The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-28

stations nowadays for half dozen ages OF
corruption.
Congrcss-Swamping OF tho Cotton Tax
schemc-Thc FranEing Privilege Abol-
ishcd at Last.
In the miscellaneous budget of Mondays
proceedings in Congress there are always
some notable jobs cropping out at an angle Of
forty-fve degrees from the horizon Yester-
day, in the House, these croppings-out were
unusually rich For instance, MIR. Dunnell,
of Minnesota, introduced bill to incorporate
the European and United States Land and
Immigration Company, which from its title is
doubtless bill to place all the European
immigration to this country and the sorting OF
the public lands in the hands of a gigantic
corporation. Next, Mr.. Hereford, of West
Virginia, introduceda bill for the enlargement
of the James River and Kanawha Canal.
This ia one of those notable trans-Alleghany
canal schemes referred to encouragingly in
the Presidents late annual Message, and we
presume that Mr.. Hereford knows what he is
about in introducing this bill. few weeks
hence we are to have report from the Com
mittee on Commerce on all these grand canal
schemes for connecting the Tennessee and
Ohio rivers with the Southern Atlantic sea-
board, and we dare say that Mr.. Hereford's
little bill is part of powerful lobby and a pow
erful log-rolling combination in Congress-
But the project to refund the cotton tax, col
lected for five or six years as an internal reve-
nue. tax, comprehending the snug little sum of
some seventy millions of dollars thus collected
and turned over into the Treasury, is mag
nifcent lobby job. We apprehend. however,
that it received deadly blow in the House
yesterday. By way of feeling the pulse Of the
House, Mr.. Mckee, of Kentucky, moved to
suspend the rules and adopt a resolution in
structing the Committee of Ways and Means
to report forthwitha bill for refunding the cot
ton tax but the motion was rejected-yeas 76,
nays 105 But will these los noble Romans
stick? There is no telling in these Credit Mo-
bilier times. We must for an answer wait for
the next vote on the subject. We suspect,
however, that this cotton tax refunding
scheme has been knocked in the head for this
session.
But by far the most surprising act of the
House yesterday was the passage Of the bill
abolishing the ranking privilege, as amended
by the Senate. After years of make-believe
efforts, Congress is at last rid of the nuisance.
The bill now goes to the President for his
signature
In the Senate q right handsome little
scheme of speculation was brought forth
in the shape of bill by Mr.. Cragin, of
New Hampshire, directing the Postmaster
General to make contract with the Mediter-
ranean and Oriental Steamship Company for
carrying mails to European ports, and to en-
dorse the bonds Of said company to the
amount of thirteen millions of dollars Well,
if this company get this endorsement there is
no reason why all other companies and indi-
viduals concerned in navigation should not
put in their claims for similar accommoda-
ton, adhering, as we do, to the broad platform
of equal rights. Thirteen millions at one fell
swoop for steamship company is rather a
heavy endorsement for beginning
There were, however, in both houses yes.
terday some good measures passed or pro-
posed. In the Senate, for example, the bill
authorizing the Secretary Of the Treasury to
refund differential duties on articles actually
on board French vessels destined for the
United States on November 5, 1872, and the
bill to require the national banks to restore
their capital when impaired and to amend the
National Currency act were passed. Then the
proposition of Mr.. Conkling, which was
adopted, for an inquiry into the expediency of
providing a new residence for the President
and of turning over the White House to some
other public purpose, is good idea, for the
White House is at best but an old barn Of
building for residence, and it is in a locality
so charged with the malaria from the Potomac
in the Summer and Autumn that no public
officer should be required to make it his resi-
dence. The bill of Mr.. Fenton to make public
highways of all highways or roads now in use
on the public lands or Indian reservations is
also bill which should be passed.
In the House bill was introduced and
passed declaring the meaning of the Amenda-
tory Bankrupt act of June 8 to be to exempt
from judgment against bankrupts the amount
allowed by the constitution and laws of each
State respectively, as existing in the year 1871.
This measure will give great relief to many
honest Southern men still struggling from
their losses and embarrassments Of the war to
get upon their feet again, and so this bill
should become law