Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-28
VOL XX---No. l24.

Mr. STEVENS thought it would be muc
better to let horse railroad companies hay
their charters amended, so that they shoul
charge what might be thought right rathe
than let them add a tax.
Mr.. DODGE also opposed the amendnen
instancing the oppressive management
the horse railroads in New York city.
Mr.. DAVIS spoke in favor of the amend
ment and in defence Of the horse railroa
companies.
The debate ceased upon the paragraph
and the amendment of Mr.. Hotchkiss wa
rejected. & -,-1,3
Mr.. LYNCH offered an amendment ex
emphng from the tax on horse railroad
cities whose population does not exceed tn
sum Of 10000, which was rejected.
The second section, which had been pass
ed over Informally Yesterday, was amended
in some particulars, the only important al
/ teration, however, OF it being striking ou
the word alcohol" from the sentence pro
hibiting the still to be used where lseei
beer, &C., is made. -
While the sections relating to distiIleriei
was under consideration Mr.. C0NKLIN6
stated as matter Of Justice to Mr. Winfield
that that gentleman had exerted himself il
the Committee on Ways and Means to pro-
tect the interests of small distilleries OF
apple jack, and was only prevented from
renewing these great efforts in the House
by illness, which confined him to his room.
An additional section was inserted as
section sixty-thrce, requiring every officer
of internal revenue, whose payment snail
be derived in whole or in part from fees on
commissions, to render statement under
cath Of the entire amount Of such fees and
commissions; any falsehood in such state
ment TO be deemed wilful perjury.
I The araUraDh renaalI0U the aaaffor, of
the existing law was amended so as to make
it take effect the 14th Of September, 1856.
Blanks for salaries were filed as follows
Commissioner of Internal Revenue, s., 900;
Deputy Commissioner, s., 900; Cashier, S3,-
600; two Deputy Commissioners, s., 900;
Solicitor, $4,000; several Heads Of Divis-
ions, $500. The salary of the Special
Commissioner was changed from 81 600 to
s., 600. -
Mr.. WILSON, of Iowa, by instruction
from the Judiciary Committee, offered sew
eral additional sections to regulate legal
proceedings under the act. Adopted.
Mr.. STEVENS, of Pa, moved to amend
the 65th section by striking out the words
''the Secretary of the Treasury is hereby
authorized to appoint an officer in his de-
partment who shall be STYLED Commission
err" &C., and inserting in lieu Of them
Congress by concurrent action shall elect
q special commissioner" .--
Mr.. STEVENS said: l am for doing away
with giving patronage to the Secretary Of
the Treasury where it can be avoided. He
has already said he will appoint no one to
office who viii not sustain the policy of the
President; he this morning distinctly so
informed member of the House who called
upon him for an appointment. He asked
him whether the antecedents Of the appli-
cants were in favor of the Presidents poll
cy, and when he declined answering him
he said 81 cannot him appoint and will
appoint no man who does not support the
policy of the President" The Secretary
then referred to an aspostate Senator from
that region, and said, Il will consult him
when l make the appointment and will ap-
point nobody not recommended by him."
1t is, therefore, for this House TO let the
people Of the country know whether officers
are TO be sacrificed TO this determination Of
the subordinstes Of the President If we
dc not stand by them they will not stand
by Us, and they ought not. 1t is time we
built up a wall against such tyranny as
this. IL is malfeasance in Office I have
already aseertsined that four of the sub
ordinates of the President have made the
same declaration. If were little younger,
and shall be in week! think I would let
those officers know that this is grand in
quest of the nation, before which men who
are guilty in Office shall be brought and
their cases presented to another tribunal to
try them. Excitement. A Yoice-Good.l
SIR, we are recreant to our own interests, TO
our own dignity and to the interests Of the
country if we don't stand by those who
stand by US. We must look to it that no
more patronage shall be put into the hands
of any man to be abused, avowedly
abused. 1t is time we spoke and let our
friends abroad know that they are in no
danger; that they shall not be sacrificed
because they stand by Congress and because
they are not the tools Of recreant Presi-
dent. [Great excitement] have authen-
tic information that this very day this
course has been taken by the Secretary of
the Treasury, and he has declared distinct
ly that in the State of Pennsylvania he will
consult nobody but recresnt apostate Sem
ator, who has betrayed his party and his
country. [Excitement.]
Mr.. Stevens was understood as referring
to Senator Cowan.
Mr.. SPALDING inquired whether the
gentleman from Pennsylvania was going to
urge his amendment seriously.
Mr.. STEVENS declared he was
Mr.. SPALDING replied he would seri-
ously oppose it.
s. Mr.. MORRILL, suggested that the gentle
man from Pennsylvania had accomplished
his purpose N making his speech.
Mr.. HALE called the attention of the
committee to the constitutional objections to
the proposed amendment, though he did
not know that they would have any weight
with the distinguished gentleman from
Pennsylvania. The only powers that the
Constitution recognized as capable of haY-
ing the power Of appointment were the
President and the Senate; the President
alone and the courts of law, or the heads of
the departments
Mr.. STEVENS argued that the position
of special commissioner was not an office in
that sense. Congress could depute a COM
mittee of its own body or any person se-
lected by it to perform the duties imposed
upon the special commission. He repeated
that the Secretary Of the Treasury had
assumed to regulate that patronage by
politics and not by what was connected
with the interests of finance. He was
prostituting his office 10 unholy purposes
and it was time to put E stop to that state Of
things.
Mr.. DELANo exposed the weakness of
the position in reference to the special COM
missioner not being an officer by quoting
the language Of the section itself, and asked
what had the Secretary Of ths Treasury
done to deserve such areproach or to pro-
woke such an attack. Was the Secretary
slave and not entitled to entertain his own
opinion Was he to be denounced because
he entertained opinions different from his
in regard to reconstruction
Mr.. STEVENS-I don't denounce him
for entertaining any such opinions. de-
nounee him for prostituting the patronage
of the Government, to make all opinions to
bend to his. M
Mr.. DELANO asked for the authority on
which he made his statement and inti-
mated that the Secretary had made no such
declaration.
Mr.. STEVENS repeated substantially his
statement, but declined to give the name of
his informant.
Mr. BLAINE moved to amend the sec
tion by giving the President the power to
appoint the officer in question, by and with
the consent of the Senate.
The House then closed the debate upon |
the section and amendments, when Mr..
Blaine withdrew his amendment, and Mr. |
Stevens, aseertaining there was no quorum |
present and that there was majority |
against him withdrew his amendments |
Several amendments, offered in the same |
were Withdrawn under the same |
with the understanding that |
that they might be offered in the House on |
Monday. Notwithstanding all these com |
promises, however, the committee rose |
without reporting back the bill.
After placing the Special Commissioners |
salary at s., 600, at FIVE o'clock the House |
adjourned. 80.