The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-05

the consent of the Senate and they eli know that
matter Of facet there was no concurrence or
action between the President ami the senate. The
biil under consideration would At least remove thai
dt11culty. s e.mr
Mr. ALLISON, Prep, Of Iowa, another member Of
the Committee. He said he wished to present some
general views having reference to the pending mes
sure, also on the general subject OF raising revenue
after which he would present some statements hav-
GUIDED in the biL He said there were but few per
e Of Is $
political organization Of which he ID . member de-
nonnced all forms Of Republication - . national
crime, and believed that national honor and ma
tional faith required that the public debt should be
paid according to the letter and spirit Of the laws
with the resources Of the countrv could doubt our
ability to meet these national obligations and the ord
nary expenses incident to the government. The policy
reduce the taxes to the lowest limit consistent with
good faith and at the same time to reduce the ex-
o. 20 ss
would show that this purpose had been faithfully
carued out BY Congress from 1881 TO 1896. Taxes
Thirty Congress at its first session reduced the
taxation about sixty millions; at the second SEES
present session further reduction had taken place.
The largest amount ever collected In any one fiscal
year was during the year ending January 80, 1855,
under laws enacted while the war was In pro-
gress. The total revenue during that year
amounted to $685., 2,2oe in currency, which,
wsa . an sqsS non OF oana :
ordinary expenditures for the same year amounted
TO $780, $40 During the next year they amounted
ing nearly 10000 600 paid for bounties and the
penditures for the Indian war on the border, they
amounted to about ss7e 600 ooo AT the present SEES
dustry Of the country have been abolished Should
the effect OF the reduction OF the tax on manuiac
OF this reduction would inure to the consumers Of
products otherwise wholly to the manufacturers
ana especially OF those articles Which are also i'm
competition, in taking on the manufacturers tax,
should not take place, the effect would be to add
about ten per cent TO our duties on imports.
He would be glad to have a corresponding ADJUST
ment OF duties by revision OF the tariff. This how
ever was deemed impossible al the present session
OF Congress. The commercial reports showed that
the leading Industries OF the country In salts
factory condition. This was evidenced by the fact
that during this year, up to the present date,
coal had been sent to market than during any equal
period in any former year, and II the demand con-
tinued Pennsylvania alone would this year produce
million tons more than eyer before in any year.
SO with the article OF piV iron, which formed the
basis Of the iron manufacture OF the country. The
Iron Age informed that all the furnaces were ac-
lively employed and ad orders for two three
months IN advance. Indeed If the imports for the last
two years were analysed IL would be seen that
industries had been generally In prosperous con-
dton taking, for instance, the year 1868, II would
be found that out Of 1868 900 900 OF goods winch
duties were paid less than sos, ooOOo0 worth con
sisted OF articles OF luxury and $500 900, 900
worth were OF articles of comfort necessity. The
total value Of our products in 1886 was estimated at
81, 600 900 600, that the luXuries imported were
equal In value to only about per Of the pro-
ductiOn In our own country. Here the article OF
iron FURNISHED go"o Illustration; We manu-.
imported only fraction OF $il,0OO0OO in
value. IL had been the aim Of the committee.
Mr.. Allison said, in framing the measure now
pending, TO relieve, rs much as possible articles Of
necessity from in order lessen the cost t. the
consumer IL seemed 10 him they wond fail in the
discharge OF their whole duty II they imposed heavy
burdens upon these articles OF necessity, under our
tariff laws. Any increase OF the tariff would only
operate In circle, and to the ieriment OF the
labOrers Of the country. TO benefit the laborer the
price must be advanced. The labOrer could not be
benefited even though his Va ages were advanced,
because all experience showed that before such adj
vance the price OF all that he consumed would he
increased In greater ratio. What the iaborer most
desires, ami the manufacturer also, * con-
slant occupation and employment. This would
be effected not by frequent changes, bu,
by stability and pernanence in the legislation of
Congress; r., for example in New Engan,! labOrers
receiver an average o 81 rs per ton rs wages. while
In Pittsburg the same class Of aborers received 81
per ton. The former were constantly employed,
while the latter were employed at intervals. IL was
worth while to consider whether manufacturing
Industries were more prosperous TODAY than they
were In 1860 under tarln imposed for revenue pur-
poses only. The b under consideration Ia yed most
heavily the articles OF distilled spirits &c regarded
IN this country as articles Of luxury. MIR. Nilsson
said he hoped the chairman Of the COMMITTEE OF
Ways and Means would realize all that he antici-
pated by placing the extraordinary power proposed
IN this bin in the hands OF the Commits
siOner OF Internal Revenue. but IL should
not he forgotten that nearly all the vast
army That was now engaged noininaily in the cOlec-
ton of revenue, were engaged in plunderng only.
