, 1866-06-06

compelled Congress to devise system Of in
ternal revenue, the recommendations OF the
committee met with opposition, wherever
they were at variance with the personal H.
terests Of members or With the interests Of
their respective constituents. The fact that
the return Of peace and the consequent re-
duced financial wants Of The Government,
warranted reduction Of the burden Of Fed
eral taxation In the opinion Of the treasury
authorities and of the Committee Of Ways
and Means, to tho amount of scventy-flye
millions, seemed to operate az spur upon
meu,bers to try their utmost to secure to
those objects of taxation, in which they OF
their constituents were specially concerned,
the greatest reliet from the proposed reduc~
tion either by total exemption or diminished
rates Of duty. This was clearly developed In
tie course Of the consideration of the bill.
There were continuous efforts to defeat the
,commeudatfons Of the committee for reduc-
tions On and exemptions If certain articles,
in order to obtain exemptions and reductions
on others. The attempts constituted the
salient points Of the discussion, alone calling
for special notice In review OF the delibesa-
tIons upon the bill.
The order Of arrangement Of the provis-
ton OF the committee for tax Of aye per
cent per pound on cotton. Contrary to e1-
pectation, there was but little opposition to
/. IRON tbs Democratic side, nor was there
anything like determined effort to defeat 1t
made from any other quarter. Some Of the
New England meuaeers tried to have the pro-
po+ed tax reduced, but did not very persist
emily insist upon = reduction. Several West
ern members endearotsd to have the provis.
ion allowing drawback on exported cotton
stricken oui, but failed very decidedly. The
next subject. bringing on cross-dra Of
amendments aud counter-anendmeuts, was
the proposed license tax Of ten dollars on
miners California and Pennsylvania mem-
bers united in strenuous Efforts to hare the
proyislon stricken out, and carried their
point, after considerable debate, In the Cou,-
uit1ee Of the Whole, but the House refused
to accept the amendment adopted In the
committee. and Toted by respectable major
ity to retain the original provision.
The next point Of controversy was mo-
tion of ir. SttTens to exempt fouFneymen
c,sarmakcrs from the requirement Of keep
Ing IN account of all the cigars made By
them, TO be rendered monthly to the assist
ant assessor. The Chairman OF the Wars
md Means Committee opposed this amend.
n.ent very earnestly, hut failed to prevent Its
afterwards succeeded In obtaining separate
vote upon 1t In the House, which, however,
did not reverse the action Of the committee,
A very lively denate ensued upon motion
OF hr. Allison, Of Iowa, TO exempt from tax
alton the products OF small manufacturers Of
per aup1n, and to tax those whose products
DO not exceed three Thousand dollars per an-
num only IN one thousand. Mr. Morrill, re-
sisted the motion, but 1t prevailed, and no
attempt was subsequently, made In the House
to'hare 1t lejccted.
4 very animated discussion arose In con-
nection with the proposed taxes on the pro-
was first made to the graduation of taxes,
according to the amount produced by gas
companies, hut did not prevail. Mr.. Stevens
next moved to strike out the provision dlloW-
Ing gas companies TO add The amouHt Of the
tax 10 the price per thousand feel sold. This
the WhUle. Tho attempt of the Chairman OF
the Ways and Means Committee to defeat It
By q separate vote In the House also niscar-
ried.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Wilson Of
Iowa, the intent of which was to exempt reap
ers, mowers, thrashins machines, cornshellers
and wooden ware from the three per cent tax
ard place them On the free list, was strongly
opposed by memtcrs Of The Ways and Means
Committee, but carried ln the Committee Of
Whole and in the House by decisiFe ma
iority.
The motion Of Mr. Stevens to strike out
the provision for Eve cents tax per gal
Ion on wines gave rise to m extended de-
bate. The California members stroye very
hard for its Success, but 1t could not be car
RED. Equally unsuccessful were efforts to
defeat the provisions of the bill relative to
the tax on boots and shoes. Mr.. Randall,
Of Pennsylvania, first moved m amend
boots aud ehoenakera to the amount
Of 1900, instead Of $1,000 as proposed by
the bill. Mr.. Alley, of Massachusetts, "a large
leather dealer, by the way,) nored another,
making the tax ona instead Of two per cent.
Both amendments were lost.
