The New York herald., 1870-04-24

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| iJ from the House. He therefore suggested that
leave OF absence be granted to him. as otherwise
| the SergeantatArms would be under the lmpera-
tive necessity OF sending for him.
Leave OF absence was accordingly granted to MIR.
Ella.
Mr.. HOOPER, frep.) OF Mass, made q similar re-
quest for his colleague, Mr.. Butler who ad lett for
| home last evening with his family, having applied
| for leave OF absence from to-day.
The House refused TO grant leave Of absence to
Mr.; Butler dating from yesterday. He is therefore
to be sent for accorang the warrant Issued 10 the
M: MyssEN tdeml Of Ohio, having to leave the
| city and not being able to be present on Monday
IN response to the warrant asked 10 be and was eX-
| cused on account Of illness.
| THE ARKANSAS HOT SPRINGS RESERVATION.
| The House then took up the Di reported yesterday
from the COMMITTEE on Private Land Claims In re-
After discussion by Messrs. Orth. Knott. Potter,
elier and Beck, the bill was passed by vote OF 90
| to 81.
| MT. ONElLi, rep OF Pa, from the same COM
nttee reported bill IN relation to the private land
| OF Colorado. After the reading of the report and
considerable discussion the Dill was lald the
| table.
| THE INCOME TAX BILL
| Mr.. sCHENCk, (rep.) OF OHIO reported back the
Senate senate amendment @ to the Income Tax b!l and
would not ask for u committee OF conference. He
said that the Senate had sent back the original JOINT
resolution which mad passed the House with good
deal OF unanimity with an amendment, by way OF
substitute, which provided for the collection Of tax
on some dividends and kept up the tax salaries,
| but let everything else 90. Tie Committee Of Ways
aud Means was OF opinion that that patchwork, that
discrimination, was not tair ana that the income
tax ought 10 either stand fall entirety with
such amendments as Congress may choose to make.
therefore, the Committee recommended nom concur
| renee In the Senate amendment.
| MIR. sCoFIELD uep.l OF Pa, inquired what would
pe the effect II this bil were laid on the table and
| other passed.
| Mr.. sCHENoK replied that then the whole subject
! OF the income tax would he lett in It's present
cloudy and uncertain state. In reply to question
| by Mr. Archer he SAID that the Commissioner OF
Internal Revenue had decided to go with the col
and TO claim income tax for 1870 next spring,
but he tSehencD did not know any means Dy
| Mr.. LYNCH, (rep OF Me- inquired whether the
| whole matter could not be settled by bill abolish.
Mr. SCIiENCK stated that the whole subject would
come te16re the House III the general Revenue bill,
which wtQ The next special order In Committee of
Mr.. W. (dem) OF N. Y, thought that this was
the appropriate time 10 take some action for the
tire and absoiqte repeal or the tax. II Con-
gress desired carry out universal public opinion,
the sooner 1t got rid OF this one 80 unjust TAX the
| better.
Mr.. soHENcx was not at all surprised that the
| gentleman IRON New YOrk should use such whole.
sale ana sweeping assertions IN reference to the IN
papers, by letters, by various means to operate on
the COMMITTEES OF Ways and Means, ana perhaps on
Congress, there mad been an effort to make them
| believe tnat the income tax was most atrocious,
| infamous, unequal, unfair law.
| Mr.. WOOD--As IL is.
Mr.. SCHENoK went on to say that the law needed
amendment in some particulars, snch as the publ
l
| York looked al 1t from his own standpoint. He
5chenck believed that it was one Of the most popu-
persons paid It, and everybody liked u sne ''Iacx tax
which somebody else paid GauGnter.) lie
es o' of %ass ana mess sy s MSu
| on that supleT, but 1t would propose modification
of the ureseR law. Another objection to the Senate
substitute Vas that 1t continued the tax salaries
or all the Inequalities and expressions Of the
| tax, prOb3bly that which related TO salaries was
| receiving twelve hundred, fifteen hundred or
eighteen hundred dollars year had one thousand
balance, without the benefit or any deduction for
| house rent, taxes or anything else. He might hold
| pay proportionately, though his whole income for
the year from all sources might be under thou
sand dollars. If the income tax were to be continued
the committee thought tnat tnar on salaries should
be paid as on all other incOne6
Mr.. SARGENT lrep.) OF Cal suggested resolution
to refer the bill back to the Committee OF Ways and
Means, with instructions to report a bill totally
Ierea::S lGe income tax He spoke OF the unpopu'
iarlty Of the law.
