The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1866-05-21

1t is hardly to be supposed that planter can
farm out to all his hands his plantation, while
he really owns all the crop, and have every one
of them come forward and make oath that they
each own six hundred pounds of cotton, and OBJ
tain exemption papers upon thai amount under
any regulations that may be made by the Com
missioner of Internal Revenue. do not see
that the farmer can attempt that any more sue
cessfully than the manufacturer al the North
can share out his factory and thus AVOID the five
per cent. tax.
think tits a matter of great deal of i'm
portance that we encourage these small pro-
ducers of the South by giving them the adyan-
tage of this exemption, and let them feel that
the Government is beneficent one. w nile AT
the North would not encourage any class dis
tinctOn, would permit this at the South. L
think it is for the interest OF the government
that they should make the poor white people
and the moor black people of the South feel
that they have certain privileges and certain ex
emptions, and think it is no more than right
and lust that the same principle should be APP
nlied at the South that is applied at the North.
[ will leave the House to decide the matter.
Mr.. Morrill, admitted the force of these con-
siderations, but argued that the provision
could not be enforced Every bale of that ex-
empt cotton would have to be traced through
out the country wherever it goes. 1t is quite
enough to be called upon to trace this cotton
to the manufacturers OF when it leaves the
district TO undertake anything more would
be futile, and in his judgment absolutely i'm
possible. Mr.. Lynch then enquired if there
could be any more difficulty in putting the ex-
emption stamp on the bale than stamp on to
show that it has paid the duty.
At this point the question was taken, and
the amendment was not agreed to.
The sixth section reads as follows:
SEC.6. And be at further enacted, That upon
when exported there shall be allowed as a
drawback an amount equal to the internal tax
which shall have been assessed and paid upon
such articles in their finished condition, and in
addition thereto drawback or allowance of as
many cents per pound upon the pound of cot
ton CLOTH yarn, or other articles manufactured
exclusively from cotton land exported as shall
have been assessed and paid in the form of an
internal tax upon the raw cotton ltering into
the manufacture of said cloth or other article,
the amount of such allowance or draw back to
be ascertained in such manner as may be pre-
scribed by the Commissioner of Internal Reve-
nue., unde r the direction Of the Secretary of the
Treasury; and so much of section one hundred
and seventy-one of the act of June 30, 1864, to
provide internal revenue to support the Gov
eminent, to pay interest on the public debt, and
for other purposes, as now provides for draw
back on manufactured cotton, is hereby re-
pealed.
"when exported" and sand exported" in
cluded in brackets, and went on to say,
Mr.. Chairman, as has been said by one gent
leman, a member of the Committee of Ways
and Means, the consumer of the cotton goods
must finally pay this tax as provided by the
bill. The effect of my amendment will be to
relieve the consumer from this tax and place it
only upon such portion of the crop as is expor-
ted. 1t will accomplish what the gentleman
from Pennsylvania Mr.. Stevensl seeks to ac-
complish by a constitutional amendment, the
success of which is, think, very doubtful.
This bill is presented as one designed to re-
duce the taxes of tho people; yet it is proposed
to put tax OF tive cents per pound on cotton
goods, which are consumed mainly by the
poorer classes of the people. The wealthy peo-
pie use silks, linens, &c, while the poor use
more of the cotton goods. Ii this amendment
be adopted, the consumers of cotton goods in
this country will be relieved of the tax, while
it will be placed on theexported cotton. pre-
sumo this will satisfy those persons who go fer
an export tax upon cotton, and also that class
of gentlemen here who are in favor of reducing
the tax; for it will reduce the tax to just the
amount of the drawback upon the amount
manufactured in the United States. You raise
revenue simply on the amount exported. As
to the amount consumed in this country the
tax upon it would be paid finally by the con-
sumner here.
MIR. Moorhead-Tle gentlemans proposition
WOulu dluOuut W d bdA Ou cApOrUS.
Mr.. Lynch.-Certainly it would
Mr.. Moorhead.-Can you do that constitu-
tionally?
Mr.. LYNCH suppose no one will doubt the
constitutional power to collect the tax in the
first place; and Think there can be no doubt
that the Government has the right to remit this
tax by way of drawback
1t seems to me we ought not to put this
heavy tax upon the poorer class of the cOmmu-
nifty, while we are reducing the taxes generally
In this bill
Mr.. orrill.-I am somewhat surprised at the
motion of the gentleman from Maine. Al
though he has always said he was in favor of
the tax, yet in his motion he is in favor of re-
funding the tax we are proposing to levy.
Mr.. Lynch.-I will say that I intended to
propose an increased tax of ten cents per
pound and then to have given this drawback
But 1 did not get an opportunity to offer that
amendment
Mr.. Morrill, then mentioned as a further OBJ
lection, the constitutional scruples which
might be excited. 1t the tax is levied upon
our own people, we obviate all objection on
the ground that this is an export duty in dis
guise.
The debate was continued by Mr.. Harding of
Illinois, who protested against the section as
it stands; by Mr.. Paine Of Wisconsin, who IA
vored the amendment without knowing it
himself apparently; by MIR. Stevens of Penn
sylvania, who said,-
1 agree with the gentleman from Maine Mr.
Lynch if you could fairly reach what he is at !;
that is, if he would make it ten cents, and then
withdraw the home duty so as to leave it on
the exported article, it would come to Just
what propose inmy constitutional amendment
which L sent to the committee the other day.
Think there never was grander time in the
world for the manufacturing of all the cotton
for the world wherever civilized man exists
An export duty of ten cents on cotton would
give to your home manufactures the markets
of the world That rs the true way to protect
home industry and to wrest from foreigners
revenue which shall pay off your national debt.
That is what ought to be done.
l suggest to the gentleman from Maine that
would go for an amendment of ten cents pro-
vided it was not liable to the objection as
gentleman here suggests, of chasing the old fell
low around the stump; for it is whipping the
devil around the stump, there is no mistake
Laughter.
Mr.. Lynch. No matter, if you can only hit
him. Laughter.
Mr.. Stevens. Now, as to the effect which
the gentleman from Illinois [Mr. Hardingl
speaks of, should be glad if this measure did
have that effect, if it did induce our people to
manufacture every dollars worth of the cot
ton we raise, and send it abroad in q manufac-
tured shape. [ should be glad if our institu-
tons and laws were so framed that in Illinois
there would be hundreds of thousands of spin
work of twenty million men should be planted
all over this country to do the work here, so as
to increase still further the necessity for labor
ing men and augment their wages.
My friend from Wisconsin Mr.. Panel says
that he wants to see the provision so fixed as to
favor the poor men who are clothed in cotton
Who makes the cotton? Who manufactures
it? Is it not the poor man? Why not so ar
range it that you can raise his wages? You
can do it by increasing the manufacturing in
terests of this country. When you have done
that, when you have given the laborer his wa
ges, he can afford to pay for what he consumes,
and when you have done that you will double
theprice of the products of Wisconsin and IL
linois; you will have a market at home for
your products and not have to send them abroad
to feed the laborer of Europe, But l do not
despair OF seeing the constitutional amendment
allowing an export duty on cotton passed be-
fore the close Of the session. Ii my friend from
Iowa Mr.. Wilson, will only report it back |
am sure we shall pass it, and that the country
will approve it, and then our country will be-
come the great hive of manufacturing industry
for all the civilized nations OF the world this side
of the Indies.