The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-16

| Loud calls TO orderC w ""'' "N ~
| The srEAkER interrupted Mr.. schenck and an
nounced tnat ne was not In order.
MI, Schnsoh lamld much uproar and excite
ment,mi Know ! am not. only want to say this
| nifty to say word In explanation
Mr. WAsHBuENE, lrepl of Inland want to call
just voted q million dollars In extra paw to the
| government clerks in Washington; and am, there
lore opposed 10 continuing tue session to put add
tional taxes ON the people to pay this. Confusion
Mr. MAYNARD, (rep) of Tenn, moved to reconsider
the vote refusing to lay the resolution on the table
and he proposed to discuss that question
The SPEAKER informed him that the motion was
Mr. wAsHBURNE moved to lay the motion to re-
| consider on the table.
The question was taken by yeas and nays, and re-
suited as follows-yeas H. nays 81, SO the motion
TO reconsider was laid on the table.
Mr. ScHENCK reuarked that his motion to recon
slider the vote secondng the previous question was
| IN order that he might make an explanation.
81, Mr.; MAYNARD moved at hafpast one O'Clock that
Mr. WAsHBURNE-Does that motion come from the
Committee OF Ways and Means9
~, Mr. MAYNARD.fes and give notice that all that
the Committee OF Ways and Means wants is to be
heard on this question. Calls to order.)
Inc SPEAKER called Mr.. Maynard to order and in
formed him that If he persisted in speaking when
| House.
Mr. FARNswoRTH-I ask the unanimous consent OF
| tne house that the Committee OF Ways and Means
may De heard for five or ten minutes.
Mr. HARDING, (rep.) Of ILL., object.
tion 10 adjourn II the House adjourns, the Commit
tee OF Ways and Means being refused any opportun-
condition OF the bill and how speedily we NAV have
action upon 1t, may be able to reach the country be-
tween now and tomorrow through the public press.
Inc question was taken and the House refused to
adJ0urn-yeas 20, nays 104
Mr. PILE asked unanimous consent that the chair.
man OF the Committee Of Ways and Means be allowed
| hfteen minutes for an explanation.
90 Mr.. BUTLER-Yes, provided somebody be allowed
| Mr.. BENJAMIN, (repo OF MOL object.
Inc question being on Mr.. Schenck's motion to re-
cGnsaer tne vote seconding the previous question,
MI. STEVENS, (rep) OF Pa, moved to lay the motion
on the table.
Agreed to-yeas 49, nays 50.
rules so as to allow the Committee on Ways and
Means half an hour to speak the question and the
opponents another half hour. Agreed to.
Mr.. SCHENCK-Mr Speaker, after the decided vote
winch was given the other day when attempt
the state OF the Union to consider this bill at ALL
had supposed we had passed the point of danger and
had reached that view and condition of the subject
tnat the House, or at least all on this side OF the
| House. would renew endeavors to push the bill
through, and perfect it in such a manner as to be
abe at the earliest possible day to send 1t to the
Senate: have looked at that vote, and find in it
mat which IN part surprises me- and that which in
decided to 20 on with the bi by vote Of So aaanst
o. seventy five OF the 81 were republicans and Of the
o. nearly one-half were democrats and nearly every
democrat with the exception OF the two gentlemen
| on the Committee Of Ways and Means (Messrs Nib
lack and Brooks) voted against going on with this
|
temen have not the responsibility which had sup
posed the republican members OF the House felt in
the legislation IN which we are engaged. Gentlemen
OF the republican party Will say, however, that their
object In this movement IL not to shrk the RESPONSE
billy but to reach such condition Of things to
| meet the more trying demands Of the country
namely to legislate in reference to distilled spirits
and tobacco and to leave anything which concerned
other matters connected with the revenue to await
further legislation. The first reply have to make
that In behalf OF the Committee Of Ways
ana Means is this1We have sat, need not say how
| H..
| bill. We have had before us hundreds and thou
sands OF persons, representing all the various inter-
eSts OF the country Ill reference to these and other
subjects We have attempted To present bill which
should be an entirety; bill which should cover the
whole ground and bill which considers all the sub
| ject OF taxation: 1t Is proposed now to break the
entirety OF this bill and TO confne the attention OF
| tliled spirits and tobacco. Why Is that motion
NADER We have passed. OF the bill before us,
through 17e pages, and there remains only little
more than the same number Of pages The portion
remaining IL almost entirely made up Of these sub
jects-Of tobacco and distilled spirts-and the fact
is as feel to express to the House, that this very
| morning, having taken up the bill at the point at
which II was left by the House last Satnr.
is lotteries We did not suppose that so far
| as lotteries and theatres are concerned there
is really a disposition to go on and accord with the
committee in therproposition; that from these things
little more revenue might he raised. Yet these are
ne sGt G o @ we of a
and after having all the interests connected with IL,
| which were woke up by the publication OF the bill,
| the committee had come to the conclusion TO move
In the House to strike out all the sections in the bill In
reference to neral oil, except the 13.d section,
leave the mineral oil among the general manulac-
lures OF the country relating to useful arts That
| bil--less than one-haf the bin in the
number OF pages. The remaining one-half
and e where Verv little eSanyes a %aSs
from the present law, and no changes save sucn as
| have been presented by members OF the House, and
In which there VIII be an easy and general concur
renee, Is made up Of those two subjects OF tobacco
and distilled spirits. just then, when the House has
| reached those subects-just when we stand before
the country ready to take up those matters and dis.
pose Of them, having completed the rest OF our work
we md this exhibition OF opposition made-made
democratic party, but made also, ~ our surprise.
| with the concurrence OF about one-third, and a
| little more, of gentlemen ON this side OF
| the House with whom we are accustomed
| to act. Now, sir, 1t must be obvious that there is
| some reason underneath all this which the commit
| tee cannot comprehend What IL II, gentemenY |
think IN good faith am bound to believe, that bill
and distilled spirits, short, brief and covering all the
ground necessary on these subjects, and may be
| passed through the House and Senate, that we
may speedily get home. Now undertake to say, In
the first place. that very large proportion OF the
| bill in reference to those subjects is made up Of
various details In regard 10 the mode OF collecting
the taxes and In reference to the mode OF prosecut-
ing frauds, which is necessary part of the BILL and
that II we were to report bin on the subject we
| whether the tax upon whiskey be put up or put
| down; and ! have before notified the House that
| the impression Of the majority Of the. Com
1 mittee OF Ways and Means IL that the tax
ought to be considerably reduced. In either case,
| however we should have to retain pretty much all
the provisions contained In the present BILL because
we lave not only undertaken reform in reference to
the modes and possibilities Of collecting the tax
these articles, but We have gone into the whole ad-
| ministrative department relating to the internal
| revenue with view of simplifying 10 on the one
| hand and OF making il more efficient the other,
but would not give you one snap of my finger
scarcely for all that is in the bill In reference to
| distilled spirits and tobacco, however valuable,
| think that matter IL worthless, unless you con
meet with IL certain administrative sections running
| through all the bill and which we intended to make
possible the collection OF such tax YOU may i'm
| pose Take the matter OF revenue stamps for in-
stance We have the utmost confidence I'm The integrity
and honesty OF the present Commissioner OF Internal
Revenue however gentlemen may differ In opinion
I'm regard his decision Of character and his energy
| and az TO whether he has been sharp enough in de-
Tending himself against the influences OF political
| character in direction, which prevents his use.
fulness against the frauds which were praciised