The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1878-01-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
John BnrIeycOrn and ihs weed of
SoIace - WHO Shall Have John
Bulls Money:
correspondence OF the Register.

Correspondence OF the Register.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., January q.
The WAYS and Means Committee
have undor consideration the revision Of
the revenue laws. There has been great
complaint, upon the part OF the South
and West, of the great disproportion be-
tween the amount of revenue collected
from these and other sections. The pres
ent taxation upon tobacco and whisky is
said TO be particularly onerous. At
present tobacco is taxed uniformly twenty
five cents per pound and whisky ninety
cents gallon. An effort was made to
cut down the tax on tobacco fifty per
cent, but it was found that the revenue
would not stand so great reduction,
and it Is now learned that
re luCtion TO an uniform tax
of IL cents has been agreed upon. Al
first there was considerable opposition in
the committee to this reduction, but l
le armed that the Democrats Of the COM
mttee have all agreed to report such
re uction, and that one or two Rcpubli
cans will join them. The unanimity is
not so great upon whisky, but, l can
state with reasonable certainty ths. a
majority of the committee will report in
favor of reduction of the tax from
ninety cents to sixty cents.
The distribution OF the Geneva Award
Fund is to-day being argued before the
judiciary Committee. Uncle Sam
has hold of the booty and
the claimants are numerous and
voracious. Old Ben Butler, who ia on
the Committee, is reported as having
pecunlsry interest in the result, as he re-
presents, il is stated, the "war premium
claimants" rs their counsel. They say
so many things about old Ben, some Of
which are liable TO bs false and ali OF
which may be true, that IL, there is no
reason to doubt his capacity for any kind
of rascslity, that one Is at y loss to know
what to believe in regard to him. The
counsel of the Insurance Companies are
making their arguments o.dsy. These
claim that they are subordinsted TO the
rights ard demands OF the owners, IN re-
gard to the subject matter OF tho dispute
Lsrnar has at last commenced his srgu-
ment. lie got the floor yosterdar, but
did not speak until to-day. His audience
is large and attentive, many Representa-
tives beng on the floor. Garfield, the
champion OF golden ducsts, is getting
right In front of him, and VOORHEES,, the |
silver King, not far of. Lamar is a
strong, iorcible speaker, his style fluent |
and his language chaste and well select
cd. His argument rehes much upon |
authorities, familiar, no doubt, 10 students |
upon finance and for whose authenticity |
and accuracy he vouches. In brief, he |
favors 6i metallic standard, but not tree |
coinage. In other words he wants !
enough silver put in the silver dollar TO |
make it equal to one hundred cents in gold.
One sentence Of his will probably give |
complete epitome of his argument. He |
says to adopt the Bland bill in its present |
form would consolidate all Europe upon
gold basis, and remand America to the
currency of semi. barba Asia"
There is talk about the silver men in
the Senate caving. II is asserted by |
gold" men that An amendment will be |
passed, compelling the government to |
charge seniorsge upon the coinage of sill |
ver In other words that the govern |
Incnt shall tax the coinage of silver the |
difference between silver and gold at the |
time of coinage and that then it shall be |
legal tender, the government, however,
applying the senOirsge to mske up the
difference upon interest, &o. This is
rather u gsuzy dodge, and will no. go
through, imagine.
The vote on Matthews resolution will |
be taken tomorrow, the Senate contipu-
ing in session until the agony il over.
The Bland silver bill is the next thing in
order.