The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-03-10
BY TELEGRAPH
XLIId O0NGREss---First Session.
TO THE DAILY PRESS.

WASHINGTON, March 9-Mr. Sumner pre-
sented memorial for a general disarmament
throughout the world and repeal of the war
clauses Of the constitution of the United States.
he also introduced bis bill OF the last session
supplementary to the civil rights act, intended
70 secure equal rights to colored people in all
public conveyauces, places of amusement,
cnurcbes, benevolent and other Institutions
etc. be SAID that coOred men were daily sub
1ected TO Inconvenience and outrage by rail-
roads ana other corporations, particularly in
the south, and that a Republican Congress
could not afford to adjourn without some leg
isiatiou TO remedy the evil. He gave notice
that he would press the bill to a vote.
hev. Or. l. j. Newman was unanimously
elected chaplin OF the Senate tor the 42d Con-
gress
Among the number of bills and petitions
which were introduced and laid Cd the table
wer. tbo'e relating to harbor of refuge and
Dreakwster at the entrance. of the Cape Cod
snip canal; TOR an adjustment OF the French
spoiaton claims; to ratify and carry into effect
the constitution proposed for the Indian terri
tory OF Oklahama; to incorporate the Japan
Steam Navigation Co., conferred to the paviga-
ton OF the waters OF Japan. and to facilitate
commerce between the United States and
China aud other Asiatic counties The latter
Is bill introduced into the last session for the
incorporation OF company with a capital OF
$o,OOO'OOO to carry on a general commercial
business with and construct public works in
those countries.
Mr.. Logan introduced bill for the admis-
sion of New Mexico as State.
MI Nye introduced resolution, which on
objection of Mr.. Fenton went over till to-mor-
row, requesting the opinion Of the Secretary of
the Interior uDen the expediency of appoint
ing competent person to male personal OBJ
servation and report upon the topography.
climate, soil and mineral and other products OF
the pubic lands, the cost and facilities for
nate -lr-A
price and amount of government and railroad
lands for sale, with a compilation of all home
stead and other laws for the acQuirement of
public land; the whole to constitute hand
ropean immigrants and to be published in sew
eral languages and distributed throughout this
contry aud Europe. Adjourned.
.pttels HOUSE.
Mr.. Hale of Maine introduced bills repeating
the duty on salt and coal which were referred
to the Committee of the Whole.
Mr.. Cox OF New York moved to go into a
COMM tee of the Whole for the purpose of
passing these two bills and after considerable
filibustering by members anxious to adjourn
and thus delay action on these bills, Mr. Cox's
motion was agreed to, liz to 20.
The bill to repeal the duty on salt was then
taken up. Mr.. Hale said there was no need o.
discussion as the House had already manifest
ed its wish to repeal the duty on salt and NOV
ed that the committee rise in order that he
might move in the House to close the debate.
Mr.. Kelley of Pennsylvania appealed to the
House not to begin the 42d Congress by an
plviDg gag law but to allow debate on the
question. jF7
Mr.. Cox said it had been debated two wears.
Mr.. Myers OF Pennsylvania inquired of Mr.
Hale whether he would admit an amendment
to repeal the income tax.
Mr.. Randall of Pennsylvania made like in
curry as to tea, coffee and sugar, and Mr. Platt
OF Virginia as to tobacco.
Mr.: Farnsworth of Illinois -"One thing at a
time" an. -.f, -
Mr.. Hale declined to admit amend ments that
would embarass The bill. ...' - PI
The motion that the committee rise was
agreee to, 90 to II.
J.. Mr.. Hale then Il, moved that all general debate
the bill to repeal the duty on salt
Mr. DIckey OF PENNSYLVANIA moved to adj
iourn. Refused, u to 107
to 81. w. ~
The Speaker announced the standing rom.
mittee on elections as follows: Messrs. NC
Crazy, Stevenson, Hale, Poland, FinkIenburg.
Th0ulas, Kerr. Potter and Arthur.
:, The House again went into Committee, of
the Whole and resumed the consideration of
the bill to repeal the duty on salt.
Mr.. b ale of Maine remarked that the duty
on salt was 10 cents per 100 pounds in bulk,
and "a cents per 100 pounds in sacks. The best
TURK Island salt couo be purchased for nine
or Ten Cents per bushel, and any body could
calculate what the tax was He had been ask
ed 70 admit the amendment reducing the duty
TO 5O per cent, but he could not agree to that
DE believed that the monopoly by the Onon-
daga Salt Works was as complete as any mon
opoly ever granted by the Tudors in the most
despotic times, and that it should be abolished
MI. FarnswOrth OF Illinois moved to amend
the bill by adding coal to it.
