The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-08

Btlls-.Ia1 on DihIllleu Splr1ts---Nh-
giDia on Re-ConstruetIOn-Th Anti |
Contraction Vote I'm the House.
WAsHISGToN. Feb. 9th, 1867.
WEST VIRGINIA CoMPLIMENTED.
Mr.. Trumbull, from the Committee
on the Judiciary, reported bill pro-
viding that the act authorizing the pay
ment of certain demands for Quarter
Masters stores and subsistence sup
plies furnished to the United States,
shall not be construed to authorize the
settlement of claims for stores taken or
furnished for the use of the armies, nor
for the use, or injury to real estate, or
personal property by military authori-
ty, or troops OF the United States,
where The claim originated during the
rebellion, in any State declared in in
surrectIon by the proclamation of July
l, 1862, excepting 10 the loyal citizens of
the States of West Virginia and Ten
nessee.
.H-.--L THE BANKRUPT BILL.
The Bankrupt Bill will certainly pass
the Senate on the motion of Mr.. Will
son to reconsider. The vote stood origi-
nally tie-2l to 81. Mr.. Harris then
changed his vote to a negative, for the
purpose of reconsidering, which left it
20 yeas to % nays. nSr. Wilson enter
ed the motion to reconsider, which as
sures % ayes TO 20 nays. There were
several absentees, a majority of whom
are in favor of the bill, and will vote
for it on its reconsideration.
TAX on DISTILLED SPIRITS.
Special Commissioner Wells appear
ed before the Ways and Means Com
mittee to-day, and urged the adoption
OF that feature of his report which re-
commended the reduction OF tax on
distilled spirits to one dollar per gall
| lon. He contended that there would
be less fraud with "A reduced tax, and
| consequent increase of the revenue.
| The Commissioner of the Internal
Revenue Bureau, Rollins, was on hand,
and replied to Mr.. Wells argument,
and maintained that the frauds in the
manufacture of whisky at one dollar
! per gallon would be as great as they
| are at present. He declared that even
at fifty cents per gallon there would be
| great inducement for fraud. He was
| utterly opposed to any reduction, and
the committee were undoubtedly OF that
| view.
VIRGINIA ON RECONSTRUCTION.
Ricmond papers of to-day do not de-
| nounce the reconstruction proposition
agreed on by the Administration and
the Southern Governors, but invite its
consideration by the people ofthat State.
/ The Enquirer says: "Our situation is
too grave and critical for violent Ian
guage or rash counsels. We think more
than ever that no time should De lost
in dispatching trustworthy persons to
| Washington to confer with the proper
authorities and advise us instead of
leaving matters to drift or fall into the
hands, it may be, of the ignorant, the
| facile, the designing or the treacherous
of the sons of the South. We nre not
of those who would reject any and every
plan of pacitication, preferring to drift
on without chart or. compass, trusting
to luck for u propitiOuS result. There
| thnGp
schemes of settlement, reckless of the
ruin that may follow an obstinate and
impracticable course. Such is not our
temper, or such is not the temper or
judgment of the Southern people, as is
evidenced by the concessions to which
they have submitted in the expectation
that they would avail"
CONTRACTION OF THE CURRENCY.
+ The anti-contraction movement was
fully developed in the House to-day,
and proved to possess greater strength
than even its friends believed it to pos
sess. For several weeks n resolution
has been in the pocket of Mr.. Wilson
} of Iowa, waiting for the regular call Of
J his State for resolutions which call oc.
ours on Mondays, having for its object
the expression of the opinion of the
House that further contraction of the
greenbacks would be injurious to the
} business of the country, and that the
!
compound interest notes, should no
be more than S4,OOO,OO0 per month
This resolution was offered in regular
} order and the previous question de
manded on its passage, which was los
g on division by ayes 40, noes 76. Thi:
vote opened the eyes of the friends of thi
measure to the fact thatt hey had eitbe
over-estimated their strength, or tina
they were not awake to the Importance
! of the subject. Resolutions from lows
M In r. Drin nft
5 State, soon got the floor and Offered
: another of wider scope but OF simila
: character. The previous question OF
e this was lost by barely one majority
The contractionists took courage, anC
o resolutions from Iowa being still
r handed to Mr.. Grinnell, o
e Iowa, u resolution expressive O
the sense of the House that the furthe
: contraction of the greenbacks is injuri
It Gus to the interests of the country, an
Z, that the Ways and Means Committe
C be instructed to report bill putting a.
end to the present rate of contraction
g The House had now become YER
= busy scene of earnest canyassing, an
n on the demand for the previous ques
2, ton, the friends of the resolution fOun
l. themselves In a majority of g. MI
J. Morrill,, of Vermont, Chairman of th
'r Ways and Means COMMITTEES, the
), made test question by moving to la
d the resolution on the fable, which wa
l. lost-ayes 20, noes 50. 1t thus becam
g. evident that the resolution was boun
Ir to, pass, as its friends had reinforce
is their ranks with great yigor, there bt
e ing several converts to the proposition
d While the vote was going on, on o
IN dering the main question to bel put, I'll
lie ayes were 81 and the noes 81, giving Il
Id anti-contractionistsa clear majority
20. An analysis of the vote will shO
that it was carried by the Wester
States, which voted almost solidly f.
the proposition. There was consider
ne BILE feeling among Western membe
on the subject, and during the votir
ia some of them were urging their Easter
friends to vote for il with this arg
a ment: ''If New England, New Yol
et and Pennsylvania don't help US on thi
r. Wen give them Hail Columbia on the
yrhan nnp1aS in ~