The Portland daily press., 1872-04-17
XLIID CONGRESS-. SECOND SESSION.
SENATE.

= w AsuINnnaNz f,-;l ia LII .-as- nassed
for the redemption and sale of public lands IN
der the acts levying direct taxes. 1t excludes
all lots used as national cemeteries or for naval
or military purposes.
joint resolution was introduced allowing
American officials in France to accept uestimo-
malls from the German Empire for services to
Germans during the war.
Mr.. Wright, from the Committee ON Finance,
reported without amendments bill to establish
an assay office at Helena, Montana.
Mr.. Patterson introduced bill directing the
adjustment and payment of the claims of the
State of New Hampshire, or of the towns and
cities of the State upon assessment of bounty
money advanced to volunteers.
Mr.. Alcorn, from the Committee on Mines
and Mining, reported bill TO promote the de-
velopment of the mining reserves of the Unit
ed States, which was amended and passed.
The bill authorizing the establishment of
ocean mail steamship service between the Unit
ed States and Australia was taken up.
Mr.. Morrill, moved to refer the bill to the
Committee on Commerce, and with instructions
directing the Postmaster General to contract
with the lowest bidder for mail steamship line
on both the Atlantic and Pacific.
Mr.. Ramsey opposed the motion and advo-
Gated the bill.
Messrs. Chandler, Buckingham and Sherman
opposed the bill, and Messrs. Cole and Nye fa-
vOred it.
Mr. Edmunds from the Committee on the Ju-
dietary, reported the House bill to perpetuate
testimony in the United States Courts; also a
bill to provide for the appointment of a District
Judge in each by the judicial districts of Mis-
sissippi.
The Australian steamship subsidy bill was
further discussed at length, but without action
the Senate went into executive session and soon
after adjourned.
HOUSE.
Mr. Starkweather, of Connecticut, presented
petition from the American Baptist Mission
airy Union for an appropriation from the Chi
nese indemnity fund for their house, destroyed
by the Chinese Government at.Ningpo in 1862
A conference committee was ordered on the
bill relating to contracts for transporting the
mails.
Mr.. Dawes, from the Ways and Means Com
mittee, reported bill reducing the duties on
imports and internal taxes. 1t was made the
special order in Committee of the Whole for
Tuesday and thereafter until disposed Of
Mr.. Kelley, of Pennsylvania, desired to in
troduce minority report. but objections were
made, when cOlloquial debate took place,
which developed the fact that Messrs. Kelley
and MAYNARD, of Tennessee, were agreed on a
minority report, and Mr.. Brooks, of New York
and two others on another leaving Mr. Dawes
report endorsed by four of the committee out of
nine. MIR. Dawes proceeded to address the
House on the tariff. He said the amount of
the reduction on the basis of last wears receipts
is as follows:-Tea s., 34S, $3.50; coffee, $2,949,
300; coal, $322,8S1; salt, $615, 522; leather,
$529, 25S; iron and manufactures, S2135. 223:
steel and manufactures, $745, 539; wool, $3.50,
S23; wooden manufactures, $4,759,6S0; wooden
carpets S197,772; cotton manufactures, $685.
ia; copper manufactures, $39,611; chemicals.
drugs, etc, $5S4, SG2; cork manufactured,
$2S,715; lumber, 1851, $751; all other articles
S212; free list, 81, 5S4 ,667 total, S1S, 952 438
Internal revenue-Tobacco, Sc, 72O, 600; gas,
S2,573,123; bank checks 81 ,25O, 900; matches,
$3.50 600; agreement stamps, estimated $lO0,
700; total ST., 893, 623 grand total $31 845, sci.
| The committee has endeavored to throw of
| guards around the administration of the Gus
tom Houses and has greatly simplified the laws
| pertaining to internal revenue. 1t has CONSOLE
dated into an equivalent tax of Is cents nearly
| all the several taxes upon whiskey. 1t has re-
moved many annoying and restrictive provis.
ions of the existing law obstructing business OF
the distiller and harrassing commerce in that
| article.
1t has provided instead of 16 cents for smok
| ing tobacco and 30 cents for chewing tobacco, Q
uniform tax of 20 cents per pound upon all
kinds of tobacco, and at the same time, provid
| ed safe method for exporting tobacco as well
as spirits directly from the mandatory, with
out cumbersome forms and unsatisfactory
drawbacks of the existing law, and it has been
| its endeavor while reducing taxation to make
more efficient and, if possible, less burdensome
and annoying laws which shall enforce the du
ties and taxes which remain 1t is manifest tt
those who have had an experience in the ad
justment of tariffs and the imposition of taxes
|
satisfactory to the members of the Committed
engaged in that work, is an impossibiity.
There are doubtless different provisions IN
this bill to which each member of the Commit
tee in turn might have objections. have the
permission Of the Committee to state to the
House my own emphatic dissent from some OF
the essential PROVISIONS of this bill, and ast
their permission to move in the House sucf
amendments as will remove these objections
What these provisions are and the reason fol
my dissent from them, 1 will more fully SCI
forth whenever in the extended debate upo1
this bill | shall have opportunity.
1t would have better met my view if first ant
foremost it had removed all possible exaction
and restrictions as well as the burdens nov
harrassing business and the pursuits of TIN
people arising from internal tax, and exceptin:
those upon spirituous and fermented liquor
and tobacco, and next had presented large
and broader free list of articles now dutiabl
which enter into the manufactures and indus
tries of the country, and are not such as can b
produced at home, and had distributed what
ever balance of reduction the exigencies of tn
Government would permit more generally owe
the whole remaining list of dutiable goods
thereby falling less heavily upon some an
more generally and consequently lighter upo
all In this way there would be as little dis
turbance as possible of the currents and expec
tations and faith of trade and capital and rel
ance of labor, and would have perferred in dc