Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-12-29
YESTERDAY IN CONGRESS.
THE SENATE WINKING AT HUB.
BELLISM.

ship-The Fitz John Porter Relief
Bill-The District Tax Act-Important
Opinion of First Comptroller Law
renee.
WASHINGTON, Dec. .2S.-The Republicans
in the Senate to-day passed Mr.. Edmunds,
so-called bill to prohibit political assess
ments. BY it, as by the civil service bill
passed yesterday, any person in govern
ment employ is prohibited from solicit
ing or receiving political contributions
from other government employees, but
Republican strikers" outside govern
ment employees may bulldoze and solicit
as of old. The Democrats showed how in
effective the proposed legislation was,
and offered numerous amendments to
create something more than a bold sham.
The Republicans voted all these down,
and passed the farce by a party vote.
The plan of the Republicans In their
campaign of reform was very clearly out
lined yesterday and told. They go in for
measures which have reform titles and
which are filled with many reform words,
but which leave things just about as they
are.
Jay Hubbell has been on the track of
Ferry during the past five days. He has
had two detectives following that profess
siOnal temperance and wOman's rights
statesman. Hubbell finds, or claims to
have found, that Ferry. after hav-
beastly drunk, he says - has been
bundled off home. All Of this he intends
printing in Michigan papers. A fight be-
tween two such sweets as Ferry and Hnb-
bell just shows right up the beauties of
able Republican leaders.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
The Senate, at the close of the
morning hour, on motion of Mr..
Edmunds, took up the bill reported
by him from the Committee on the Judi
ciary to prevent government officers and
employees from collecting from or paying
to each other money for political purposes.
On motion of Mr.. HOar the bankruptcy
bill was set down for consideration on the
10th of January.
At / :55 the bill to prohibit the solicita-
tion or payment of political contributions
by government employees was passed just
as 1t came from the Judiciary Committee.
Numerous amendments were offered and
rejected.
Mr.. Sewell moved to take up the Fitz
John Porter bill.
Mr.. Sherman appealed to Mr.. Sewell to
give way in order that a vote might be
had on the bonded whisky bill, but Mr..
Sewell declined until the Porter bill should
be taken up.
The Senate then, by a vote of % to q,
took up the latter bill.
Mr.. Sewell was willing that the bill
should be informally laid aside to permit
MIR. Sherman to call up the whisky bill, but
unanimous consent was required, and
several Senators objected so the Senate
proceeded with the Porter bill,
Mr.. Logan proposed that its friends
should speak to-day, and he said he would
occupy two or three hours tomorrow in Op-
position to it.
Mr.. Conger protested against any ar
rangement for the final disposal of the bill
until it shall have been first considered by
the full Senate.
The conclusions of the military board,
composed Of Generals Schofield, Terry and
Getty, were read from the report Of the
Committee on Military Affairs, made in
May last.
Mr.. Sewell then addressed the Senate in
support of the bill.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Sewell's re-
marks the Senate went into executive ses-
sion, and soon after adjourned.
THE DISTRICT TAX" ACT.
First Comptroller of the Treasury Law
renee has rendered an elaborate opinion
to the Secretary of the Treasury in regard
to the twelfth section of the act of June
Z, 1862, known as the "District Tax Act"
The inquiry came from South Carolina,
and was, in substance, whether this act
makes an appropriation under which any
of the States of the Union can claim pay
ment of the money therein specified to be
paid to the several States respectively
proclaimed in insurrection on the condi-
tiOns therein prescribed.
Judge Lawrence holds that it is entirely
clear that this section does not make an
appropriation of any money, or, in other
words, it does not, without the aid of a
separate appropriation act, authorize any
money to be paid to any State or to the
Governor OF any, But if this difficulty
were removed, and if the 18th section Of
the act referred to could be construed as
an appropriation act, no payment could
be made by the Secretary to any
State under its provisions, for the reason
that the conditions precedent therein re-
quired to authorize the payment have not
been in any particular complied with.
FALLING OFF IN TOBACCO TAX RECEIPTS.
A statement from the Treasury Depart
ment shows a remarkable decrease in the
receipts from the tobacco tax since the
agitation of the question of tax reduction
began, In four of the principal tobacco
districts Of New Jersey and Virginia the
receipts have fallen from 81, ,4S5,073 in No
VembeP and December Of 1881, to 1923, ,906
III the corresponding month OF this year.
1t is probable that the entire tobacco tax
receipts will fall nearly 81, 900 for the
past sixty days, as compared with the
corresponding period of last year.
THE TREASURY BALANCE.
The Treasury balance, which was down
to $117, 100000 yesterday, is now $11S, ,25O,-
900, and slowly rising. As there appears
to be no necessity for; such action there
will be no further calls for bonds during
the present month, and there is now no
positive information as to when call will