New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-06-04

consider the vote for laying Mr. Woodward on
the table, and then to adopt Mr. Banes a. some others
contested every pOnt the substitute was adopted1 "
Leland the following members were 9RP0 Sp
GlOssbrenner of Penn, Blair Of Mich,
Marshall Of ILL.,, Edridge OF Wis"
Dawes OF Mass, TrumDuII Oh N.Y.
EVENING sEssIoN-THE TAX BILL. ,... an
Mr. WOOD Dem, n. W addressed the C9,nIsoT nent
the revenue and financial system OF the GOVeinnif
The bill under consideration, providing new scc ~
direct taxes, opened the whole question 10 codjtion
properly it would be pertinent TO re1eP 10 thc cga
Of the public credit the currency problem ana eVgaS g
other question OF financial character he Was ES
party It would he misfortune to the country " naro
matters of such deep concern made dependent uPot
tsan influences There should be some one interest," "a
which had been n1td he had nothing to say seemed
that every had his notion of the best IMAM
eal policy thousand propositions had been b
Congress- 1t remarkable. however, that eacn suS
Sested only temporary e1Pedent TO Of tbe
public debt would not pay IT, All the various measures
TO n ~ anv oNe% mSde of meeting
the public obligations. He opposed 10 all such ex-
own independent Of taxation and OF the issue OF bonds
currency, and which could be made available had
he PROPOSED should be developed for the exclusive
benefit OF the Government The mines or California had
perfect machinery and Insufficient capital Other terri
tory even yet valuable had recently been added 10
the mineral of the nation All the vast space
lying between the saith and 10th degrees eff moth la
tude and the 1Oth and l2ith parallel OF longitude con-
to the Government by conquest and by purchase Inc
persons now extracting minerals there nave no iegS
not be necessary TO dspossess them There Is SUN NH
era territory enough unwQrked when ea14t He ilnuo
ton OF higher order Of scientific knowledge appertanhS
~ 'I1 oT exteUiiva mssst6 tunnels and canals
by which TO reach the quartz lodes; production teioi
greater than has yet obtained may be reached II
Il be that this mpractcabe that the Government
cannot successfully enter into such business, would
ask, Why nOti The Government constructs machinery
builds ships, and manufactures arms and other articles
it has assay offices. smelling ana inIs
for coinage There IL no reason therefore, why te O
important work OF producing the crude ore se cannon
be ms well and as safely accomplished After eaIeln
tails, am satisfied that yold Of from s2oOOoOOo to
proper knowledge ana talent are obtained to prosecute
them This may be done after the first year. ana IN
ssed tbic Ien Tcy Wby borrow and
Cypress the people by taxation, external ana IN.
In the course Of Mr.. Woods argument, Mr.. PRICE
ep, Iowa. remarked that the proposition OF me gen
tlcnan magnificent one II IL were only feaslDe'
but the difficulty was that since tho discovery OF gold III
California the production OF every dollars worth OF 6Oiu
and silver had cost much, If not more in labor ,
Mr. WOOD epled that the gentleman objection would
be sOund In ms premises were correct Dut ne referred 10
j. Brownies report showing that In one large nine
in California the gross receipts Tor nne years hd DeS
s200o aud the aggregate cost OF production at Only
MIR PRICE rejoncd, that the ailacy Of the argument
was that the gentleman from Ncw-lOrk had selected Tor
showed that taking the whole mining operations into
view every dollar Of the precious metals pronuced cost
Mr. HUNTER rep Ind next addressed the Commit
tee In opposition TO the for me collection Oh me
whisky tax. u admitted he said, that the annual
distlatiOn Of whisky in this country amounted TO $1,000
0CO Of gallons, which, at g gallon Should ProIuce
was only 100000 showing loss TO the Government or
nearly slJ0OOOo The trouble was that the tax was 10
be collected no the distillery stOrebOuscs HIS plan
would require every dstier TO send application 70
the Commissioner stating tho place where he proposed 70
do lie would require the dstiller to give bonds Sc
cured by real estate AZ the close OF each day. w9K nc
showing the quantity and quality OF liquor manuiac-
tured To be verified under oath lie would require %eeky
inspections to be made Of the statements and OF the
liqor; and II found correct. the packages should be
marked The inspection report Should describe an inc
be- sent 10 the District Assessor and another 20 the Com
missioner OF Internal Revenue; the Collector OF me ans
trct to be charged with the duty on that quantity OF
liquor The should be paid on the sale OF tie liquor
and the liquor should be removed %lThn - 1os Or
cha ser sent the Assistant Collector, and the td
20 the Commissioner by this means the whisky could
he dentfcd and 1t could easily be ascertaned whether
the had been paid. like system ne would esiao-
lish with the necessary changes for wholesale ana 20
retail dealers lie thought that by this means frauds
could be detected prevented, as The COMMISSIONS
could trace ont every barrel OF hquOr through the
Wholesale and retail dealers. There might be frauds by
the retailers but they would bo small compared with the
Mr. WAsHBURN CIIep.. Ind.) inquired whether, under
this plan, Western distllers could get their whisky
Mr. HUNTER replied that the Hew.York purchaser
would have to advance the money TO pay the tax. ne
proposed also TO foreit all the whisky found on ne ls
OF August 1863 which the tax had not been paid and
tho real estate also, and he would throw upon inc owner
the responsibility OF proving that 10 had been paid
Mr. NlBLACK did not cOncur the section constituting
tho Burg an OF Internal Revenue separate and lnde
uendcnL department OF the Government. Inc great
irOuble he thought. in the nOncOecuOn OF the WHISKY
fax was the fact that tho tax had been placed so hg
thereby Offering suc lliducement 10 auu, nc OloIJu
tbe reduction Of the tax to fifty cents per gallon lie
would not however. stand this SPECIFIC rate, put
would vote Tor greater less rate, but Tor no hsner
than ScYcnty-ilVc cents -, 8, .,--
Mr ELDRIDGE suggested that the bill wond continue
in oce the present Commissioner beyohd the power Oh
removal by The President and that the commissioner
was certainly officer who should be retained per
mancntly I'm the position. =,
Mr. WOOD added that the bill would continue inc IOh-
missioner I'm Office for life.
Mr.. IIGBY (lsop., CALI addressed the Committee IN
oprostOn Ia the views put forward by Mr. Wood as 10
the availability OF the mineral resources or inc couil-
try for tho payment OF the debt He begged members TO
,tTp tlemse Ives OF the notion that mining was pa! nS
business on the contrary, he declared from ~ years eA-
prienCe that business aSrlculuiral cOlineicf 0r
manufacturing paid poorly as the MINING business 10
costs more extract gold ana silver thnn the pouuct j.
WORTH the benefit is that gold and silver are the grand
stimulantS OF al other enterprises. . -, =,
Mr.. JOHNSON Dem, CALI TOOK the pOsltlOh thit We
Government should neither tax the miners nor work the
mines. -,.,-- l.,
MIR WOOD reiterated and supported his proposition In
reference To the Government working the mineral lands
lie was willing to admit that the gold products Of Cali
foa have cost as much they were WORTH Dnt he ud
not propose that the Government should carry on le
business in such am inefficient way but in hercnlean
style such as would produce thousands or mlonS OF
dollars He held that the proposition was entlcy Edc-
ticable and could bc carried out.
IIlGBl asked IL the Government could accomplish
those treat results why cond private capitalists with
the gentleman NcwIOrk among them, do the same
thIngl 49,, ,.
The Committee rose ut II o'clock The general debate
was ordered be closed IN an hour ana hall atter the
tax bill shall again be taken up.