Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-05-16
The Senate.

The SENATE.
WASHINGTON, May 15-Favcrable reports
were made for public buildings at Louisville,
KY, Hannibal, Mo-, Detroit, Mich, Council
Bluffs, To-, ard jackson, Tenn.
Senator Harris bill to refund the taxes on
the incomes collected from the citizens of
Tennessee without authority, passed.
The per cent. land bill was laid over in
formally and the house bill for the removal
of the remains Of Gen. fitzpatrick, passed.
Bills were introduced and referred to aid ia
the endowment of a school of forestry in St.
Paul; for public building. In Lacrosse WIS;
A Joint resolution for an international con-
vention to recommend the establishment of
standard meridian for reckoning longitude and
time. Morrill, presented amendments to the
house bonded distilled spirits bill in the form
OF a substitute for that measure.
Waving all mattersA connected with
Window he proceeded to argue the jus
tice, fairness and honesty of the
measure which be claimed would promote the
interests alike Of distillers, dealers, and the
government, for the collection of all taxes
due on spirits was ample for its protection:
and he asserted, on the authority of the In
ternal revenue department., the utter Ina
possibility of fraud without the absolute GER
tainty of it's detection after spirits had been
deposited in distillery warehouse, because
after it is recorded every gallon must be &C.
counted for. He argued the bill did not I'M
pair any existing safeguards, and that the alb;
of whisky, after it is recorded
in Washington, would be still more
difficult than the abstraction of funds
of bank. The records Of the treasury
department showed no attempts at fraud on
the part OF the dIstillers, and after denying
the right of the government to tax any OF the
whisky product Of the country,, except that
which enters into home consumption, he re-
piled to statements by the secretary of the
treasury and OF hers, adverse to the change
proposed by the bill. He regarded the clamor
which has been made upon these statements
as due to the ignorance of the practical work
ings of the distilery business. He thought
the secretary, while doubtless good lawyer,
was profoundly ignorant of the inter-
nal revenue system. After contending
that whisky on deposit was ample security for
the tax, and further that the tax on home
manufactured spirits should be levied, as In
the cases of tobacco and other articles, upon
that which actually goes into consumption
or upon the market. He said that with all
the safeguards placed around distilled spirits,
men were denounced as thieves who merely
sought reasonable relief from oppressive laws
Having an ample treasury, the gov
ern2ient ought now 10 deal literally
with instead Of depressing the
small distiller who had SO long literally
and largely contributed towards the payment
of public obligations. Iu answer to an appre-
hension that the present over production
would be increased If the bill became a law,
he quoted the declarations of the commissioner
of internal revenue to the effect that the orai-
nary laws of supply and demand would apply
the required remedy. After quoting APPROX
ingly the opinion OF the same officer
in other phases OF the subject and
argued that the exclusion of warehouse
privileges was in the interest both Of the
government and the small dstillers.
Beck said If the senate had the constitu-
tiOnal power to reduce the tax on distilled
spirits to so cents gallon, he would gladly
support an amendment to that effect, believ-
ing that reasonably low taxes produced the
greatest revenue. Referring to the SO called
whisky ring, he read telegram and letter
from II. FL. Shufeldt, president Of the United
States Distillers' and Liquor Dealers associa-
ton, addressed to G.. G. Wharton, their attor-
ney at Washington, stating that the funds col
lected by the Western Export association
were all paid to the exporters Of
surplus alcohol to cover their Losses; that
German alcohol being very low this was done
to save the home market, and had nothing to
do with legislation. The letter was accom-.
panied by circular signed by President Mil
Ter, of the Western Export association, de-
failing the exigencies which required the for
nation of ring and the payment of very
simply an honest, earnest effort of business
men to avert the impending ruin which polt.
ical corruption and over production had
brought upon them
Following is the extract from the letter OF
shufeldt, which was read: 1--WE raised,
month by month, until all amounted to some
100000. Even with this, we found ourselves
short, and had to call an extra assessment on
March % of three dollars per bushel on each
house in the pool. We ran 1900 bushels;
therefore, our assessment was $500.
This extract was followed by statement to
the effect that exporters had dubbed together
to relieve parties In trade who could Lot sell
their product OF account OF the cattle on
hand which they had bought in the fall with
the expectation of brisk trade
The proposition was made to
would ship their cattle to foreign in prefer
ence to home market, and the money was cis-
posed OF in this way. The writer added that
he knew of his own knowledge that not a
single dollar of the money of either associa-
ton was expended for legislation except legit
imately.
Morrill, in opposition to the bill, said the
evil OF which the holders oil Spirits now COM
plain would be aggravated by the pending
measure and argued against the claims on
which 1t was supported.
Window, mover of the pending investiga-
tion into the alleged corruption ID connection
with the bill, replied to Beck's reference to
that matter. He regarded the statement In
the communication read by that senator that
$500, 900 had been raised by the parties affected
by the bill az to some extent justifying the in
vestigation, especially when taken in ccnnec-
ton with the fact that this large sum was
raised at about the time the projectors of the
the bill came 10 congress. He proposed to 20
on with that investigation and give those gen.
tiemen an opportunity 10 explain. He dis
claimed having ever intimaed that any mem.
Der of either house had been improperly
Influenced and approached, and as to
the merits of the bill. he would
attempted to show at the proper time, that it
would more widely open the door to ewind-
ling of the government than would any 9th
or or all of the projects before congress for
twenty five years.
Bsck's resolution having served Its purpose
in calling attention to the subj.c, was lndefn-
itely postponed.
Garland reports from the judiciary commit
tee an amencmsnt to revise
the statutes relating to the
claims of persons In the naval service en-
titled to bounty land warrants.
Following are the amounts appropriated by
the bills favorably reported for public build
ines at the points named: Jackson, Tenn,
Hs0 mn. Councii pluffs In alma 0Q0. Oetrcik