The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-04-25
XLIst O0NGRESS---Seoond Session.
HOUSE.

hOUSE
WASHINGTON, April 23-The credentials of
Erastus D. Peck, member from the 10th Dis
trlct OF Ohio, in place of Mr.. Hoag, deceased,
were presented and Mr.. Peck came forward
and took the oath.
Mr.. Dawes of Massachusetts offered The fol-
lowing as question of privilege:
RESOLVED, That leave of absence heretofore
granted for an indefinite length of time shall in
no case extend beyond Monday the I'd of Nav
next, unless hereafter otherwise ordered by the
House. He remarked that there were mem
bers absent by the month under an indefinite
leave Of absence and he thought it ought to be
stopped. The resolution was agreed to.
Leave OF absence was granted to Mr.. Ella of
New Hampshire. Mr. Hooper made request
for leave of absence for his colleague Mr.. But
Ter, who had left 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 as dating from yester-
day. He is therefore to be sent for according
to the warrant issued to the sergeant-at-arms.
MIR. Munger was excused on account of ILL
ness.
The House took up the bill reported yester-
day from the Committee on Private Land
Claims in relation to the hot springs reserva-
ton in Arkansas. After discussion the bill
passed, SO to 81.
Mr.. Schenck of Ohio reported back the SEN
ate amendment to the income tax bill and NOV
ed anon-concurrence, stating, however, that he
would not ask for Committee of Conference
The Senate had sent back the original Joint
resolution which had passed the House with a
good deal of unanimity, with an amendment
0y way OF a substitute, which provided for the
collection of the tax on some dividends and
Kept up the tax on salaries, but let everything
else GO.
The Committee Of Ways and Means was of
opinion that patchwork and discrimination
was not fair and that the income tax ought to
either stand OF fall as entire with such amend
ments as Congress may choose to make, sthere-
fore the committee recommend non-concur-
renee in the Senate amendments.
Mr.. Scofied of Pennsylvania enquired what
would be the effect if the bill was laid on the
table and no other passed.
Mr.. Schenck replied that the whole subject
of the income tax would be left in its present
cloudy and uncertain state. and in reply to a
question of Mr.. Archer of Nd, he said that the
commissioner of internal revenue had decided
to go on with the collection of taxes on month
ly reports and on salaries and to claim the in
come tax for 1870 next spring; but he
(Schenck) did not know any means by which
the commissioner could accomplish it.
Mr.. Lynch of Maine inquired whether the
whole matter could not be settled by bill
abolsbing the income tax.
Mr.. Schenck stated that the whole subject
would come before the House in the general
revenue bill, which was the next special order
in the Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Wood of New York thought that this
was the appropriate time to take some action
for the entire and absolute repeal Of the in
come tax. If Congress desired to carry out
the universal public opinion the sooner it got
rid of this uDjus tax the better.
Mr.. Schenck was not at all surprised that
the gentleman from New York should use
such wholesale and sweeping assertions in ref
erence to the income tax All over the coun-
try they had through the newspapers, by let
tiers and by various means, tried to operate
on the Committee OF Ways and Means and per-
haps on Congress, to make them believe that
the income tax was a most atrocous, infamous,
unequal and unfair law.
Mr.. Wood-As it is.
Mr.. Schenck went on to say that the law
| needed amendment in some particulars, such as
the publication of incomes, etc. But the gem
tleman from New York looked at it from his
own standpoint. He (Schenck) believed that il
was one of the most popular laws in the coun-
| try, A fraction less than 273 900 persons paid
l it and everybody liked the tax which somebody
/ else paid. (Laughter.) He would not under
| take to say what the Committee of Ways and
| Means would propose on that subject, but il
would propose modification of the present
! law. Another objection to the Senate substi-
| tute was that it continued the tax on salaries
| Of all the inequalities and oppression of the in
| come tax, probobly that which related to sala
ries, was among the most odious and unfair
| A poor clerk receiving $780, $500 or $500 a
| from the balance without the benefit of any de
/ duction for house rent taxes or anything else
He might hold his office for only two or three
months and he had to pay in proportion
though his whole income for the year from al
sources might be under $1,000. If the income
tax was to be continued the committee though
that on salaries should be paid as on all othe
/ incomes.
Mr.. Sergeant of California suggested a reso
luton to refer the bill back to the COMMITTEE
on Ways and Means, with instructions to re
pert bill Totally repeating the income tax.
Mr.. Kellogg suggested resolution directing
the Committee on Ways and Means to repor
bill reducing the income tax payable tn
| present year to 3 per cent and to increase tn
| exemption to $4,000. He claimed that the Law
! expressly provided that no tax be levied or pait
| after April, 1870.
Mr.. CullOm of Illinois suggested like reso
luton, increasing the exemption to $25OO. Nj
Schenck declined to admit the various PROPOSE
lions. The Committee on Ways and Mean
had been considering all these points am
| would in due time time report its conclusion
| in a general bill on that subject. AS to the I'm
popularity of the law he said that it was nc
| unpopular with the masses of the people VIII
were not much heard in Congress, who had nc
control of the newspapers and whQs did no
| make public opinion.
| Mr.. Wood remarked that his objection to tn
income tax was from its inquistOrlal charac
ter and because it was in contraventiop OF tn