The New York herald., 1875-02-13
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

N. l., u meuDer OF tne ComIulttee On ways dHo
Means. in support OF the bill
he said that year ago, when the Sec,e-
tary OF the Treasury suggested additional taxa.
ton, he had joined with the majority Of
the House in rejecting the suggestion. and
unless it could be shown that greater neces-
sity existed now than existed then be would ex-
pect the House TO reject the pending bill and TO
reject any plan Tor so large an increase or taxa
ton. But 1t seemed to him that the sitn-
alton Dad caansed, and now he felt that there
was a necessity for raising the amount
of revenue provided by this bill. Investigation
had compelled him to that conviction. lie re-
viewed the figures OF the pubic dent and OF the
receipts and expenditures of the government, and
commented on the TACT that Notwithstanding the
excitement caused by the proposition to increase
taxation the receipts Tor the first ten days OF the
current month were slO0. 900 less than the corre-
spending ten days OF last year. He had put
together the receipts OF the seven months OF the
current fiscal year, with reasonable estimates Tor
the next tive months, and the results were:-
from customs loZ ooo oOO
Internal revenue. 1O5, 900, 900
Miscelaneous.. ...................-... Z4.oOo,oo0
Total receipts lor the year. $2s2, 500 900
The estimated expenditures as given by the
Secretary or the Treasury, were s275,3l5, 600. He
was bound TO say, however. that the expenditures
mlgnt exceed the estimates, and that the receipts
might iail below them, and that there might be
deficiency on the current expenses OF the govern
ment, without saying anything ABOUT the sinking
luna. In replying to a remark OF MIR. Woods.
yesterday, as to the majority navlng promised last
year reduction OF expenditures, Mr.. Roberts
claimed that the promise had been carried out,
ana asserted tnat tue expenditures had been re-
ducea over s2l. 900, 600. He would be glad
II the expenditures could have been still more
reduced, but he held the gentleman on the other
SIDE OF tue House partly responsible for their not
being more redu ed. AS TO
THE FALLING OFF IN THE REVENUE
1t was que TO causes whcn affected the whole
country. IL was indica tion OF thrift and econ.
omy and the outstanding OF resources. The PANE
and the eXtravagance uf recent years could not
he recovered from without such economy, and
that economy meant falling on In the use OF
articles OF luxury reduction OF imports and con-
sequently reduction OF revenue. ReiecriDg to
other possible means OF taxation than those EN-
Draced Ia the bill, he spoke Of the income tax as
an odous and unequal tax; but said that even ir
II wete not objectionable ON tnat ground, IL was
objectionable because 1t would require very
cause IT could not be made available until the end
OF the next fiscal year. He believed with the Com
o ons DOLLAR saou coula be collected
on distilled spirits, and II so there was
mo s on nsa cod pess s
made tnat the bill proposed 10 tax the STOCK on
hand. He nad votea ior the proposition because
even ty indirection the instrument OF specula.
ton. Besides that, II the tax was to DO made as
on nand must be taxed. AS to tue increase Of tax
on TOBACCO he referred to statements made before
SUMPTION sur Of tSoaeco was never srecied oy the
rate Of taxation, and that the consumers who paid
f9e sax never OF sns TAX ed
hundred times further than tile same amount Of
any other article Of luxury. N regard 70 saear
crease OF tax and as 10 the restoration Of the ten
per cent on manufactured goods, ne argued that
had not particularly augmen nted the revenue. Re.
plying 10 the remarks OF hIs colleague (ar. Wood)
yesterday 10 regard 10
THE SINKING FUND.
he said that it was an open secret that prominent
an was not Closed during
grave error. But his colleague had tod the House
that the SINKING lund was aosurd tHat 1t had been
bonds, and that it had been paid Tor avs
were not simply the utterances OF member
OF the House, but Indicated the porcy OF great
party. whose candidate ior Speaker or the next
House his colleague was represented as being.
He reminded the House that no tax was SO oner.
Gus as the gold premium, and that the falling on
IN revenue m had been attended pari passm with an
increase in the gold premium, an increase which
was attended by increase IN the cost Of articles
OF consumption but was not attended by an In
POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE.
Mr.. KELLEY, lrepD OF Pa, also member OF the
Committee or ways and Means, opposed the bill
and said that the attempt to impose war Tax at
would fail Of ITS intent He predicted that ii the
bill became q law IL would deplete the revenues
iLsiead OF replenishing them aud that the ADMIN
lstration would meet the Forty-fourth Congress
with a demand ior increased taxation TO supply
deficiencies. The falling III in the revenues de-
VINO did not contribute to the Treasury
because they could not supply their wants
They not able to consume dutiaole
or taxable commodities. because Congress had Dy
It's LEGISLATION paralyzed their productive powers
A prosperous people not only supplied their wants.
but gratlfied tnelr desires. But a people suffer-
ing as the laooriDg people OF this country were
not only dld not crafty their desires, but were
unable TO provide themselves with the necessares
OF llfe Millions OF working people in this country
were now living In enforced ldieness ana want.
Hence IL was tnat the revenues or the country de-
clined. They had not declined by reason or the
thrift and economy 30 giowingly depicted by the
high relative value mad been Impaired TO gold that
the money o the country was all running into gold
bearing bonds, while mills, forges. furnaces, fac
torres and mlDes-when Drought 70 auction IN de-
auit OF ability TO meet the interest on mort
gaQes-were bought at nominal prices Dy those
wuo control the gold and bond market He i'm
pored the republican side oI the House 10 read
tine authentic story ol the su1erings indicted on
the lower ana middle classes OF England by the
act OF 1919. under when some OF the finest estates
In England had been sold SO lar below the mort
cages ha 'ps uahapDf srefs peess ,nem
That was where the enterprising and Industrious
classes OF the American people sere oeins forced.
II was wonder that the republican candidates
were beaten In tue ate elections, and they should
not expect to carry any Congressional dlstricts.
country, and the bill struck at Doih OF them.
These were the dlstliatiou OF grain into spriL
and the grOwth and MANUFACTURE OF tobacco. aud
tney were prosperous Only because there was an
export market for them. 10 increase the taxa.
ton OF spirits would be. ne argued 10 pros,rate
the business or every producer o. alcOn0Hc drugs
and OF periumery and OF quinins and Of an innnise
NUMBER OF otner arucies. - -
Mr.. TOWNSEND lrep.l OF Pa, asked MS coHeague
how he proposed to meet the deficicncy.
Mr.. KELLEY replied that lie dd not see any de-
Gclency. All that ne asked was that the Hoase
should pause In the hurried WORK OF c0ntrac.
ton, which was CONCERNING the INDUSTRIOUS
iaboring classes 10 want. that Congress snould
have some sympathy and considsration Tor
the producing classes and not uestow al oil II on
the bond and bulhOn brokers wno dealt IN toe
national credit.
the committee rose anu then the House went
Into Committee OF the Whole ON the private calsn.
dar, Mr.. Duunell trep.) or Minn, IN tue char.
bill Tor tue relief OF certain loyal creditors
whose moneys were conhscated Dy the Conied.
crate Congress IN LOUISIANA, providing Tor the
distribution OF $203 334 pro rata, was reported by
/ the committee. Mucn opposition was manifested
TO 1t, and finally, without taking vote oa IL, tue
House at nali.past I've Adjourned.