Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-05-25
WAsuINcroN, d c.. May Fl, 1870.

WASHINGTON, ID c., May 81, 1870.
Mr.. EDITOR The Tariff, after occupying
over two months of the most valuable time Of
the session has given place to Other subjects
of more pressing Importance. The bill re-
ported from the Commfttee ofsWsys and
Means, and Of which. about two ltbs. fed;
st.7sn fsses szsFssass rsihu 40
one seems to doubt that it is killed there6y,
the pressure of business preventing any fur
Their action upon it. 1t seems pity that
this dspositionof the matter could not have
been made before, AS it was, or seemed to most
every one foregone conclusion that all this
time was wasted for naught, and important
legislation was waiting for its conclusion.
| The appropriation bills are going through
rapidly, and after they are mostly finished
the internal tax-bill will come up. This bill
proposes to simplify and reduce taxation
very greatly. 1t does away with special
taxes, taxes on SUGGESTIONS and legacies,
taxes on gross receipts of all corporations and
kinds of business except receipts of lotteries,
theaters and other places of public amuse-
ment, all taxes on sales except those assessed
on liquor dealers, modifes the income tax by
increasing the exemption to 81 500, and does
away with the salary tax as such, leaving it
to be collected as tax on other income, and
excuses any one from making return whose
income does not exceed $500. The bill is
expected to reduce taxation about S33 900,
OOO The committee also propose to modify
the stamp tax by taking from the schedule
common contracts and receipts. The bill is
a good one, and if taxes are to be reduced,
as believe the cry now is, l know no other
way in which it could be so well done. An
effort has been made to relieve as much as
possible all necessaries, and to soften the
rigors of taxation much as possible. All
the little inquisitorial and particularly OBJ
noxious taxes are removed, and whisky, to-
bacco and other useless but much used arti-
cles bear the brunt of our taxation. Although
these changes are expected to make so large
reduction, still have so great faith in the
honesty of the administration and its strict
ness in collecting the tax, that L should be
inclined to venture the prediction that there
will be more revenue collected next year than
this / am sure | am not without hope of
seeing another hundred millions wiped from
the debt this next year, and every year there
after till it is all gone. What glorious
thing to see such a wonderful load of debt,
the third in the world, 1 believe, removed in
less than twenty years, notwithstanding the
opposition of croakers, hardly a tax being
felt. Who then will talk of the two thou
sand millions of unascertained debt in the
shape of claims of loyal citizens? Who will
grudge a few millions for defense? Who-will
object to the broadcast policy of internal i'm
provements? Only let us get our debt can
celed, or at least show a determination to
cancel it speedily, and then who can object
to giving the public lands to any one who
will improve them. But let US wait till this
is accomplished.
The provisos being attached to the char
tiers of the different Immigrant roads are
likely to make the system many friends, for
they seem efcctually to prevent the worst of
its abuses, and even to turn a danger into
certain blessing. The dangers and worst
features of the system are, as l said before,
the giving this vast amount of land to the
company, allowing them to withdraw it from
the market till it will command large price
and thus act disadvantageously to settlers.
The proposed provisos are that the company
shall dispose of the land to actual settlers
only, at prices not exceeding 81 -50and in lots
not exceeding 100 acres, and must dispose of
it within a limited time, say ten years. This