The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-03-29
WASHINGTON.
THE TARIFF BILL,


WASHINGTON, March 28-The Committee
on Ways and Means altered the tariff bill in
the following particulars :-The act to take
eHect October lst. In lieu of duties now i'm
posed the Secretary of the Treasury to pre-
scribe and require that samples of sugar shall
be taken by an inspector SO as to get the true
average quantities of each package, and that
said samples be preserved in glass bottles and
marked for future Identification and reference
On brussels and tapestry brussels carpets, %
cents per square yard, aud in addition of per
cent. ad valorem; on oil cloths, stamped, print
ed or painted, 40 per cent ad valOrem; on all
manufacturers OF mixed materials, silk being
the component material OF chief value and net
otherwise herein provided for, 60 per cent. ad
valOrem; On all manufactures Of silk not here
in other wise provided for. 60 per cent. ad va.
loren; flax str Nv, 50 per ION; MANILA and
other substitutes tor hemp. not otherwise pro-
vided Tor, $25 per ton; jute and Ssal grass,
SIS per ton; rolls of wire oval and h If round
iron less than fve-sixteenths of an inch in d.
ameter or square, "a cents per pound; rods
and wire rods, oval, half oval, and half round
iron more than fve-sixteenths of an inch,
IA cents per pound; sword blades So per
cent. ad valorem; swords, 45 per cent. ad va
loren.
OUR IRON CLAD FLEET.
The number of sea-going monitors belong
ing to the navy is IL, costing $14 1874 900; har-
Dor and river monitors 8, costing So, SIC, 900;
barber and river monitors of the same class as
luC assam o, duu liz III uTaIt mOQlCOrS ZU COST
ing $11 ,631 900; number of river irou-clads
west 8. costing 1886 900; giving the total cost
in round numbers at $50, 81 900.
THE PIEGAN MASSACRE REPORT OF COL.
BAKER.
Tho following was received to day:
Army Headquarters, Fort Ellis Montana
March 23.-Gen. +. II. Sheridan, Chicago:-
22t inst, I report:-After having made every
fort to get the judgment of the officers of my
command, was satisfied that the following
number approximates as nearly to the exact
truth as possible:-The number killed at Pie
gan village was 173, OF whom 120 were able
bodied men and 81 women and children. One
hundred and forty women and children were
afterwards captured and released. I believe
every effort was made by the officers and men
TO save the nOn-cOmbatants, and such women
and children that were killed were accidental
ly killed. The report published in the Eastern
papers is wholly and maliciously false. It
seems incredible that the false assertions of
two persons neither OF whom has made any
efforts to inform himself ia the matter, should
outweigh the reports of those engaged ia the
tight and who feel that they have nothing to
palliate or conceal in their conduct. All that
the officers demand of the authorities is full
aud complete investigation of the campaign
Less than this cannot be conceded them.
(SigneG) C. L. BAKER,
Major I'd Cavalry.
IMPORTANT DECISION.
The Supreme Court to-day decided the case
of the FIRST National Bank OF Louisville VS..
State OF Kentucky. the question being wheth-
er State may levy tax on the shares of ma
tional banks and enforce its collection through
the bank. The Court holds, Justice Miller
delivering the opinion, that the property in
bank called share is distinct from the capital
of the bank, and that share, as the properly
of a shareholder, may be taxed, although the
stock of the bank may be all invested in United
States securities. The law recurring bank
officers to pay tax does not make it a tax on
or against its stock A national bank as an in
strument of the general Governal may within
certain limits be made liable to pay such tax,
otherwise the instrument may ha e-eaead go
to invade the rights of the State. These banks
are subject to State law in respect to tax on
the shares of shareholders, and they-uisfy b.
compelled to pay it. They could be garnshed
for the personal debt of ockholder, and to
make them similarly responsible for this tax is
the virtual effect of the State law The iudg-
ment of the State Court is affirmed The
Chief Justice dissented
THE SAN DOMINGO TREATY
In executive session this afternoon Senator
Schurze made speech against the ratification
OF the San Domingo treaty, based on the
ground that we do not need any more South
ern territory as necessary to our national in
terest, and that the adoption of this measure
would lead to further absorption of foreign
territory with inhabitants untitled for repupli.
can institutions.