The assessors and collectors were appointed by the
President by and with the advice and OF the
Senate. Revenue agents. revenue inspectors. special
agents and inspectors of distilled spirits and TO-
bacco were all now appointed by anu were under
the absolute control OF the secretary oi the Treas
ury: and yet AZ is true The enormous frauds com
United on the revenue were known 10 il not faciita-
ted BY this class OF apponees. Mr. Allison expressed
the belief that there was no for these
evils ~ long the present executive remained in
office for IL certainly was true that either with or
without his knowledge, the worst class OF men
filling these places. These frauds were chiefly
rnilied In the large cities aud IN connection with the
collection or the distilled spirits and tobacco
IL might be that II was impossible TO collect q nigh
tax upon whiskey rs q tax ranging from six hun
dred to seven hundred per cent upon the cost OF the
article WAS always difficult 10 collect To know the
extent of these frauds in the collection OF the tax
they should know the amount OF consumption IN
this country per annnn, which he estimated NJ not
more than seyenty-dve million gallons. Although
the census OF 1850 showed n total product OF
ninety-three million gallons, u should not he for
gotten that nj least thirty million gallons
were then consumed In the manufacture OF
bu rning nud alone, which was now entirely OUT ~
use" The price Of alcohol then forty cents per
gallon, and was largely consumed for Industrial,
medicinal and domestic purposes. which consnnlp-
ZION was nearly susptn ied by the increased price.
Ia Canada the consumption was less than one and q
quarter gallons per capita; in Nova Scotia one and
lhree-eiehfh gallons; ~ New brunswick one and
lhree-fourth gallons, and IN Great Britain only about
lhrse-ioufths Of n gallon. II must lie remembered
however, that Great britain ~ beer consuming
country. The reports al the last year showed con-
sumption of twenty -tlrse millions Of barrels, or
about seven-teDiis OF barrel To- each person the
ntcd Kingdom. or consumption ~ spirits In form
Di beer equal otwo aud sevcntOtcnts galonsi0r each
person, which would make atoiai consumption in the
United Kingdom Of three and fOuf.ienils imperial gal
ons Tor each person, pnr and fwOtiirds American
PROOF gallons. The population Of that country, how
EVER was chiefly industrial and congregate, large
titles and towns and Their climate, az we'll their 4
favored excessive drinking while the |
oi this country was scattered over MANY
millions. 0I miles and III a great degree rural aud 4
therefore (Mr. Allison Said) he concluded that fair
estimate 81 consumption IN this country would I've
ess than half thai OF Great Britain or about two /
yalons for each person, including the consumption
,f beer IN this country reduced 10 spirits. Taking
twenty-five million gallons a fair estimate OF con-
uinption, aud the returns Of the year 1851 show
ng the amount OF distilled spirits paying The tax there
Would appear 10 be an Illicit production OF sixty |
Millions OF gallons for that year, or 20 the
e,enue OF <12oJo0,0 0o three-fourths Of which must
lave passed into the hands OF the Illicit producers ~
his article, and OF the revenue officers aud Others
n coilusi0D with them. The Illicit production IL
hieny from cane molasses imported from abroad
s IN evident from the fact that the importation Of
nOasses had hugely increased within the last few