The New York herald., 1871-02-10

and English Commission--The Income
Tax-The Brooklyn Navy Yard.
The great event at the Capitol yesterday
was the special message sent by the Presi-
dent to the Senate in reference to the settle
ment of tho Alabama claims and tho fishery
difficulties by means Of joint commission.
Correspondence has been going on for some
time past between the two governments,
which has eliminated in an agreement to that
effect. Copies Of the correspondence were
communicated to the Senate, and at the same
time the President nominated as commissioners
on the part Of the United States Mr.. Fish,
Secretary of State; Mr.. Schenck, Minister to
London; Judge Nelson, of the Supreme
Court; Senator Williams, OF Oregon, whose
Senatorial term expires on the 4th of March
next, and Mr.. Hear, Of Massachusetts, late
Attorney General of the United States. Upon
the receipt Of the message legislative business
of the dly was laid aside, and the Senate went
into executive session with closed doors. It
will not be matter OF surprise to learn that
the eminently wise and practical measure Of
arranging all our difficulties with England met
the determined opposition of the impracticab.e
Sumner. The question was debated for seve-
raj hours but no decision had been reached
when the Senate adjourned Nothing else Of
any public consequence took place in the
Senate yesterday.
In the House there was very important
vote in connection with the bill to repeal the
income tax. Mr.. Hooper, the chairman of
the Committee of Ways and Means, who had
reported the bill last Monday, when it was
referred to the Committee of the Whole, moved
to 20 into committee for the express purpose
Of reaching that measure. Ii the House had
gone into committee it would then have been
necessary to vote on laying aside, one by one,
some score of bills that had the precedence of
it on the general calendar. But the motion to
so into committee, being the first stage in
the campaign, was regarded q test ques-
ton Of the relative strength of the two
parties, those in favor of retaining and those
in favor of aboshing the income tax. The
motion was deiea.ed by majority of three,
the vote being 103 to LOG, the largest agere-
gate vote cast in the House since the period of
the retirement of the Southern members be-
fore the war. Although the vote was, in
general sense, test vote, it did not give an
exact idea of the strength of the two parties.
Some of the Pennsylvania members who favor
the abolition of the income tax voted against
going into committee, lest some bills reducing
the duty on steel and iron and coal might be
taken up aud passed, or lest some other mea-
sure of tariff reform might be tackled on to the
Income Tax bill, and the same motive, In con-
nection with the duty on salt, Influenced Mr..
Mccarthy to vote against going into COM
mittee, although, as member of the Com
mittee of Ways and Means, he had
voted for the bill. AS general thing
the affirmative votes came from representa-.
tives of the large cities and of tho great COM
mercial and manufacturing communities, and
tire negative votes from the representatives of
rural communities, principally in the South
and West 1t is probable that the motion will
be renewed and carried, If the apprehensions
of the iron and coal and salt men can be re-
moved or quieted.
The discussion in reference to the removal
of the Brooklyn Navy Yard was renewed,
several of our city members taking part in it
against the bill. No vote was reached on the
bill, but the probabilities point 10 the adoption
Of the substitute offered by Mr.. Ketcham, Of
the Poughkeepsie district for the appointment
of commission to inquire into the whole sub
ject and report its conclusions to Congress.
Some time was spent in the consideration Of
the Naval Appropriation bill, and then the
death of Mr. John Covode. Representative
from Pennsylvania, was announced, and ap-
propriate euloges delivered.