
circulation are to be taxed ten per cent.
| after July, 1866. This is with a view OF
diverting the savings Of the people and the
currency into Government channels. A
. tax of one-tenth of one per cent. is impos-
ed upon all gold sales, and brokers are
required to take out Fifty dollar licenses.
All persons Of lawful age are required to
report incomes. Those whose income ex-
ceeds six hundred dollars year and does
not exceed FIVE thousand dollars, pay five
per cent. on the excess of six hundred
dollars and ten per cent. when the income
exceeds five thousand dollars. Incomes
from United States securities are to be
free from taxation. Dividends are taxed
generally five per cent. and manufactur-
ed articles six per cent. upon an average.
The Tariff bill has also been extensively
modified, and duties increased to an aver
age of nearly twenty per cent, and in
some cases to more than two hundred per
cent. As the increased tariff has already
produced the effect of checking importa-
tons and consumption. it is hard to see
how higher duties can increase the revenue.
The great evil and Inconvenience of the
present entire tax system is, that our
whole producing interests are unneces-
sarily and uselessly burdened, and the very
sources of industry and wealth are dried
up. Manufacturers and producers are re-
ouired to advance the tax for the consul
mer, and the cost of all articles is thus in
creased beyond all due proportion with
/ the amount of revenue derived. It is not
expected that the Internal Revenue Bill,
which strikes at every interest, and need
lessly increases the cost Of all articles at
least ten per cent, will yield more than
four hundred millions. A two per cent.
tax on sales would yield at least FIVE hun
bred. and probably six hundred millions,
and would be scarcely felt BY the people.
Of the other acts Of Congress, the most
important relates to the condition of the
freedmen in their transition from slavery
to freedom. A Freedmen's Bureau has
been established, to which will be entrust-
ed the vast power of settling freedmen and
white refugees upon the abandoned or
confscated lands of rebels, and providing
for them in all matters relating to trade,
education and the settlement of lands. In
addition to this bill, all the disqualified
lions Of color have been removed, as far as
was possible, by legislative agency. The
proper initiative measures have also been
adopted for the abolition Of slavery BY
constitutions. amendment, and the project
is now before the people of the respective
States for ratification. With respect to
the war, all the requisite measures for its
prosecution with vigor and energy have
been Adopted by Congress. Ways and
means have been voted to an extent thai
can leave the Executive and loyal citizen.
no legitimate grounds for complaint
General Grant has been called to the heac
of the army. with the title and rank o
Lieutenant General, and under his auspi
ces brilliant series of victories have beer
achieved that promise the speedy sup
preston of the rebellion. Admiral Far,
ragut has also been promoted to higher
grade than mas ever been known in oul
navy, in reward for his distinguished ser
vices. The thanks Of Congress have been
rendered to the more deserving Of oul
generals and officers, with q just recogni
ton of merit, that seems to falsify the re
mark that Republics are always migrate
full The enrolment act has also beer
improved and modified. and principals ar,
made responsible for the desertion of sub.
stitutes under the condition of being mott
ned within thirty days after the event. A
minority in the Senate contrived to pre-.
vent the admission of the Louisiana ant
Arkansas delegations to Congress, al.
though the President and majority O.
4
American citizens desired to see a question
settled that would probably exercise ,
favorable influence upon North Carolina
Georgia and other States, which, it is sup.
posed, might, under certain contingencies
abandon the Confederacy and return, t.
the Union, if their standing and position
were assured by precedent. As it is, til,