The Portland daily press., 1870-06-02
n II w s
by TELEGRAPH TO THE
PORTLAND DAILY PRESS.
Kills. CONGRESS---Secord Session.

SENATE.
VASE NGToN, June 1.-The Senate resumed
the consideration of the bill to charge the ju.
dical circuits. An amendment to make Con-
necticut part of the New York circuit was re-
iected. The other amendments were also re-
jected and the bill passed.
The Senate then went into executive session
on the Sandwich Island reciprocity treaty, Mr..
Stewart taking the floor in opposition. A long
discussion ensued, and finally the treaty was
rejected, % to 10; net a two-thirds vote.
The chair appointed Messrs. Conkling and
Sawyer as visitors to West Point.
At 6 O. clock the Senate adjourned.
HOUSE.
By unanimous consent, Tuesday instead of
today was agreed upon for the busiress of the
Committee on Banking and Commerce.
Mr.. Arnell of Tennessee, from the Commit
tee on Education, desired to have put on its
passage the bill authorizing United States
Marshals to appoint women as census takers,
but Mr.. Wood Of New York objected.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts asked unani-
nous consent to introduce his joint resolution
to annex the Republic Of Dominica.
MIR. Brooks of New York objected, and the
House proceeded to the consideration of the
bill to reduce internal taxes, the question be-
ing on the verbal amendment offered by Mr..
Schenck to the 10th section, allowing a dis
count of 10 per cent. on the proprietary stamps
supplied by the Commissioner of Internal Rev
euue on an excess of over $500 purchased at
one time There was long discussion, par
tic:pated in by Messrs Schenck, Lynch, Lo.
gan and others; the proposition of those oppos-
ing being that discount should be allowed ON
the whole instead of on the excess over $780,
Finally, Mr.. Shenck's amendment was agreed
to and all the others rejected.
The section relating to stamps was reached,
and Mr.. Peters of Maine moved to strike out
of the paragraph about bank checks the words,
''and for any sum exceeding $40 drawn upon
any other person or persons, companies or cor
p0rations at sight or on demand" Accepted.
Mr.. Walker of Ohio moved to increase the
$40 to 300. Accepted.
Mr.. GriswoiG of New York moved to strike
out the whole paragraph.
After long discussion the motion was re-
Jected-SO to f5-and the paragraph stands:
That bank check, draft o. order for the nav
ment of any sum of money whatsoever, drawn
upon any bank, banker or trust company shall
be two cents.
Inc motion to strike out schedule B, relat-
ing to stamps, was reiected-65 to 112-aud an
additional section inserted, providing that in
States where the respondent is allowed to tes-
tify, the same right shall exist for the persons
charged with violating this law.
The clause requiring one cent stamn on box-
es OF matches was struck out-S7 to 74-but
subsequently on the statement of Mr. Schencl,
that manufacturers desired the tax to be re-
tanned, as it kept the business in the hands of
the large establishments and that the tax pro-
duced $2OO0O00 annually, the vote was recon
sdered and the clause restOred-c0 to e.
The section in relation to the income tax hav-
ing been reached, Mr. Mccarthy of New York
moved to strike it out, and argued that it was
not necessary to the revenue or 20 the strength
ening of the public credit. The income tax
bore upon its face evidence that it was only in
tended for a war tax, its existence being limit
ed to five years. There was general demand
for the removal of this obnoxious tax, the col
lection of which was marked by fraud and
falsehood. The people demanded that it should
not be renewed but left to die a natural death,
and to pass away into The future as all the
evils growing out of the civil war were passing
away.
Mr.. Blair of Michigan opposed the motion
denying that there was any popular feeling
against the income tax, as only 275, 900 persons
in all paid it.
Mr.. Butler of Massachusetts remarked thai
| the e were certainly two things on which the
| people were unanimous; first, that there should
| be a reduction of taxation, and second, tina.
| there should be reduction of officers. TIL.
| income tax certainly in theory was one of the
fairest of the taxes, but the difficulty OF it wa
| that only the honest and conscientious mer
| paid it, and the rogues evaded it; therefore the
| country demanded the abolition of this tax
and it must be abolished, or else the place:
| that now knew them would know n ost of them
| no more forever.
Mr.. Cox Of New York-Amen.
| Mr.. Randall of Observation-Disclosures speed
| the dav.
Mr.. Butler continued his argument and advo
Gated the measure which he had proposed some