The Portland daily press., 1870-06-04
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in6rhing. The House had been honxed two OF
three times In the case of the City Of Boston
&c, and he moved the reference of the resolu-
tion to the Committee on Foreign Affairs,
which was done.
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts, from the Re-
construction COMMITTEES, rose to report the
Georgia bill.
The Speaker decided that the pill had no
higher privilege than the bill now occupy
ing the attention of the House.
Mr.. Butler proposed that the tax bill be set
aside. Rejected.
The Speaker announced that according to
the order Of yesterday the vote would first be
taken on the various amendments to the sec
tons relating to the income tax.
MIR. Cox's amendment. to reduce the rate OF
passed-114 to II. The following is the divis-
ion OF the New England menbers:-Yeas- -
Ames, Banks, Brooks, Burlington, Dawes,
Hoar, Hooper, Jenckes, Kellogg, Lynch,
Peters, Smith, Starkweather, Strong, Twitch-
ell and Washburne. Nays-Benton. Butler,
Ella. Hale, Morrill, and Willard
Amendments making the exemption $1,000,
limiting the allowance for house rent TO $500
and prohibiting the publication of income re-
turns were agreed to.
Mr.. Dawes (Of Massachusetts, amendment,
to treat the number of persons to a family i'll a
social OF religious community holding property
in common at five instead of ten; Mr.. Latin 2,
to add to exemption losses by flood; Mr.. Ella s,
exempting the wages of minor children, and
Mr. Burchard's, providing that assessors shall
require all returns to be verified under oath
and may increase the amount of return upon
notice to the party that they have reason to
believe that the income is understated, were
severally agreed to; and Mr.. McCarty's, to
strike out all the sections relating to the in
come tax, was rejected-59 to 1913 All the
other pending amendments having been re-
Jected, the question required On Mr. Beck S
amendment, to include United States bonds
among those of corporations from which the
tax is to be deducted.
Mr.. Schenck, of Ohio, argued at length
against the proposition, claiming that it would
really subject the interest on bonds to double
tax, as the income from them was required to
be included in the income returns and that the
scheme was practical reputation.
Mr.; Butler, of Massachusetts, supported Mr..
Becks amendment, and proposed also that the
interest ON town, county and State bonds be
taxed in the same manner. They were not
taxed now. 1t was only the consciences of the
men holding those bonds that were taxed, and
he was sorry to say that conscience had not
been very prolific source of profit. Every
honest man now paid a tax on his income from
these bonds, and the obiecG was to make the
rogues pay also. The Committee on Ways
and Means had provided by the bill to tax saw
ings banks, thus taxing the pittance of
serving girls, widows and orphans,
but excused from taxation $21 900 100000 of
United States bond9. Now were the members
to 60 to the people with that proposition? Not
he, for one. Might his right hand forget its
cunning if he did. Had the United States
pledged their faith that these bonds should not
be taxed? They had not. No man, not even
the broker who sold any of these bonds, had
done SO. If the United States had agreed not
to tax these bonds he would sit down.
Mr.. BentOn-Did We not agree to pay the
amount specified ON the bond and interest?
Mr.. Bntler-Yes, sir; and we are going to do
1t, and then we are going to collect the tax on
1t, SO that the rascals who hold these bonds
and do not pay tax on the interest shall not
cheat us.
The discussion was continued, Mr.. Eldridge,
OF Wisconsin, coming to the aid of Messrs.
Butler and Beck, and the amendment was
finally rejected-78 to no.
MIR. Brooks OF New York offered an amend
ment to one of the sections of the provision
10 feduce the tariff on sugar and salt 80 per
cent; on coffee and tea 20 per cent; and on pig
and scrap iron % IL per cent.
MIR. Eldridge of Wisconsin made point of
order that the tariff provisions was not in Or
der TO the internal revenue bill. Il was UNDER
STOOD That this movement was an attempt to
shut out the tariff bill, which Mr.. ScheHck
proposes to attach to the pending measure
After the discussion the Speaker decided that
the amendment was in order, saying the prac-
tice contormed to that of the British paria-
ment and of the early legislation of Congress
put not wishing to force his own judgment on
the House submitted the question to a vote.-
Tue House decided, liz to 35, that the amend
ment was germane to the BILL but the Speaker
ruled that it could not be offered to the pend
ing section When the last section of the bill
was reached MIR. Schenck moved the previous
question, but without dsposing of tile motion
the House adjourned