, 1872-12-02
Realea o nws, than in the hands Of Collectors.
tah lnese uoaectlons could only be made With des-

Realea laws, than in the hands Of Collectors.
Inese co4ect1ons could only be made With des-
patch and certainty By those acquainted with
m 1he special localities and the circumstances Of
.aA-pat.1s: ~ 70 avoid much greater loss BY
me unsnaeiy disturbance than could possibly be
diture, temporary delay was universally advised
and finally determined upon. Tha ;nterim
vas used IN pushing to rapid close tha co]lec-
ton OF tue balances. The result has justified
Int bV tha eg 9f Of ,a aelny t estimated
Of internal revenue. exclusive of t1,a haIencas
under repealed laws, would be about sim mn mn
per annu1n, while the actual receipts far HE Erat
quarter Of the o current re fiscal year were at The
rate Of $125, ,400, 600, showing several m;11;ons
Of dollars in excess Of the estimated receinta Dn'
and this very considerably from tayess
due under the repealed laws. Tohave violent1v
taken the Lists containing the evidences Of taxa
ton out Of the hands Of three out of four Of
these Collectors. and committed them to the
caro- Of the remaining one, would have intro
duced dangerous delay in the receipts, and
would probably have caused a large loss at last
The collections have been la-se, and reflects
great credit upon the officers. The
Of Of Assessors De and assistant 10 Assessors ars
so as to have but three things which could not
be done with equal propriety by the Collectors
and their deputies, the TWO classes OF officers re-
naming both numerous and expensive, Tor q
work that one class could as well do. The three
duties referred to are the assessment OF the de-
fciency taxes on disti1lers, une1ceptional tax,
only occasionally due, and the data for assessing
which is always at hand from daily
reports IN this Office. The majority Of such as
sessments being reviewed and eadiusted under
the present system, al1 OF them could as readily
be certified from this Office to the Collectors.
In the first instance, this would insure uniform
ity Of adjustment, q thing almost impossible
where two or three unassociated minds
are reading dd and interpreting n1 law and
taxes, which arc collected as q
general rule, but once, in May, each year. The
special tax certificates can DO issued in books,
as are the spirit and tobacco stamps, and
crediting them, the Collectors, only With cash
OF the unused certificates returned to this Office
This system works admirably in the matter Of
spirits and tobacco, and can be very easily
adapted to this other source Of reye-
nue.. The third and only remaining duty
with which the Collectors might not be- entirely
entrusted is the tax on banks and bankers.
This tax is payable but twice during each year,
and is the sole remaining tax on corporations.
The tax on corporations was at one period all
it extended to railroad insurance, canal and
turnpike companies, in addition to banks
and bankers. The history Of this class
of taxation shows that when 80 collected it was
well collected, and the whole work done by less
than fifteen clerks, at an average salary OF not
over s., 400 per annum each. Il fifteen men
could collect the tax when it reached 319 000 600
per annum, and embraced five species under
the class, all Of them requiring month
y gs5g;ps smaller it IS number ae not na w
manage one-fifth Of the class, and only yielding,
it is estimated for the current fiscal year. $780,,
600 in all. It further appeared that the excep-
tional labor could be done in this Office without
II
the discharge of the entire body Of ASSESS
Of Of ] reduction under the act Of
June 6, only provides absolutely for the reduc-
ton Of some two-thrds Of the principal officers,
46O in all, and left the reduction of the assist
ants, over 1900, discretionary, it seemed to be
the better plan to ask Congress- to mako the
larger reduction aud make that absolute. It is
not an easy matter to put out Of commission
Thousand OF more Of oiheers. = E5perlense mas
ine1orab1e law, can surely do it. Discretion
admits of doubt and suggests delay, in view OF
the great confusion and loss Of revenue antici-
pated by general disturbance Of the collecting
officers. The simplicity and security Of system
which shan have but one class OF officers, and
these all under bonds; the fact that nothing is
left for the assessing class to do that cannot be
done either by the Collectors or this office, and
that H. saving OF from $1,000, o9o to
etc, greater than would be effected under the
act Of June last can safely be anticipated. I
have lad prepared the outlines of a law which
will give effect to the above idea This viii be
presented to the proper committees Of the
House Of Representatives and the Senate imme-
diately upon their assemb1age in December pro1-
in1o # it is tho judgment Of Congress
Tint this plan is preferable to that contemplated
by the act of June, I ask their early adoption
Of it's provisions, that it may be put in operation
completely by the 3oth OF june, ls7s-'
Personal.
The Secretary of State of Ohio, Mr.. Sher-
wood, arrived here tonight from Columbia.
The purpose of his visit is to obtain statistical
data from tho Census Bureau for use in his
forthcoming report.
ITO the Associated Pr<ss.l
MES. F1sHs RECEPTION.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 30.-The reception given
by Secretary and Mrs. Fiah to the Diplomatic
bors OF the various legations almost en- nausse,
together With members of the Cabinet, the Jus
tees of the Supreme Court, Governor Cooke,
and numerous others.
The President received q large number Of v,s-
itors to-day, principally members Of Congress,
among whom were Senators Morton and Wilson.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM.
Western members Of Congress arriving here
are very decided in their opposition to the en-
in their States. They assert that in the country
q distinctive issue Of the recent campaign was
the theory Of Civil Service technicalities, and
that this was especially true in Illinois, where
MIR. Trumbull advocated the theory. They be-
leve that the question rs to them, is settled at
not be applied in. their States go long
as they have influence with Senators
who can prevent the confirmation Of new ap-
pointments based upon that theory. The E1~
ecut1ge order limiting competitive examinations o
dispatches yesterday will shortly be pub
ished.
SENATE COMMITTEES.
OF the thirty-fYe Senate Committees, four
teen are non-poltical The Democrats claim
that they are entitled to two Of these Chairman
ships. 1t is probable that Thurman will be
made Chairman Of the Committee On Private
Land Claims in place of Garret Davis.
SECRETARY DELANo.
Secretary Delano is dangerously i'll.
OPPOSITION TO CONSOLIDATION
Powerful influences will be exerted to prevent
the proposed consolidation Of the Internal Reye-
nue. and Customs Bureaus, as such plan in
wolves the abolition Of many offices whose in
cumbents have great political influence.
TAX ON SHIP MATERIALS.
Nrvr Vopr Nrv gD-Tt 10 1tafa1 that