The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-12-06

TED-HELP FOR THE HARPERS FERRY
FLOOD-SUFFERERs NEEDED = GEORGIA
ELECTION-THE SOUTH CAROLINA LEGIS-
LATURE.
Washington.
IMPORTANT MATTERS BEING CONSIDERED BY
THE WAYS AND MEANS CoMHTTTEE-PAT-
TERsoN WON'T VISIT SOUTH CARoLINA-A
STRONG FIGHT TO BE MADE AGAINST EUS-
TIs-oTHER ITEMS. .'
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, December 5.-The Commit
tee OF Ways and Means is the. source from
whence all changes in the revenue system
Of the country emanate, and it has now
under consideration mostimportant changes
both in the tariff and internal-revenueIaws.
Having appointed a subcommittee on reve-
nue. and taxation, consisting OF Messrs.
Wood, Tucker, Gibson, Banks, and Burch-
ett, in order to facilitate business the sub
committee again divided by giving the
tariff to Messrs. Wood, Burchett,
and Gibson, and the internal reve-
nue. to Messrs. Tucker and Banks.
It is due to Mr.. Tucker to say that he
chose this branch, because to it will full
the initiative consideration OF the tax on
whiskey and tobacco. There will without
the slightest doubt be radical changes re-
ported by the committee in the existing
law. For example, a tax Of two cents
per pound on coffee and ten cents on tea,
which will yield S12,0O0,000, and tax on
incomes over $4,000 will be recommended.
Then the tax on whiskey will be fixed at
fifty cents per gallon and that on tobacco at
sixteen cents per pound. It is also expected
that the committee will recommend an abo-
lition Of the stamp-taX. In 1867, when
there was tax on incomes, Massachusetts
paid the same tax as Virginia, while under
the present system Virginia pays nearly as
much as the six New England States. Sem
ator Beck, OF Kentucky, fayors the tax on
whiskey and tobacco above indicated, and
thinks it will yield as much, or more, rev.
enue than the existing rates Of taxation.
Both he and Mr.. Tucker think the trade in
Kentucky and Virginia should promptly
furnish their representatives with their
views on the subject. The bill embodying
the above changes will, with perhaps few
notifications, pass the House, and the fact
that Stanley Mathews and other northwest
ern Republican senators are free-traders,
gives strong encouragement that it will also
pass the Senate. All the eastern Demo-
cratic senator's, including even Wallace, OF
Pennsylvania, are regarded as for it.
The President is criticised for having re-
commended in his message reduction OF
the tax on banks and on no other subjects.
SENATOR PATTERSON WILL NOT VISIT SOUTH
-. CAROLINA.
Judge Humphreys this morning rendered
a decision in the hdbeas-corpus case of Sem
ator Patterson, of South Carolina, whom
Governor Hampton's law Officers have been
wanting for some time to answer the charge
of having bribed the Legislature OF that
State to secure his election to the senatorial
seat he now occupies. The decision covers
eighty-odd pages OF foolseap, and it took
the Judge over an hour and half to de-
liver it. The effect of it was to discharge the
Senator from custody, and to declare that the
Senate alone has Jurisdiction in the matter.
He said he could not, in justice to his own
sense OF right and duty, hold man in GUS
tody to crafty those who were prosecuting
him on political grounds, and whose indict-
ment was procured from partisan motives.
Now, as long as Patterson remains in the
District of Columbia he has no one to fear
EXCEPT the Senate; and then that body can
only cXpel him for illegal acts done either
to secure his election or subsequent to bis
election. This is the law as construed by
the House Committee on courts in two cases
last session.
THE EUsTTs CASE.
Up to this morning it had been consid-
cred as settled that Mr.. Eustis, whose case
comes up tomorrow, would be seated as
senator from Louisiana, but then that gen.
tlcman became convinced that there would
be a strong fight made against him, and that
Cenkling would lead it. Senators from the
South with whom the author of these dis
patches conversed did not fully share his
apprehensions. It may be that he is right,
for with him seated the Senate will stand
thirty-nine Republicans, including Patter-
son and Conover, and thirty-seyen Demo-
Gratis, including Judge Davis. Now, as
Patterson may have 10 give way to Demo
crat from South Carolina, Messrs. Ed
munds, Conkling & Co. may hesitate before
seating Mr.. Eustis, although his title to a
seat is unquestionable.
THE ELECTORAL VOTE.
The House committee having in charge q
revision OF the laws regarding the counting
of the vote for President and Vice-President
have not been holding any meetings because
the chairman, Mr.. Southland, has been de.
tained for six weeks at the bedside OF an il
member of his family.
THE PRESIDENT AND COSKLING.
Those who profess to know declare with
certainty that the President has no idea OF
taking the back track in the case Of the New
York city offices, and that he will again send
to the Senate the names OF MesSrs. Prince,
Merritt, and Roosevelt. In the meanwhile
the friends of Conkling declare that II he
does there will be war to the hit on him by
the Apollos OF the senatorial arena.
PAIRING OFF.
So close are parties in the Senate, and
House too for that, that the subject OF pair
ing off has become one Of moment, and the
House Democratic caucus this afternoon
considered it, and the senatorial caucus to-
morrow afternoon will take measures to see
that hereafter no Democratic senator will
leave without being paired of with ARE
publican.
BRIEFS.
The Chickasaw Indians visited the Com
missioner to-day. Cardinal red is popular
with them.
AT the Republican senatorial caucus held
this afternoon it was agreed to give the
Democrats larger representation on COM