Mr. McIluer, Of California, made an at
tempt to have the provision, laying tax Of
one per cent ad tusortna on bullion in leaf,
inEot, bar or otherwise, stricken ont, but
laiicd. During the whole discussion the
California members distinguished themselves
By Offering and pressing amendments Intend
ed to relieve the people OF their State at the
rxpcnee Of the tax-paytng community at
large. , ,
tiors upon tue bill, ssaa Tie debate. called
forth bT amendments to the provisions ot
the bill in regard to the ta1 Oh smoking
tabacco and cigars, offered By Mr.. schcnk.
His Grst amendment was to reduce the pro-
posed Uniform tar Of twenty cents per pound
On smoking tobacco to ten cents aud hts
second to adopt graduated tax, instead oi
the proposed uniform one on cigars. In the
proiracted and earnest discussion that ensuetl
upon this question, Messrs. Schenck and
Lawrence. q Ohio, Harding, Of Kentucky,
Paine and Stevens, on tue one side and
Messrs. Morrill,, Hubbard and Deming, OF
Connecticut, and other Eastern members on
the other participated: It was really q
struggle between The tobacco.growers OF tho
Wesi and Of the East. Both amendments pre-
vailed in the Committee Of the Whole, but
in the House, owing to the earnest pleading
of Sr. Morrill,. that reducing the tar On
smoking tobacco was rejected. Mr. schenck's
amendment relative to cigars, WIS, however
adopted BY the House. It Is as follows:
~ On ctearestes, or small cigars, made Of tobacco
Enclosed In a WRAPPER OF binder, and MOI oye1
tttree apd half Inches IN length and on clgaft
made With twisted beads, and on eheroots, aut
s.ou cfkarr known short tszc., the market va!1t
p[ whica IL no, over eight dollars PIT thonaand
sx o. o aoas5 pr x.,ss Ua M o Ish 15ns
"ls orcr eight dollars and not over l"else ao61!
per thoufand tar Of four dollars per thousand
on sll othcs S'Eals n5d cgaes; da{ q toa o.
'cen! Gd pGtortm On the. va!ae beyond
"tweye dollars per Thousand. 10 be assrase:
on tncscess beyond :we;fe dolat pef 'aoasa1q nous r.
| income tax, rs had been anticipated. Th'
amendment Of Ms. Pike, aiming At tue reten
tiou of the present tax Of ten per cent OF
yearly incomes above five thousand dollars
| evoked yivacious debate of considerable
length, In which Aessrs. spalding, Sloan ant
| and Davis opposed Mr. Pixies motion. Alr
Ross Of Illinois, tried his hand at demagoEue
| ism. by moving an amendment providing
| graduated tax on incomes above SIC, ,0o0
| rapging from ten to twenty-five per cent.
| but failed, rs expected and desired by him
Mr. Pixies amendment vas adopted hy larg
| majority. In connection With the same sub
| 1ecr debate arose upon motion Of MI
| Garfield, the intent Of which, wns to preyen
| The publication of the lists oftncomes subjcc
| to ta1ation In the newspapers. lis mouo
| was successful in The Committee Of the Whole
| but the House refused to adopt 1t, and so th
law stands unchanged IN this respect. =.
provision OF the bill for the appointment Q
separate inspectors for each distillery at th
| cxIwnse OF disti1lcrs, in accordance Elth III
TfcoYnmcndatious Of tie internal ,ReTenu
Commission, based npon the complete s1t
cess Of q similar mode Of supervision u "a
English excise syteH1. Harding, Of heatuek! !;
demonstrated most violently against IT On To
ground that 1t would crush out the sma
manufacturers Of whIskcy. But tho Commt
tee of the Whole seemed to consider n
objection q good reason for adopting the pr
vision, and rejected his amendment to ssraA
It out
proyi.Ion Of the bill, allowing railroads
charee their internal revenue tax to paasel
ecrs, called forth the opposition Of Mr: Morri
and other members; but It Tas carried, and q
| amendment to his amendment, alowlr
Aorse railroads to charge the tax ,rejecte'
Nir. Fa1usworth did his best toward the clio
OF lhe consideration Of the blu to carry 4
amcndmen& giving the President the pow
10 anpoint ali reYcnuc officers with the a
vice and consent Of the Senate, and prohib!
| inr him from removing any revenue otttc