The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-02-13
4aD CONGRESS-. SECOND SESSION.

| ed, read and placed on Tile
During the morning hour Mr.. Clayton
moved that the presidents message on Ar
kansas affairs be taken up for the purpose
of having it referred.
| Mr.. Edmunds raised point of order that
1t could not be done under the rules, and
Mr.. Clayton withdrew his motion
Mr.. Conkling from the judiciary com
mittee reported bill which was passed
fixing the salaries of the United States dis
trict judges for the northern and southern
district of New York at $4,000 each per
annum from and after the first day of
April 1875.
The debate on the Portland, Dallas and
Salt Lake and telegraph bill was continued,
Messrs. Mitchell of Oregon, Sherman,
and Frelnghuysen speaking. AT the con-
clusion of the latters remarks, the ques.
ton being upon the substitute for the bill
reported by the committee On railroads, II
was rejected. Yeas Nays 2S.
The senate then bysa vote OF two yeas to
40 nays refused to order to a third reading
the Portland, Dallas and Salt Lake railroad
bill, Messrs. Cameron and Flanagan being
the only senators who voted in the after
noon.
A large number of bills were then dis.
posed of, including the post Office appro-
priation bill, which. was read by title and
referred to the committee on appropria-
tions.
The senate then itsumed the considera-
ton of the bill to provide a government
for the District ofiColumbia, the pending
question being on the amendment of Mr.
Sargent to provide for the election of
delegate to congress from the District, and
it was rejected-yeas 81, nays 90.
Mr.. Morton submitted substitute for
the third section, SO as to provide that of
the three commissioners to govern the
district two should be elected by the quail
fled voters of the district, and one be ap-
appointed by the President. Rejected.
Mr. Morton gave notice that tomorrow
he would move to proceed TO the consider
alton of the resolution for the admission of
Pinchback. After executive sc. sion. SEN
ate adjourned.
After the reading of the journal the
house, on motion CT Mr.. Dawes, went into
committee of the whole on the revenue
bill.
+. H. Roberts obtained the floor and
made an elaborate speech on the subject.
He estimated the total receipts for the next
fiscal year at $685., 600 900, and the expen-
dilures at 1275,3l5,OO0. The expenses
may exceed the estimates, and the receipts
may fall below, SO that there is grave dan
ger that the treasury will find itself at the
end of the year with deficiency upon cur
rent expences. and with no means what
ever of providing for the sinking fund.-
Mr.. Roberts continued that he had put
| together the receipts of the seven months
of the current fiscal year with reasonable
estimates for the next five months, and the
results were from customs, 1852, SOC, 900 !;
internal revenue, $1O5, 100000 miscel-
laneous, $24 500, 600; total receipts for the
year, $2S2, 800, 900. The estimated ex-
penditures as given by the secretary of tho
treasury were S275,3l5,OOO. He was
bound to say, however, TINT the expend-
lures might exceed the estimates and that
there might be a deficiency on the current
expenses of the government without say
ing anything about the sinking fund. In
terday as to the majority having promised
last year reduction of expenditures, Mr..
Roberts claimed that that promise had
been carried out, aud asserted that the ex-
pendtures had been reduced over twenty
million dollars. He would be glad if the
expenditures could be still more re-
duced, but he held the gentlemen on the
other side OF the house as partly RESPONSE
BILE for their moi being more reduced. AS
to the falling off in revenue it was due to
causes which affected the whole country.
1t was an indication of thrift and economy
and the outstanding of resources. The
panic and the endorsements of recent
years could not be recovered from without
such economy and that economy meant a
falling off in the use of articles of luxury,
q reduction of imports and consequently
a reduction of the revenue. Referring to
other possible means of taxation than those
embraced in the bill, he spoke of the in
come tax as an odious and unequal tax, but
said even If it were not Objectionable on
that ground, it was Objectionable because II
would require very large increase in the
number OF officials and because it could
not be made available until the end of the
next fiscal year. He believed with the
commissioner of internal revenue that q
tax of one dollar a gallon could be collected
on distilled spirits, and, If so, there was nc
article on which tax could be more pro
perly collected. 1t was the practice of all
countries. The logic of every tax system
complaint that had been made was that the
bill proposed to tax the stock on hand. He
had voted for that proposition, because ht
was not willing that legislation should be
made, even by indlrection, the instrument
of speculation. Beside that, If the tax was
to be made at once productive it was inev
table that the stock on hand must be tax
ed. As to the increase OF tax on tobacco
be referred to the statements made before
the committee of ways and means, that the
consumption of tobacco was never affected
by the rate OF taxation, and that consumer.
(who paid the tax never complained
of the tax, because dollars worth Of
smoking tobacco would go hundred times
farther than the same amount of any
other article of luxury. In regard TO sugar
he argued that that article could also beal
| the Increase of tax and az 10 the resfO.