Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-04-25
BY:.TELEGRAPH
TO THE -
Daily Ksnneb5c Journal.
Forty Second Congress Second Session.
WNsuISGToS, "a.
SENATE.

SENATE.
The report of the Senate privileges anC
election committee on the House resolution
declaring that the substitution by the Senate
OF bill to reduce the existing taxes for the
House bill repeating the duties on tea ant
coffee as unconstitutional, and notifying the
Senate that the same has been laid on the
table, presents an extended argument on ths
clause of the constitution which reads, cal
bills for the revenue shall originate in the
House, but the Senate may prepare or concur
with the amendments as in other bills
After discussing the scope of the word
amendment" the committee call attention
to the fact tina. the language Of the Constitu-
ton is not that all bills affecting the revenue
shall originate in the House, but that all bills
tor raising the revenue shall SO originate,
and then proceed to discuss the question of
what is bill for raising the revenue, taking
the ground that bill for raising the revenue
may be bill to increase or diminish existing
rates. This view is sustained by reference to
the constitutional provisions that Congress
snail nave the power to raise and support
ARMIES, and the parliamentary expression
that committee was raised tor a stated pur-
pose, etc. In these instances it is eviden,
that raising is not used in the sense of in.
creasing, under the constitutional provision
empowering Congress to raise armies l,
may diminish as we'll as increase an army
To raise an army is to establish or create an
army, so bill for raising revenue may be bill
toincrease ordiminish existing rates. Suppose
says the report, an existing law lays duty
Of fifty per cent upon iron, bill repeating
such a law and providing that after a certain
day the duty Oh iron shall only be 10 pei
cent, is still bill for raising revenue, be.
cause that is the end it contemplates. Less
revenue will be raised than under the former
law, still it is intended TO raise revenue, and
such bill could not constitutionally originate
in the Senate, nor could such a provision be
engrafted by way of amendments in the Sen.
ate upon any House bill, which did not pro.
vide for raising that is collecting revenue
The report then shows that the House bill
totally abolshng the duties on tea and coffee
can not be termed or considered bill fol-
raising revenue. The committee on priv.
leges and elections reporting through Sena.
tor Carpenter came to the following conclu-
sion:
Your committee are therefore OF the opin-
ion that the House bill under consideration
was not bill for raising revenue within the
meaning of the constitution, and therefore,
while the Senate might have amended it so
as to abolish the duties altogether upon 9TH
er articles, the Senate had no right to en-
graft it as it did in substance with an amend
ment providing that revenue should be col
leeted upon other articles, though at less
rate than previously paid by law that the
amendment would have been a provision in
the act for raising revenue, because rev.
euue at a certain rate would have been col
lected by the operation Of the act 1t is due.
however, 10 the Senate, to say that its depar-
ture from the true principles in this case was
owing to desire 10 coRiorm to the views OF
the House of Representatives as expressed
ty the House in relation to the Senate bill
abolish!ng tlie tax upon incomes, and thus to
preserve harmony between the two Houses
But since the House of Representatives ex-
alting its prerogative, asserts upon one oc.
casion what it denies upon another, it has
become necessary to review it in the light Of
principles and seek for a solution of the
difficulty in conformity with the constitution
to which it is hoped the House will assent
and to which it is the duty of the Senate to
adhere, whether the House shall assent OF
dissent. Your committee recommend tina,
the Senate adopt the following resolution:
Resolved, That the Secretary of the SEN
ate be and is hereby directed TO deliver a
copy of this report to the House of Repre-.
sentatiyes.
The deficiency bill was taken up, the pend
ing resolution being on Mr.. Bayards motion
to lay on the table the amendment of Mr.
Morrill, Of VT, restricting the jurisdiction of
the court of claims in suits for the value of
captured and abandoned property to cases
commenced within two years after the sup
preston of the rebellion, and in which the
claimants prove they never gave aid or COM
fort to the rebellion.
The vote was - TO 70. The Vice-Presi-
dent voted in the negative so the motion was
lost.
iIousE.