New-York tribune., 1878-01-22


IBY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNgl
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Members OF Congress are
constantly receiving letters from constituents and
friends asking for copies of the Tariff Bill. They
cannot comply with these requests, because no one
of the different TaTifBs that have been introduced
has been adopted b. the Ways and Means Com
mittee or indeed has been taken the basis of its
action so far
TIE circumstances under winch Congress met in
December were extraordinary, in that when it came
together in regular session the committees were or
conzed and prepared for work. The Committee OF
Ways and Means determined, at its first meeting to
make revision of the tariff and internal revenue
laws for the purpose of rdding the present sys-
tenn of great many cumbersome provisions and
simplify both rates of duty and the machinery of
collection subcommittee OF five, consisting of
Meesrs. Wood, Banks Gibson, Tucker and Bur
cbar6 was appointed to take that branch of the
committees business in charge This sub-commit-
tee was subdivided, so that Messrs. Wood, Gibson
and Banks took the tariff part, and MesSps Tucker
and Burchard the internal revenue part. IL was
decided that no hearing should be granted 10 any
body.
The practical beginning of the work of the sub
committees was at the beginning of the holiday re-
cess Messrs. Gibson and Banks went home, leaving
Mr. Wood to perfect q tariff bill but Messrs Tucker
and Burchard remained here, and have completed
their Internal Revenue Bill. The details of the latter
have been widely published, and it is only necessary
TO say here that Ii raises number of questions re-
earling the machinery of collecting the taxes on
distilled spirits and tobacco, that must be finally
settled in full committee, where the sub
iect will come up next weeh. The disposition
of this subcommittee is to reduce the tax tobac-
co and distilled spirits One-thrd, and TO impose an
income tax 10 supply the defciency but The full
committee is believed to be utterly opposed to the
reduction of the tax on tobacco AID also TO the re-
imposition of the income tax, no matter how small
it might be made. The defeat of the proposition to
reduce the tax on tobacco has been the result Of
disagreement among those interested. In regard to
changing the tax on distilled spirits, those engaged
in that trade are a'mst united, but it yet ques
tjon for the consideration Of the full committee,
whether the proposed reduction ehall be agreed to
OF not
It seems very probable that the entire Internal
revenue question will be settled by abohshing the
tax or savings banks aud leaving other taxes as
they now are. This is believed L be the commit
tees position to-day but what action the House may
take is an uncertain matter.
TRAITS OF IHE TARIFF BILL.
For the past week the subcommittee having
CHARGE Of revision Of the tariff laws, has been III
yestigatug the suDirct Of duties on sugar lis MEM
bers have experimental with pOlarizometeTs and
saccharometers at the Treasury Department. and
have made an exceedingly careful examination OF
all the different methods of grading sugars III USE
with a view of determining whether any
change in the present method of rating sugars IS
wise or not. They seem, as yet, as far from a on
clusion on the subject az when they began On
nearly every other subject there is almost an agree
uent and the subcommittee expect TO report to the
fll committee about the latter part of next We x.
II wonld be useless to attempt to give the dct9ils
of the bin as it stands il it possible, ,sbecauie 1t
will vet be subjected to many changes that rates
now agreed uron may be altered. The publiea ION
of the bill as 1t stands would simply confuse business
men and perhaps, increase the uncertainty and us
pense which now exists. 1t may be SAID, however,
that there ID no compound duty provided for III me
bill Wherever specific rate could possibly be
fixed. il has been adopted, aid where that was i'm
POSSIBLE. simple ad vaorem duty has in every case
been adopted Perhaps that part of the bill inYov-
ing the most labor. is that in which
an effort has been made to do away with
eAarges and commissions 10 the seaboard now
added TO the market value OF goods at the place II
production in order to ascertain dutiable value "t
tie point Of expectation 10 this country MI. WOOD
thinks that he has accomplished this result or hat
lie viii have accomplished if within few days and
that it will greatly simplify the work OF assessing
and collecting duties.
The main features of the bill arc as follows: FIRST
due weight is given to the necessities OF the Govern
ment Just what these to be could not be
known until the Committee on Appropriations had
made up its budget. but enough was ascertained
early in December to enable Mr. Wood to 20 for
ward.
That point settled, he started ont with the idea OF
suspending the sinking fund until the amount oi
bonds purchased during the administration OF sec
Tetary Boutwell, in excess of the requirements OF the
Sinking Fund Act should have been exhausted by
creditine proper amount of them annually 10 that
fund This he does not think will be any violation
of the Act of February o, 1862. Under that
Act the annual amount 10 be set ASIDE
as a sinking fund was approximately fixed but
according to the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury submitted TO Congress at its December
meeting, it was shown that the amount of bonds
purchased with accrued interest is about y221-
100000 in excess of the amount required by law.
Mr. Wood thinks the people Of the country viii be
satisfied to suspend this purchase of bonds long
enough 10 catch up. The amount required this year
for the sinking fund is $36,000O00, and for next
year will be S37 ,O00,0O
He proposes then to pitt duty of 10 cents per
pound on tea and cents per pound on coffee This
would give $4,000, 900; and by reducing the ex-
penditure for the purchase OF bonds $37,Ooo'ooo
and increasing the revenue $12,OOOOOO he would
gain $40 OOO, 900, less the estimated deficiency in
the revenue to which the Secretary Of the Treasury
called attention in his annual report for the reduc
tion OF the tariff assuming that there would be no
change in internal revenue.
Mr.. Wood proposes further to place discriminate
ing duty upon every article produced in any foreign
country which discrlminates against the United
States by reciprocity treaty with other countries
otherwise 1t is expected that this will add few
millions to the revenue; but Mr.. Woods intention
TO make such countries France and others that