Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-06-15
The Senate


WASHINGTON, June 14.-In the senate to
day Senator Miller reported from the com
merce committee the original bill, providing
for the construction of the Illinois and Mis-
sissippi canal, and to cheaper transportation
Calendered.
The senate resumed consideration of the
senate joint resolution to pay mail contrac'
tors in various southern states. amounts due
them on their contracts for 1859, 1860 and
1861, and the appropriation of $375,7OO for
that purpose. The vote upon proceeding
with bill, was: Yeas, 80; nays, "a: a party
vote, Senator Davis, of Illinois, voting no
with the Republicans. Senator Conger in op.
position to the bill, denied any liability of the
United States to make payment, as the
service was rendered solely to the confederate
states by these loyal contractors, who violated
their contracts with the government.
Senator Maxey rose to reply but as few min
utes remained of the morning hour, he. de-
ferred his remarks until the subject was re-
sumed in the morning hour tomorrow.
A long struggle ensued for precedence of
regular business, but finally a motion by
Senator Bayard to take up the bonded spirits
bill prevailed. Yeas, 81; nays, 2.
The house bill to amend the laws relating
to the entry of distilled spirits in distilery and
special bonded warehouses and Withdrawals
therefrom was resumed and the substitute
reported by the finance committee was read.
Senator Bayard briefly urged the necessity of
the prolongatiOn bonded period from three to
five years. instead ofindefnitely as presented
by the house, although no change in the rate
of tax was proposed. He expressed his own
belief that reduction would be made in the
next two years and possibly in six
months, and added that the recent
proposition in the house to reduce it
from 80 to 70 cents per gallon had already
produced paralysis in trade. In discussin 6
the idea of an indefinite period, he suggested
the possible contingency of fuctuation in
the market, which would leave the great
body of warehouse whisky in the hands of
the government. thaough insolvencylof own
ers, and also danger that stocks would be
tempered with and revenue defrauded by gov
eminent officials.
Senator Williams advocated the house bill
and opposed the senste committee amend
ments He ridiculed the Window lnvestlga-
ton on the subject and attributed the outcry
which gave rise to it to the fact that parties
interested had failed, rather than agreed to
provide q corruption fund. He held that the
&c yernment revenues were not affected by the
length of the bonded period, whether one or
five years, or indefinitely, and commended the
warehousing system.
Senator Sherman said the bill, like the
Carlisle bill of 1880, was departure from the
principle of the warehousing system, which,
Notwithstanding Democratic opposition
in it's passage, had operated benz
H. IIgs a cd his by the practical results Of
laws on the subject. He regarded the bill as
improved by the senate committee, in view OF
Limitation upon the duration of deposit to
five years, and an interest charge after three
years, thus adopting the warehousing prln.
ciple, but he would make this period so short
that no distiller would be tempted to make
more than he could sell in any year. He
incidentally expressed an opinion that firm
tax of 60 cents, promptly collected, would
yield more revenue than the present.
Without action the senate went into excu'
tive session and soon adjourned.