The New York herald., 1866-04-30
The Internal Revenue gfif.


We publish this morning all the alterations
which the amended Internal Revenre bill,
reported q few days since by the Com
mittee of Ways and Means of the lower
house of Congress, makes from the exist
ing law. The amendatory sections are in
many instances lengthy, and the bill voiu>
minous; but in q majority Of cases those
referring to the manner Of executing the law
are simply the same words and terms that
exist in the present law, shaken up, arranged
and put together in little diferont form. In
several instances It is distinction without
|. d'fferenoe. The sections providing for the
collection Of the tax On cotton are very nearly
the same as the bill recommended by the Re-
venue Commission some weeks since; While the
provisions in reference to licenses are not ma
terially changed, save In the amount required
to take out the several licenses enumerated.
An attempt has been made to mako the public
believe that the COMMITTEES has removed the
Objectionable feature in granting lottery
licenses, but the change does not really ameant
to anything.
As heretofore stated, there is reduction q
taxes o., good many articles, and large
number Of small items are exempt al
together. In this respect there is much'toi
commend as well as to condemn. We
cannot but believe that the committee hsvos
made serious mistake in levyipg so heavy .
tax on sugar, and reducing 1t SO largely ON,
Wall street speculation. We cannot UNDER
stand the policy Of placing large tax upon
an article which is necessary to every family I,
in the land, and at the same time placing I
merely a nominal tax on the luxury and specu-t
lations which are often injurious to the general
public, and only benefit comparatively few
men. The committee recommend that on sales
of merchaniis including dry goods Of all ]
kinds, a tax .shsIl be levied OF fire cents ON
every one hundred dollars, while the tax on
the sales Of stocks and bonds Is orIy two cents
for every one hundred dollars in sales. Why
this discrimination in favor OF sticks? What
is there in the business Of stock brokers that
makes it necessary that they should be thus
favoreds When we come 10 the item Of sugar
the favoritism for Wall street is all the more
apparent Sugars are TO be taxed fr ,m one to
two and half cents per pound. acc ordrg to
the quality, in addition to license tax of all
dealers. Every twenty-five or iBrsy cents in
vested In sugar is taxed two ard q half cents,
while dealer In stocks has 10 psy only two
cents on everY one hundred dollars in value.
II this discrimination was made for the benefit
Of the necessaries of life there coul6s be no
objection; but when IL is mfde agar 81 those
articles Of necessity to every family and in
favor OF the speculators-against Le many
for complaint We trust that Co nxress will
look into this afeir, ard CORE ,ct this ap-
parent Injustice Of the committee, before the
hill passes.
There are several modification In the bill
which will be approved by the ps lople and rem
der the amendatory Law more pc .pular than the
present Our people have patiently borne all
the burdens Of the present Law, feeling that
heavy tax has been required and that time
would modify the objection able features but
Congress viii nnd altogether a diferen. fcclius
| IL the people once become convinced that our
Lawmakers are inslined 10 so arrange the taxes
as 10 favor the syeculators instead IT The mass Of
the people The tax should nc so arranged
that all branches Of business thonld bear their
fair proportion. Whenever there Is TO be any
discrimination, II ct all, let II be in favor Of
those articles which every family must have.
and not for the benefit OF speculation, which Of
i,Self operates 10 increase the cost Of living 10
She people Our national Legislators cannos