Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-01-23
ITO the Associated Press,

MIR. BOUTWELL, INDICATED.
WASHINGTON, Jan. % The committee on
ways and means to-day made a report which
completely eXonerateS Secretary Boutwell, from
all charges made against him in connection with
the syndicate loan. The report says There are
two sections of the funding bill which conflict
with each other,a and while tits doubtful whether
he had authority, under one of these sections, 10
negotiate the loan in the manner he did, it is
clear the other section gives him such power,
and, therefore, no blame attaches to him for his
action.
The clause Of the law which it is alleged the
secretary has violated, must be so construed as
to permit the carrying out Of the other require
ments of the statute. They therefore recon-
mend the adoption of the following resolution
Resolved, that, in the opinion of this house,
the secretary of the treasury, in negotiating the
loan authorized by the act of July IA, 1870 has
neither increased the bonded debt nor incurred
an expenditure contrary to law"
NOVEL QUESTION FOR DECISION.
Commissioner Douglas of the internal reve-
nue. office has recently been called upon to de-
eide the commercial valne Of a mass said for
the repose of the soul of the giver OF Il bequest
to the Catholic church. The internal revenue
laws impose tax upon a conveyance of lands
made without valuable and adequate considera-
ton. A person in a southwestern state con-
veyed certain reality to a Catholic church
upon the condition that masses should
be said in his behalf forever. The sue
cessOr assessed a succession tax against
the grantee for and on account of the land so
conveyed The grantee made claim for abate-
ment, asserting that the saying Of mass is a
valuable consideration. The allowance of the
claim was denied by the internal revenue bureau
on the ground that there was no valuable con-
sideratOn in the saying of mass viewed other
wise than as an act of labor, the benefit to be
derived to the donor thereirom being something
not enjoyed by him in this life, but relating to
a Il. a.
consideration in contemplation of law is in
some way pecuniary or convertible into money
marriage being the principal exception to the
rule.
MINOR MATTERS.
An unprecedented number of petitions and
memorials have been presented in 1.-THE senate
to-day, including an elegantly written memorial
from the national convention Of colored men i'm
favor OF equality rights, presented by Mr.. Sum
ner
Gov. Boutwell, has not yet commenced any
official negotiations with the syndicate for six
hundred millions more of the new loan. JAY
Cook Co, as the representatives of the propo-
siti0n, desire to have the interest made payable
in Europe, which is not q popular idea in con-
gress.
The Judiciary committee OF the house this
morning concluded the investigation into the
management Of the Kansas railroad, which was
commenced last week. EX-AttorneY General
Hoar, ex-senator Henderson and L. G., Inger-
soil, counsel for the several roads, made their
final arguments, but the committee took no ac-
tion in the matter to-day,
The bill for the protection Of home industries,
introduced in the house Of representatives by
MIR. Merriam of New YORK, proposes to enact
that, from and after its passage, no proposal
shall he invited or accepted for any article or
articles to he used in any department OF govern
ment by any officer under the government for
the exclusive supply Of articles manufactured
in foreign countries when such, or similar arti-
Giles, are manufactured in our own country; and
~ the purchase of all such articles preference
United States II Of equal quality and PRICE