New-York tribune., 1868-06-16
WASHINGTON.


MR.. EVARTs FOR ATTORNEY -GENERAL-rlIE
EMBASSY-sAULSBURY ON CHASE-SURRATT'
WASHINGTON Monday, June 49, 1868.
The Senate, to-day after protracted discussion,
passed the bill for the relief of certain naval con-
tractors after which the special ORDER the bill sup
Elementary to an act to provide national currency
and for the circulation and redemption thereof, was
taken up The question being on the amendment by
Mr.. Morrill, of Vt, which reads And on the issue
of any increase of the national currency provided for
in this section the Secretary of the Treasury is au-
thorized and required to permanently withdraw an
equal amount of United States notes" Then fol-
lowed tedious debate which lasted until 81
o'clock. The whole subject of finance, specie
payments and imitation was handled from almost as
many different standpOnts as there were speakers
Senators Cole Conklin, Morton and FesSenden made
tho principal speeches Mr. Mouill's amendment was
rejected by twenty-seven TO sixteen. The vote was
about to be taken on the bil when Garrett Davis Of
fered another amendment and threatened to make
speech. ThereupOnthe Senate adjourned.
The proceedings in the House. to-day, were indeed
interesting and at times very exciting The trst
measure that was considered was Indiana Wash
burns bill to give to clerks 90 per cent addl-
tiona compensation from June ], 1867, to June 81,
1865 The bin is very liberal and sweeping. and
takes from the Treasury of the United States the
neat little sum of 100000 In anticipation OF
action on the BILL to-day, the clerks Of both sexes
thronged the galleries to the number of at least 5O
Before the House met many of them were
on the floor lobbying among friendly
members No particular fight was made as the
House was acting under the operation of the previous
ouestion. and no debate was allowed. The bill is so
loose i'm its provisions that several members wished
10 amend: but its friends, apprehensive of defeat
would listen to no appeal. A motion to table the
bill was voted down by 81 Yeas to "a Nays. 1t was
then passed and when the announcement OF ITS pas
sage was made by the Speaker the host OF over
worked and suffering clerks. who filed the galleries
broke forth in rounds of applause. The Democrats
with two OF three exceptions voted for the bill Mr.
Bingham voted with the majority for the purpose OF
moving reconsideration, which he did just before
the House adjourned. Many members are absent
and il is thought that when full House can be Sc
cured, to-day's action can be reversed
The most important feature of the days proceed
incs in the House was the defeat of the Tax BILL
Ever since the bill was first reported from the
Committee, growing desire has been manifested by
n number of Republicans to postpone the bill, and
pass an amendatory bill including whisky and
tobacco only Mr.. Butler made the first movement
against the bill some days ago, and was beaten py
what was thought a decisive majority; but
since then a number of members have returned
from home and together with the Democrats to-day,
they recommitted the bill to the Committee, and
ordered the Committee to report an amendatory bill,
including only distilled spirits and tobacco. MI
Schenck and the Ways and Means Committee made
a gallant fight, but all TO no purpose. At first,
those IN favor of postponing wanted TO
choke off debate. and it was only after the
friends of the bill threatened to flibuster that an
hours debate was allowed, so minutes being gvento
each side Mr. Schenck led off, and for 25 minutes
commanded the attention of the House. He made
forcible urgument and appealedtO the better Judg-
ment of careless Members. Mr. Butler replied, not In
argument but more in rdicue. and on the final vote
the Yeas stood 75 and Nays GO. Immediately after
ward a resolution passed providing for suspen'
sion of all other business when the amendatoTy tax
bill is reported, and that alone shall be con-
sidered until disposed of. The opinion is
expressed among prominent Republicans that
Repnblican members of Congress can hardly have
considered the full extent of the mischief which they
were doing by refusing to act on Gen. Schencks Tax
bill The bill from the Committee OF Ways and
Means was a unit. 1t embodied system. While 1t
relieved industrial pursuits, it also equaized taxa
tion The House had already agreed to the prOvi-
sions increasing the taxes any business on lotte
ries on theaters, banks and on brokers' sales,
bringing the National Banks under the same measure
of taxation as other banks making wholesale dealers
contribute the same on their sales manufacturers
without oppression to any interest added millions to
the revenue. But all this has been stricken down
and abandoned 1t is not likely thai the partial and
crippled legislation proposed will produce the reve-
nne required to meet the expenditures and sustain
the credit of the country
The House Committee on Roads and Canals has re-
ported bill creating certain gentlemen into body
corporate by the name Of the Washington and Penn
sylyania Railroad Company, authorized to construct
road between the city of Washington and the
Schulkill River in Schuylkll County, Penn running
by Brookville and Hoods Mills to the Northern Cen
tral Railroad and thence by way of Marietta, Leb-
anon and Pine Grove. The capital stock of the
Company shall be $5OOOOOO 100000 shares of $50
each As soon as $2JOOOO shall have been subscribed
10 the capital stock and 10 per cent Of the paid
ill., the stockholders to meet and elect 13 Direct
Ors who shall hold Office one year. The Company is
empowered to connect with the North Central Rail
road at the point where that road crosses the
line between Maryland and Pennsylvania, and is
authorized TO purchase lease such property may
be necessary for the construction Of the road. The
other provisions Of the act are purely technical.
deputation of distillers from Kentucky, Illinois,
Ohio, and Indiana are here, urging upon the Ways
and Means Committee the reduction of the tax on
whisky 10 sixty cents per gallon These men repre-
sent several millions of dollars, and have hand
large amount of whisky which they have been una
ble to sell, owing TO the frauds that have been
petrated and to illicit distilatOn. They are willing
10 guarantee that the Government shall receive from
their section alone more tax in three months than
they thus far have received from the whole United
States the past current year They show by facts
and figures presented to the Committee that while
the tax whisky sixty cents per gallon in 1864,
the Government collected in five months about fifteen
million Of dollars. Taking the statistics of whisky
IN lond and coronufiuy tho ro.o Il - "A -