ton directing The Committee on Ways and Means 10
| report bill reducing the income tax payable the
emptlon to two Thousand dollars He CLAIMED that
the law expressly Pr2yi4asa that no tax should be
Mr.. CULLOM, (rep.,) Of Ill., suggested like resolu.
tion, increasing the exemption to 50, 500 >. va.
Mr.. soHENCK declined to admit these various pro
positions. The Committee on Ways and Means mad
| been considering all these points and would in due
time report its conclusions In general bl that
|
that 1t was not unpopular with the masses OF the
| people, who were not much heard In Congress, who
mad not control oil the newspapers and who did not
make public opinion.
| Mr.. WooD remarked that his objection to the in
| come tax was from Its inquislorlal character aad
because 1t was In contraventlon Of the genius OF
institutions and could only be excused as a war lax
| under an extraordinary contingency. He did not
object to the payment by rich men OF large proper
ton OF their incomes, but ne objected to tax THAT
came into the household and into the private affairs
| and domestic relations Of every individual.
a
| systems Of taxation were unpopular but he believed
| that the income tax was the most just tax OF the
| whole system OF internal revenue. 1t was tax on
| capital, and If he were TO propose any change 1t
would be to increase the exemption to TWO thousand
| dollars He hoped the House would refuse TO con-
| cur IN the Senate amendment
Mr. SCHENCK thought the complaint OF che gentle
tora character Of the tax was IN some respects well
| founded and part oil the duty OF the Committee on
Ways and Means would be TO modify the law In
some such particular. But far as the tax itself
was concerned his opinion was tnat the general in.
tcrna revenue taxation could not be reduced thirty
millions OF dollars, as proposed on other matters OF
taxation, which were really more odious and vexa-
tious, II the income tax were given up. The income
tax was the most camored about because those who
paid 1t were IN the way Of raising such clamor
put 1t was regarded oy the masses OF the people d
to pay taxes The total number Of persons who
paid income tax was 212, ,s43; OF this number over
paia tweny 1oafs OF less lamar ana II the
| would be cut on. The second class, that paid be.
tween twenty and a1ty dollars numbers co. 1874. The
dollars, numbered A. 196. The fourth Glass; that PAID
| between one and two hundred dollars numbered
over $4,000, and those who paid over TWO hundred
| dollars numbered Q, 464.
Mr.. VOORHEES,, ldem.) Of Ind favored the continu.
| ance OF the income TAX, and declared his opinion
that the most unpopular thing the House could do
| would be to abolish 1t. Instead OF being too in
qulstorial, he would make IT more 80.
Mr.. COBURN, .Tep.) Of lnd., expressed similar
| views. He knew OF no tax that was 80 universally
popular was, and for the very good that
as general thing it was derived from persons who
| were able TO pay It.
| MIR. SARGENT wanted to know where evidence Of
public opinion was TO be had II not through the pub
nc press and that was strongly against the continu.
ance OF the income tax. The best argument against
it that so few returned their incomes honestly,
and that II encouraged perjury and enabled rich
| men, by liking up the schedules to evade the law,
| while poorer classes, with known fixed incomes,
| were compelled to pay
Mr.. JUDD. trepl Of H., in reply to Mr.. Woods re.
| mark, that IL was war tax and should be discon-
tnued, suggested that it was war tax still, as it
| provided means to pay the pensions OF oneegged
| sOldiers1 and the widows and orphans OF soldiers.
| Mr.. MCCRARY, lrepJ OF Iowa, suggested that IL