The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-01-30

before Congress; one was proposed by Dir.
Mckee. and anetlDr by Mr.. Mcintyre of
Georgia. Although there has been strong
feeling in favor of refunding this tax. vet it
has been insisted that the interests of the
producer were not sufficiently provided for in
the Mckee bill. Some important notifications
were ordered to be made in the Mckee bill,
which were in the interest of the producers,
and were accepted by the friends of that
measure This unaninity of opinion gives a
much better chance for passing bill at this
session. The bill now proposed and agreed
on provides for restitution of the taxes i'm
posed after June 24 on raw cotton; for
commission of three persons to be appointed
by the President and confirmed by the SEN
ate, with power to examine, hear and deter
mine of claims, and to direct payment of the
same to the persons legally entitled thereto.
The most important change is one made to
section LIST, providing that the said restitution
shall be made to the party who actually paid
the tax, whether paid by the party himself, his
agents OF attorneys. Section 4th provides
that the commission shall have power to call
on any officers of the government for books,
papers and proofs under their control concern
ing said taxes. Where the original collectors
receipts for the tax moneys and books can't be
books fail to show the payment of the tax
claimed, the commissioners may satisfy them
selves by the testimony of sworn witnesses.
To this section the conference directed the
following provision to be added - Provided,
such receipts and entries and copies as afore-
said shall enure to the benefit of the producer,
unless it shall afirmatively appear that some
other party paid the said tax andhas not been
repaid the same which latter fact may be es-
tablished by the books of the party who paid
tax so far as to be priTHG Tdcie evidence of
the same. When such books lost or de-
stroyed, secondary evidence of their contents
may be introduced. There is growing feel
ing in Congress in favor of the justice Of re-
funding this tax, and among other leading
men it is now expected that the chairman of
the Ways and Means Committee (AIr. Dawes
will support a well-guarded bill Mr.. Pierce
has been instructed to present the foregoing
bill, and to move its reference to the Com
mittee of Ways and Means. There were mil
lions of dollars worth of cotton used for the
purpose of fortifcation and defense against |
the enemy, for the reason that its resistance
to shot and shell was very great, and its con-
venience was an additional reason for its en- |
ployment Thus far no claims for payment |
of the cotton have been paid. The Senate, /
however, has passed bill giving $50, 600 to |
Cowan & Dickinson, of Tennessee, for cot |
ton belonging to them used in the fortifca-
ton of Knoxville, Tennessee. Their loyalty |
was abuHdantly established, and the House |
Committee of Claims agreed to the bill; re- |
ducing the amount to SAC, 900. This case is
regarded as phase of the latter claims.
For some time past the question has been
discussed very quietly among both Senators |
and Representatives as to the prOpriety of in !
creasing the salaries of the members of both |
Houses to ten thousand dollars year, the |
proposition being for the law to include the |
present Congress, thus reverting nearly two
years. The movement is said to have been
started in the Senate by Hamilton, Of Mary
land. and that a canvass is being quietly taken
with favorable result, to ascertain the pro-
bable success of the undertaking. The at
tempt is a very earnest one, and 1t Is sought TO
take advantage of the present auspiciOus time
when enough members will go out OF Con-
gress with the present term to carry the in
crease. Such proposition might go through
the Senate. but were it not that the terms OF
more than a majority of the present House
will expire March 4th, it would certainly fail
in the latter body, for those going out do not
regard the responsibility as highly as those
who remain in Congress.
The committee on Elections in the case
of Bowen contesting the seat of DeLarge,
find that statements on both sides show that
frauds and irregularities in the conduct OF the
election were 80 great it is impossible to deter
mine which had majority of the ballots le-
gallv cast. and therefore recommend the
adoption of a resolution that neither Brown
nor DeLarge is entitled to a seat.
The large increase in the membership OF
the next House has already been considered
bv the committee on Public Buildings and
Grounds, in view of the present hall OF the
House for the accommodation of the increase
of fiftv seats Either the present desks IN
the House must be replaced with smaller
ones. or else the limit of the hall must be eX-
tended. There are now 243 Representatives
and ten Delegates in the House, and IN the
next Congress there will be 292 Representa-
tives and ten Delegates, making it necessary |
to provide 3O2 seats.
The cases of several Ku-klux prisoners |
are now undergoing consideration by the At |
torney- General, and it is probable that very |
soon a number of additional pardons Will be |
issued.