The national Republican., 1867-02-23

was OueTeu Is hn hmeuumtut W tne Dtnhto pih |
upon the same subject.
Mr.. D.iano, Of Ohio, said there were three prOpo.
sitions now before the House. One was the Senate |
bill which purposed TO give to each contractor ~
per cent. upon the contract price, and this would
open the door for the preferment Of claims by all
contractors under the Government, and the attempt
to meet all these demands would bankrupt the
Government. The report Of the majority Of the
Committee purposed to rcfer the whole subject to
the Navy Department for investigation, and which
was the only equitable way In which adjustment
could be made and then there was the report Of
the minority Of the Committee, which directs the
Secretary Of tho Treasury to pay the contractors
tho actual cost incurred over the contract price,
but no allowance Is to be made by reason Of In.
crease Of prices Of labor and material.
After the main question had been ordered on the
bill and pending amendments Mr.. John L. Thomas
asked, but was refused, leave to have the name Of
Newman Hunt, Of Baltimore, inserted among the
claimants.
Mr.. Glossbrenner, of Pennsylvania, moved to lay
the bill and pending amendments upon the table.
Rejected-yeas AZ, nays 100.
Tho question was then taken upon the report Of
the minority Of the committee, and II was not
agreed to. \
The bill was passed by a vote of los yeas to AZ
nays.
On motion Of Mr.. ChanlOr, Of N. Y, the Com
mitteo Of Ways and Means was directed to inquire
into the expedienoy of reporting bill for the es
tablishment Of a National Academy Of Science.
On motion Of Mr.. Hooper, the House resolved
itself into Committee Of the Whole the tax bill.
Mr.. Blaine, Of Maine, moved to amend by pro.
yiso that and after Sept. !, 1867, no tax shall
be levied or collected upon cotton grown in the
United States. He said tax upon raw cotton was
the most egregious blunder Before the war We had
q monopoly Of this article, and during the war
other cottongrowing countries had stepped In, and
yet We continue to impose tax which Is utterly
ruinous. Ifthe tax were taken of to-day, there
would be n great stimulus to cotton culture, and
those who desired TO come back to specie payments
should take this initial step. policy which i'm
poses tax upon so great branch Of industry was
a bad policy.
Tho amendment was adopted on a vote by tollcrs
yeas SO, nays 81
On motion Of Mr.. Farquhar of Ind, patent
fences made Of wood were placed on the free list
On motion Of Mr.. Hooper, Of Mass, steam loco
motives were stricken from the free list.
On motion Of Mr.. Conkling, of N. Y, straw
| wrapping paper was added to tho free list.
On motion Of Mr.. Hooper, stove polish, and other
manufactures exclusively Of lumbago, was added to
the free list; and on motion Of Mr.. Mercur, stamp
machines and potato diggers wero added.
On motion Of Mr.. Ferry, Of Mich, log, siding,
and shngle machines were added to free list.
On motion of Mr.. Bergen, of MY wagons, carts,
and drays used for farming, frcghting, and lumber
purposes were made exempt from tax with regard
to cost THE present law exempts only those
| valued at less than 5000.
On motion Of Mr.. Kelley, Of Pa, all fabrics whom
produced by hand.lOOm added to the free list
On motion Of Mr.. Hooper dyeing, redyeing, and
reprinting Of cloths and other articles, except in
process Of manufacture, and tailors' gooses were
| added to free list.
On motion of Mr. COnkling, zinc washboards
were added to the exempted list.
On motion of Mr.. Hubbard, Of Conn, wooden
door. knobs were added.
On motion of Mr.. Hill, of Ind, beo.hivcs werO
added
Mr.. Darling Of N. Y, moved to add sewing ma
chimes to tho free list He argued that the imposi-
-. ~ H..
women and not upon the mani nufacturorj and that It
was the person who used the sewing machine that
suffered.
Mr.. Dodge, of N. Y, moved to amend by OF.
J empting the machines selling for less than 500.
The proposition was rejected.