MIR. Wood of New York supported the bill
and amendment. 1t would be offensive. he
sald. to ADDRESS an intelligent body that there
was any reason why the duty on coal should
be taken OH at this time. They all knew the
suffering that was caused to the people bv the
high prices OF coal and the tax on it. 1t was
one Of the necessaries of life, a tax on light,
tax on warmth. tax which bore heavily on
the poor, which Congress should be in haste to
repeal.
Mr.. Kelley opposed the bill and the amend
ment. Heleminded the majority of the House
that 1t was responsible for the financial condi-
ton OF the country. The Secretary of the
Treasury was about to float new lean which
II successful would reduce the pepse of the
government twenty millions per year, and he
now met with this first action of Republican
house proposing TO strike from the revenues of
the country nearly So 100000 81, 1893 ,473 on salt
and SOL ,578 on COAL The revenue collected
on sair was only three cents head on the
whole population In the Joint high commits
sion the admission of coal from Canada free of
duty is likely to be questi IN if Canada would
give free fisheries in exchange for free coal That
would be a question worthy of national con-
slderation He implored the Republican ma
1orlty to consider this great question before re-
moving, under the impulse tor relieving the
public the tax OF 3 cents per head on salt 1t
assailed the treasury by such proposition. He
suggested q reduction OF the duty on salt to 70
cents per 100 pounds in bulk and Is cents ia
sacks, and offered an amendment to that feet.
Mr.. Cox advocated the bill and amendment
and referred to Mr.. Kelley as speaking a rather
different tone from that in which he spoke at
the last Congress-
Mr.. Kelley-I am in the minority now.
Mr.. Cox-You speak now ia the language of
Jeremiah and not in that of ISAIAH. We have
another order Or things. The gentleman speaks
now 10 favor of cutting down the duty Oh salt,
but be would keep it on iron. So be would
cut OH the duty on coffee, tea and sugar.
Mr. Kelly-NOt on sugar
Mr. Cox-Do not interrupt me in my FIVE
minutes. Blood will follow where the knife is
driven. The duty paid on tea, coffee ard sugar
receives SIS, 000, 900 fiom the duty on iron The
ron men OF Pennsylvania receive $50 100000
The obstruction to the importation of coal has
furnished basis for all the conspiracies and
strikes and combinations in Pennsylvania for
he purpose Of raising the price Of coal and
has cost the people OF New England and New
York at least $50, 900, 600 WHY does not the
gentleman from Maine (Halel add potatoes
to bis salt? 1t is because potatoes are raised in
Maine, and ne wants them protected. want
WV PCOP'0 VI NOW AOIA duu everywhere CO
have tree coal and all other articles free
Mr. Hale-I have no objections.
Mr.. Richie, OF Maryland, opposed the bill
and amendment. The appeal that is made in
the name OF the labOriDg men he regarded as
an illusion. While he sympathzed fully with
the demand for revenue reform, be thought
the revenue reformers were really moving in
the wrong direction in the matter and sub
serving an interest which they ought to op-
pose In a word, it was capital not labor,
wealth not poverty. monOpolies and not peo.
pie that are demanding these changes.
MI. Finklenburg, of Missouri, advocated the
bill and amendment and replied to the argu-
ment OF Mr. Kelley that the gentleman's arsu-
ment was that the tax on salt, which produced
only VI, 100000 year, should not be removed
in the interest of the new funding law, and
yet be had voted some weeks ago TO re peal the
income tax, which brought $12, 100000 into the
Treasury. The Inconsistency of that argument
showed its its fallacy and the insincerty OF the
gentleman who made it,
Mr.. Kellv-My argument was that was in
favor OF repeating the internal taxes as rapid
ly as we can. G .t
Mr.. Finkenburg-Then what becomes of the
new bonds and funding law. (Laughter.) The
Two propositions cannot be recOnciled Anoth-
er fallacy OF the gentleman's argument that
because the treasury only gets 81 Joe, 600 year
from the duty on salt the dutyionly costs
the people three cents per head. He leaves
out Of view the fact that the people pay a tax
on domestic as well as foreign salt.
Mr.. Peters of Maine moved to amend MI.
Kelly's amendment by fixing the duty on salt
at centS Der 100 non nds in hulk and 9 cents