Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-02-12
HOUSE.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1.-THE consider
alton Of the post-office appropriation hill
was resumed in committee Of the whole,
the question being on the amendment to
allow the transmission Of public docu-
ments and seeds from the Agricultural De-
partment to pass free through the mails.
Several speeches were made on the subject,
nearly all Of them in favor Of the amend
ment. Finally, the amendment was
agreed to-ayes 81, noes 70. The amend
ment 10 pOst-office bill, canceling. the Pa
cifc Mail contract OF 1872, as agreed to in
committee of the whole, has, been unani-
mOusly passed by the House. a separate
vote was demanded on the amendment
aggeed TO in cOmmitteeof the whole, on the
bill looking to partial restoration Of the
franking privilege, and the amendment was
rejected-ayes 90, noes 125.
The House then went into Committee Of
the Whole, Mr.. Hale, Of Maine, in the
chair, on the tariff bill, entitled "a bill fur
theT 10 protect the sinking fund and to pro-
vide for the exigencies ofthe Government -
Mr.. Dawes, chairman Of the COMMITTEES
Of Ways and Means, addressed the House
in support Of the bill. He reminded the
House that exactly year ago he had en-
deayOTed to show that there was no neces-
sity for increased taxation, bat now he
would endeayor to show that there was
necessity for increased taxation, as he had
believed at that time that the Government
could get along without resOrting to that
most unwelcOme Of measures for the pur-
pose of making the receipts and expenses
Of the Government meet, so he was with
the same sincerity now compelled to urge
on the House that there was no other prac-
tical method of doing so than by resorting to
taxation. His sincerity was nOtdiminished
by reflection that in the course of events,
this was the last time he could address the
House on such a subject. There had then
been two grounds on which he had hoped
to avoid the necessity Of increased taxation.
There was a confident hope that there
would be a general revival of business, and
that there would be a reduction of ex-
penses. The estimate of the total receipts
Of the Government for that year was at
that time S2S1, III, ,912, and it was expected
that out of that amount somewhere about
nine millions could be applied to the sink
ing fund. The actual receipts for that
year were S2S4,000,000, and there was a
surplus of only 8, ,344, $50 over and above
the current expenses of the Government.
Last December the Secretary of the Treas
ury estimated the receipts and expenses for
the fiscal year to be such that there
would be a surplus of nine millions
to be applied to the sinking fund, but
in reality the actual receipts since that re-
port was made were more widely different
from the estimates than they had been
during any year for the last five years
The actual receipts had fallen far short of
the estimates, for some causes not quite un-
derstood by those who made finance a study.
The receipts from customs had begun to fall
of. and had fallen off to the extent of So
100000, or about 100000 a day. If that
falling off continued during the year, there
would be a deficit of S35,OOO,OOO. He
made a statement of the comparative re-
ceipts and expenses Of the government since
1870, as follows:
1S0-Receipts. .S4l1 100000
EEpenditures.-............ 309,OOOO0O
16l-Receipts.. ....................S3S,0O COO 600
expenditures es-..........-......' SO4,OOO,OOO
1s72-Receipts 600 900
EXpehdltures-...s.-..--- "a t,oOO,OOV
lSIS-Receipts.. OOO,OOO
expenditures ures......--..........' zsO'OVO,OOO
1S14-Receipts. ~ OoO,0OO
Expenditures. res..-................ 81 10000
The receipts for the first seven months of
the last fiscal year were S16S, 100000, and
for the corresponding seven months of this
year, S165, 100000, being a falling off of
three millions.
Mr. Garfield, of Ohio, inquired whether
the decrease had reached the bottom, or
whether the receipts were still falling be-
hind.
Mr.. Dawes replied that up to the 2Oth of
December, the receipts came very near the
estimates, but from that day to the 1st of
January, they had fallen off very seriously.
For three or four days after that, they had
and had even gone few hun
dred dollars beyond the estimates. Then
they had begun to fall back again, so that
there had been a falling off since the Goth
Of December of from three-and-a-balf
to four million dollars, and yet the best
statement that the Secretary of the Treas
ury could make was in regard to the re-
ceipts. The reduction Of expenditures was
the work of Congress. The reduction Of
the receipts was not the work of Congress,
but the work Of those influences on trade /
and business, over which Congress did not |
assume to exercise control.
Mr.. Butler, of Massachusetts,, asked Mr..
Dawes whether the falling off was in the !
customs revenue or the internal revenue.
Mr.. awes.replied that the falling Off in |
internal revenue was much less than in the |
customs. The last report showed that the |
receipts from internal revenue had gone |
beyond the estimates Of the Treasury De |
partment, SO that whatever evidence Of in |
ternal prosperity that fact supplied, the |
condition Of the country was more gratify- |
ing than it.vse9ld otherwise have been. He |
proceeded-tO comment on the failure |
of the Treasury Department to comply |
with the law requiring per cent. Of the
sinking fund, so that instead Of S417,5j6,- |
been S14l, ,0O0,0O2 paid into it.
Mr.. Niblack inquired whether the reduc-