The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1868-06-30

IT II IL PR h ~.
Tuesday Morning, June 30, 1868.
First Page to-day-Letters from vaga-
bond. No. 1; Varieties.
Fonrth Page-Flower Gathering; The Hour
Of Death, scientific investigation.
The TAX BnL-The short BILL" as the
substitute tor the general tax bill frse re-
ported from the Ways and Means Committee
IL called, has at length passed the House. The
Senate will act upon it promptly, as the MEM
bers Of that body are anxious to adjourn aud
have been following the bill in the House with
great deal of care. The whiskey tax is nom
inally reduced to fifty cents gallon, out vari-
Gus other taxes on it's sale make up tax il.
the aggregate amounting to nearly one dollar
The warehouse system, including transporta-
zion in bond of liquors intended for exporta-
sation, is abolished. The liquors intended for
export, however, are allowed a drawback equal
90 the tax imposed This being the case it is
difficult to see the force of Gen. Buffers Oh
jention that the country will lose the profit
HOln It's tiioo0 upOi bdub Vi GA-
port The tax on the two different varieties OF
tobacco is reduced to 16 and 80 cents. The
means of collecting the tax are very stringent
and ought to prove effectual All efforts to
TO introduce amendments to tax the United
STATES bonds were defeated. 1t is expected
shat the new bill will, Notwithstanding the re-
euced rates, give much larger amount OF rev.
81 ue than is now received from the sources
provided for in its different sections
OUR neighbor of the Argus says the great
mass of the bondholders are willing to pay
taxes on the government securities that they
hold. Very good; it is "sweet and commenda-
BILE" in their natures, and no one can have
the slightest objection to their dung 50. We
occasionally hear of capitalists who waive
their rights and give in their bonds to the as
lessor with their other property. They ought
we think to do so. But Governor Seymour
he is tolerably good Democratic authority we
believe says there are too million tfue hundred
thousand persons, not capitalists who are COM
pulsory holders Of government bonds. Now
we object to compelling either these laboring
men and women or the capitalist to pay tax
es, directly or by the indirect method of a
heavy tax on the coupons, in direct contra
vention of the promises of the government
Nor does it change our views one iota that
any individual, no matter which party he be-
longs to, thinks differently on this question.
We draw conclusions from facts and principles
and not from authority.
We have spoken in terms of commentator
of Governor Seymour's financial arguments
In his speech the other evening at Cooper In
stitute. We did SO because ON the great fun
dmental financial question, the preservation
of the national honor in the treatment of the
public creditor, his views are worthy of a
Christian patriot, but no intelligent reader
could suppose that the Press meant to in
dorse his reasoning ON collateral questions.
His argument may be stated in few words:
The true way to relieve the taxpayer is not
to cheat the ond-holders, but to make the
credit of the government so good that its le
gal tenders will be exchangeable for gold, so
that the national debt can be funded at as rea-
Ronable rate of interest as other governments
pay on their obligations. So far we give our
Lnhesitating assent to his reasoning, but when
he accounts for the impaired credit OF the
government by reference to the extravaganza
of the Republican administration instead
the countenance given to reputation by tie
Democratic party, we dissent. The bonds of
the government will hardly be at par any
where SO long as there is any considerable
portion of our people who are constantly talk
ing of cheating the public creditor by base
subterfuge like that embraced in the Angus
ia platform. .-- .
THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION is
nothing in modern history more ludicrous
than the pulling and hauling over the Demo
cratic nomination. Everybody of any note in
the country has been suggested for the posi-
ton, from Andrew johnson to Daniel Pratt,
the chances being at present, SO far as we can
judge, as much in favor Of the latter as of any
particular individual The following are a fer
of the Washington dispatches on this subject
to the New York papers OF yesterday:
The movement in favor of Chase is less and
less promising and Hancocks supporters a,e
becoming really rare. The princip,, charge
against him is the execution of Mrs. Surratt
Prominent Pennsylvania democratic politi-
clans have expressed an opinion to-day that
pendleton cannot be nominated, and that halt
of the delegation OF Ohio will go against him
The Hendricks party gains strength and
Frank BLAIR is mentioned for the Vice PresI-
dency. -.
ExGov Seymour's last speech set the poll
ticians here to thinking. Most Of them seem
TO be at loss to conceive his motives. The
prevailing opinion is that ii is bid for the
New York nomination. His friends say that
it is merely warning to Pend eton that he
cannot be the democratic nominee.
Betting has taken a new turn since Sew
mour spok,. Seymour stock il highest, with
Hendricks next Western and Southern arri-
walls here dem rallied the Hancock men and
the Geners rs chances are now reckoned with
those of Parker, Blair and johnson ala
The above is from the Tribune. Another
dispatch says: 7r
confidential friend of Mr.. Pendleton ar
rived to-day and states that his friends will
not allow the two-thirds rule to be adopted by
the New York Convention. They have
strength enough to nominate their fayorite
who hey believe is the strongest man who
can be run, and that no Ohio delegate would
fud his life safe if he were to betray Pendle-
ton for Chase, or an Indiana man to desert
him for Hendricks. s.iia1F 81 t. e.
The Times Dispatch says: -ee-
The indications from Washington stand
point seem to be that Mr. johnson will re-
ceve large complimentary vote and .the f.
nal contest will resolve itself into a struggle
between the friends OF Pendleton and Sey-
mour on the bond question Hancock's
chLleeS have id.minished since the Western
men have SO earnestly developed themselves
for Pendleton, and the Chase movement has
died off through pure rottenness.
NEWS ITEMs.-Among the passengers for
Europe Saturday, were Madame Ristori and
family, Mdlle Tostee, Nine. LAGRANGE and
Henry j. Raymond.