New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-02-19
THE NEWS OF THE CAPITAL

IT'S NIGHT SESSION on MONDAY TOO MUCH FOR IT
1T GETS INTO MIDDLE OS THE REVENUE
BIrI-GENERAL NEWS.
IN Congress yesterday, the Senate disposed
Of the Revenue bill, and the House
devoted its time to the Census and
the Legislative bills. The Senate was weary
from its long session the previous mght'
and the Senators got so mixed on the
Revenue bill at times that they ga nov
know which way TO vote. The House
adopted plan for the public surveys Wnch
is virtually the one suggested 10y the Academy
of Sciences. The Cabinet discussed the Chinese
question aud the cattle plague yesterday
sTRrGGLE WIN THE REVENUE BILL.
ruE SENATE GFrs VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH
71r Rlrr. AND DOES DIFFERENTLY FROM WHAT
WAS EXPECTED.
IBV TELEGRAPH TO THE TEIBCNL-I
V.sUrxGroN. Feb 1S.-Ihc Senate has been badly
demoralized to-day. II came IN smiling after ITS
longyil Of the ight before. w2Ied boldly through
tbcmor ling hour spent haitian hour on the calendar
and attacked the unfinished business with
v,Eor Later in the afternoon, however,
it Topped about. yawned and tangled
itgclfup m the loose ends Of the Revenue I'LL NEST
ab,urdly, passing, rccoDsideriug and then passing
again. features upon which 1t bad recorded IFS adj
verse opinion in the most pronounced manner the
dav before
The first question disposed Of was the amend
reut offered last night by Senator Matthews,
7'soicc duty OF 10 cents per pound
on tea and 2l2 cents per pound on coffee
The Senator himself made the only speech
in IFS favor He SAID he had no doubt that the to-
bqcco tax reduction Of which Lee was in favor
would increase the deficiency in the revenues
and he held it to be the duty Of Congress
70 provide means TO meet tie deficiency. The plan
r,eDosad by hun was lie believed. tie least BURDEN
some and the most effective. When brought 10 a
vote only four Senators recorded Themselves IN IFS
favor.
At 3 o'clock by previous agreement al.
debate ceased and amendments subsequently
offered were voted upon Immediately. An
amendment 10 the section which provides
notifications Of the machinery for collecting the
tax upon distilled spirits wqs offered by Senator
Ransom. and was adopted. Il gives to the Com
missioner Of Internal Revenue discretionary power
70 relieve distilerics Of which the daily producing
capacity is not more than thirty gallons. from com
pliance with all the regulations imposed upon
larger d1stilleues. Il announced that tho pro-
vision had the approval Of the Commissioner Of In
iernal Revenue, and 1t was carried by vote Of IL
80 10.
When the bill was reported to the Senate
several OF its sections were reserved for
a separate vote and for amendment No
debate was allowed and n succession Of
rcu-calls took place. Senators were constantly
t;raving Of into the cloak-rooms and committee
rooms. and had to be hunted up every few moments
In order to save the bill from mutilation.
A very earnest debate had taken place the
GAY before with regard to the time when
She change in the tobacco tax was to take
place. and the effort to POSTPONE it until
the Ist Of May had failed in Committee
of the Whole. When the effort renewed in tho
Senate to-day it succeeded, much to the sur
prise Of Senator Whyte, who proposed it,
lv a vote of 81 to 80. Senator Withers
was disgustcd at this result and sent out
to drum up the abseutees. After a long wTange
over points Of order and questions Of fact with re-
gard to the last vote, motion 10 re-
consider was carried by vote Of 50
10 80. Then on the recurrence Of
the motion to postpone until the 1st Of May, IT
was carried second tine and finally, by vote of
"a TO 81. This was q greater surprise TO ne
advocates Of delay, for the general tone Of debate
bv the friends Of the bill had been decidedly aycrSe
20 10.
The action upon the section repeating ,hc tax on
matches was equally curious The House had re-
pea,ed so much Of section 3437 OF the Revised
Statutes as provides for tax on UclitT matches
The Senate tlEdu'c COMMITTEE uJ.1 etA'tH 'd'0
provision ont. Yesterday senator Ferry IN
Committee OF the Whole had made an
effort to replace the provision as IL came
from tho House, but had been defeated by
majority OF only l. To-day ne renewed the
effort and carried ms point by a vote Of 81
20 80 re toriug the House prov .sion and repeating
the tax upon matches Senator Edmuut+ then
called attention to the fact that Section 3437
Of the Revised Statutes had not word
10 saw about matches, and that the
provision Just acted upon would repeal
nothing aud enact nothing. This natter was recti-
lied and the match lobby m the galleries Cappcd
Us hands and eyIuced much JOY.
Senator Morrill, at THIS point moved nop-coh-
eurrcDcc ~ tie House amendments 10 t-t KEW. 30
Statutes. Bv this tiWo the question hat reversed
telf many times that Senator'S were confused ana
were unable 10 understand whether an affirmative
WIS friendly therwise 10 the match InteIt e.
zoe Char Wa, in doubt, but senator eIIE GoI iAS
matter ght and requested Senators % vote No
Several of them had 90 last ~ change t1eiT votes
before they found themselves on the right side.
The result Of tins 10 reverse the preceding
vote. The House provision wa stricken ON h}
vote O. 81 TO -, and the match men were ia
despair
he bin was carried at $50 by vote Of - to y.
CONTROL OF THE CENSUS.
IET DEMOCRATS OF THE HOUSE INSISTING UPON 4
CERTAIN PARTISAN FLA1UEE OF TIE MODE OF