The Portland daily press., 1868-03-16
WASHINGTON.
PARCHMENT STEADILY MOVING ON

IMPEACHMENT STEADILY MOVING ON.
WASHINGTON, March 14-10 A. Mt is
universally conceded here that the work OF
impeachment is moving on like Wen Dulit
machine, steadily but surely. Dhe forty days
time demanded by the great criminal for the
preparation of his defence has been limited to
ten, and his only hope now for further delay
rests upon the personal application of his
counsel, who will seek to postpone the COM
mencement of the trial until the first week in
April. The speech of General Butler yester-
day afternoon shows why this request should
not be granted.
THE SENATE PHOTOGRAPHER.
When Judge Chase was impeached and tried
Mr. Peale came on from Philadelphia to paint
the portraits of the principal personages,
Whch We're afterwards placed in his museum
Yesterday the photographer of the recent war;
Alexander Gardner, was on hand with his as
sistants to preserve the memorable scenes in
tne Senate Chamber. From the coat room
an excellent view was taken at the time when
Mr. Stanbery arose to speak, and another
When Mr.. Bingham arose to reply. The pic
lures were considered excellent, and but few
of the figures are blurred by the moving of the
persons. These trifies can easily be remedied,
and the pictures will then be enlarged to the
dimensions of six by four feet
THE HOUSE DISCUSSION.
In the House to day, in general debate. among
other matters discussed were the National
finances, powers of the Government in MAKING
treaties, impeachment and the jurisdiction Of
the Supreme Court On the latter subject
quite lively debate ensued, Mr.. BOYER for the
democrats, claiming that an important meas
ure, limiting in substance the jurisdiction of
the court in the McArdle case had been passed
without an objection ON his side of the House
because Mr.. Schenck, in offering it as an
amendment to another bill, had asked the
House that it be passed as a matter of course.
he alleging that there could be no possible OBJ
lection to it. On this representation the Dem
ocrats had permitted the amendments to pass
without objection, which would certainly have
been made if they had not been misled;by the
remarks of Mr.. Schenck
In reply to this assertion Mr.. Schenck and
his friends made an animated defence, and the
House adjourned.
DEATH OF JOHN W. WELLS.
John w. Wells, Indian Agent for Montana.
who had made preparations for returning to
his territory with goods for distribution died
to-day, from the effects of a wound in the head
inflicted by himself yesterday with pistol
APPREHENDED DISTURBANCE IN TENNESSEE
Additional reports reached Washington to-
night from Tennessee, expressing apprehen-
sions of a political disturbance in that State.
Instructions given by Gen. Grant to Mai. Gen.
Ihomas Will, 1t is thought among military
men, prevent such occurrences
WASHINGTON, March 15.-The Tennessee
members of Congress, of whom INQUIRY has
been made, know nothing of the truth of the
apprehended political troubles in that State
beyond newspaper reports. There is no doubt
however, that the military authorities here. on
application short time ago, ordered a force of
cavalry to assist the internal revenue officers
in enforcing the laws and to suppress the
whiskey rebellion in East Tennessee.
THE wHIsKEY TAX.
The director OF the Bureau of Statistics in
reply to communication from COMPRESSION
al committee on the subject of the whiskey
tax, shows that the proportion which it bears
to our whole revenue is as one to fifteen, or
ABOUT seven per cent, and during the period
from 1874 to 1917, when similar taxes were
levied, it amounted to the same proportion to
the total revenue. As revenues from distilled
spirits are made up from taxes on production.
taxes on sales and licensed taxes, their fraud
appears to prove that the limit to which
domestic spirits is capable of yielding
taxes is per cent. of the total amount realiz.
ed when taxation is at the minimum There
is evidently some limit to the amount which
any article will yield a revenue, and in case
OF distilled spirits this limit seems to have been
already attained. In connection with this i'm
portant deduction the consumption of distilled
spirits during the period of 1892 to 1901, and
again from 1914 to 1917, and again to 1860 was
three gallons per capita of the population.
Unless the use of distilled spirits has declined
since 1860, our present consumption must be
over 10OOOO,OOO of gallons per annum.