Mr.. Deming, Of Conn, moved to amend by add.
ing q section providing for the removal Of the
tax Of u per cent. on the gross receipts on pre-
miums Of fire insurance companies. Mr.. D. stated
that FIRE insurance companies were already heavily
taxed. Tho stamps used on their papers amounted
to per cent. Of the gross receipts from premiums,
J besides paying tax Of per cent. on dividends.
Tho appointment was not agreed to.
} Mr.. Baker, Of Illinois, moved to amend the sec.
tion relating to income by imposing tax Of per
centum on amount of income over 81, 900. and moi
exceeding SO, 900, and 10 per cent. on incomes il
excess Of SO, 000
=. Mr.. Baker urged the adoption Of his amendment
D Mr.. Garfield Of Ohio, doubted the legality oi
8 constitutionality Of fixing more than one rate o.
taxation upon incomes. He doubted the authority
0 to make one man pay more than another because
J. be happened to have the money, and he believed
9 the existing modes of taxing incomes was unjust.
Tho amendment was not agreed to.
Mr. Garfield, of Ohio, moved that the committe,
rise for the purpose of terminating all debate upoI
the entire bill.
n After the Speaker had resumed the chair
# Mr.. Hooper moved that the House again go int
Committee Of the Whole on the tax bill; and, pend
ing that motion, he moved that all debate upon tn
bill be terminated, but that II bo amendable with
a out debate. He said this was necessary If 1t wa
% proposed to complete the bill this session.
The proposition excited much opposition, and tn
House refused to suspend the rules for the purpos
}. Of cutting off debate.
,. The House then again resolved itself into Com
IS mittee Of the Whole on the tax bill
Mr.. Hill, Of Ind, moved to amend the clause re
a latng to incomes by ma king the tax per cent. o.
10 incomes 81, 900 and under IS, OOOi a tax of
per cent over 81, 900 and under $40 900; and ta
Is Of 10 Ter cent. on all incomes over $40, 900.
r. Mr. Wilson, Of Iowa, moved to amend the amend
ment by making the tax on all incomes over So 0O
;. at the rate of per cent. Disagreed to.
l. Mr.. Hills amendment was not agreed to.
l. At 4:SO p m. the House took q recess until 1880
EVENING SESSION.
e On motion of Mr.. Eliot, of Mass, the bill amend
atory of the act the better to provide for the sae
of tho lives Of passengers on vessels propelled who'll
or in part by steam, was then taken from tn
10 Speakers table and passed.
!, Mr.. Ancona, of Pa, from the committee Of con
% ference the disagreeng votes Of the two House
upon the bill for the relief Of certain drafted men
}, made report which conourred in.
The Senate recedes from its amendment.
Mr.. Pike, Of Maine, from the select committe
on the murder Of Union soldiers in South Carolina
Z. submitted a report which was ordered to
e printed
10 On motion Of Mr. Wilson, of Iowa, the Hous
C. proceeded to tho consideration Of the bill declarln
valid and conclusive certain acts and proclamation
% Of the President made during the war
The bill legaliEes all acts OF military commission
|. during the war and in advance exonerates officer
% of the army from punishment for any acts done b
% theHA In arguing in favor of the bill, Mr.. Wilso
D. said he saw no reason why the bill should not b
If passed. The objection he held, did not exist /
r. the decision Of the majority Of the Supreme Cour
/. in the Migan case. In the course Of his remark
E. be said that decision was greater assault upo
q the Sovereignty of this Government, and q NOR
perfect ignomy of the power Of Congress, than tn
famous bred Scott decision had done. Mr. Wilso
Df acknowledged that this bill would remove all II
Ds view of these cases from the civil courts.
10 Tho committee refer to the testimony of Gent
m Sckles, Wood, Baird and others, and sum up wit
three conclusions: LIST. That for the punishment {
II crime In that department tho courts are not to
relied upon in cases where soldiers, Union men an
d freedmen are concerned Justice Is practically de
MED and offences Of the most grieyous character 6
| al do nj