Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-24
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
CONGRESSIONAL PROCEEDINGS.
The Revenue Reduction Bill "A
Fight for Free SbiPs-The Repub.
Iicans ID 9dge-BreVVsGeF and Hub
BELLA Cut and Dried opinion on
AssesameHIs

1
measure intend to urge their colleagues to
sit It out with the view Of taking up the
naval appropriation bill on Tuesday. Well
informed opinions differ very widely, how
ever, as to the probability of passing or of
reaching a vote on the passage of the tax
| bill Sd speedily. There seems to be
prevalent expectation that It will
in some msnner be gotten out
OF the way of appropriation bills not later
| than Tuesday evening. But in view, on the
one hand, of the announced purpose of some
| Of its Republican friends to act against It, II
it be further weighted with amendments, and
on the other hand, OF the svowed deter
mination of -maDy of its opponents to
resist its passage by all parliamentary
means, unless important additional
amendments be adopted, 1t is
now thought extremely uncertain
whether the bill can be disposed of within
the next few days in any other way than by
LAYING it aside to take its chances In the
closing day of the present session.
The Senate subcommittee on the sundry
| civil. or "omnibus," appropriation bill will
have it ready to report to the full committee
| to. morrow morning, and the committee ex-
pect to bring it forward for action by the
| Senate Immediately after the passage of the
| naval bill.
! There will doubtless be much controversy
! in the Senate concerning the general
| legislative features of the naval bill, aud a
| determined effort will be made to replace
| them with a comprehensive amendment
| providing for the reference of the whole
question Of reducing the personnel of the
navy to N xed board OF three
Senators, three members of the House
| and three naval officers. It is be-
| lieveS. however, that the consideration
OF the bill will not occupy more than two
days, and In case 1t be taken UP for action
at as early date, as is expected, the Sen
ate will have ample time to pass the sundry
civil bnl-the last of the annual series
during the remainder OF the week. In this
event, unless the tax bill be still pending, and
a majority of the Senate desire to proiong
the session in order 10 continue its discus
cusslon, a final adjournment may be ex-
pected early next week, perhaps on Mon
| day.
SENATE PROCEEDINGS.
WASHINGTON July 22.-In the Senate, Mr..
Allison, from the Committee on Appropris-
tions, reported back the House bill directing
the payment to Mrs Lucretia f Garfield of
$50, ,000 less any sum already paid on ac-
count of the late Presidents salary. Passed.
Mr.. Hale presented the conference report
on the deficiency bill. The only disagree
ment was on the mileage amendment, ard
the Senate insisted on its position on this
point and ordered a new conference.
The Senate took up the revenue bill, and
without debate, voted down the amendment
offered by Mr.. Beck to retain the taxes on
perfumeTY, medical preparations and other
articles in schedule A Of section 3437 of the
Revised Statutes. The vote was party one
-26 to 29-Mr. Davis, of Illinois, voting no
with the Republicans.
Mr.. Vance moved to retain the stamp tax
on playing cards Lost on tie vote-28 to
| 2S-Mr Davis, of Illinois, not voting.
The frs section of the bill was then
adopted. The second section imposing
specific taxes upon tobacco and cigar deal
ers, manufacl ureTs, peddlers and retail
Dealers was then discussed.
The committees amendment to the sec
tion requiring the twelve dollars eXacted
from dealers in leaf tobacco to be paid an
| nualiy after May, 1888, was adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Beck, proviso was
| aided to thesectiOn as follows: That farm
ers and producers OF tobacco may sell at
| the place of production tobacco of their
own growth and raising at retail directly
to consumers, to an amount not exceeding |
500 annually" The vote was "a to 23.
Malone and Kellogg voted aye with the
Democrats. Bayard voted no with the Re- |
publicans.
Mr.. Morgan offered and advocated a new |
section exempriug from the special tax i'm |
posed on dealers OF manufactured tobacco |
farmers, planters and lumbermen who fur |
nsh supplies Of tobacco to their neighbOrs |
or employees in quantities aggregatiDg less |
than one hundred pounds per year. Adopt |
ed on a viva vGce vote.
The third section, reducing the taxes on |
ofo md ofO xy{u rpaabaH |
Mr.. Malone moved an amendment fixing |
the taxes upon snuff and manufactured to-
baccO after June 1st, 1888, at eight cents |
per pound. The amendment adopts the |
precise language OF the existing statute on |
the subja except as to the rate. Mr. Ma |
hone said the proposition would involve |
reduction Of the revenue Of about $l20OO, |
600, or twice the amount effected by the II |
per cent. rate previously agreed to in the |
first section. The debate on this amend |
ment occupied the remainder of the session. |
Without reaching a vote the Senate ad-
journed.
HOUSE PROCEEDINGS.
In the House, on motion OF Mr.. Guenther,,
of Wisconsin. the DeUster bill to regulate |
the carrying Of passengers by sea was taken |
from the House calendar and passed.
On motion of Mr. Ellis, of Louisiana, the |
bill was passed authorizing the St. Tam
many Water Works Company to lay con-
duits, pipes and squeduct under the wa |
ters Of Lake Ponchartrain, to connect its |
northern shore with the city OF New Or
leans.
Under the call of commi tees, the Ways |
and Means Committee called up the bill TO |
allow a drawback on foreign materials used |
in connection with domestic materials In |
the construction of steam and sail vessels |
for foreign account.
Mr. Tucker. OF Virginia, moved to insert |
the words cor domestic" after the word |
sforeign, - in the body of the bill, so that 1t |
should read ''built for foreign and domestic |
account" The Republicans promptly op- |
posed this amendment as opening up the |
question Of free ships
HThat's what we want" came in chorus |
from the Democratic side. On viva voce |
vote there appeared to be large majority in |
favor OF the amendment. The Republicans |
demanded tellers, when many on that side |
refrained from voting, leaving the House
without quorum. The yeas and nays were
then demanded and the vote stood yeas SO; |
nays -. No quorum No further proceed |
ings were taken on the bill.
The floor was then accorded to the Com
mittee on Post Offices and Post Roads. The
first bill called up was that providing that
postage on second. class publications de-
posted in 6 letter carrier office for delivery
by its carriers shall be uniform, at two |
cents per pound. Passed.
The next bill passed was one making it an
offense punishable by tine and Imprisonment |
to personate post office inspector.
The following bills were also passed
Making 1t a misdemeanor for a postal Off
cial to do any act forbidden by any law re.
lating to the postal service to punish Post
masters for making false certificates of the |
arrival and departure of mails providing |
that no bidder for mail service on any route |
shall be REQUIRED to furnish with his bid or |
proposal check or draft. A supplemental |
post route bill was also passed.
Adjourned.
BREWSTER AND HUBBELL.
Attorney General Brewster has rem
dered an opinion on the issue raised |
hetween George William Curtis and |
Representative Hubbell, Chairman of |
the Republican Congressional Committee, |
on the subject of political assessments, in |
which he holds that a member is not an |
officer of the United States, SO that gift to |
him for campaign purposes does not fall |
within the statute regulating political as |
sesements. The opinion will be laid before |
the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday next.
THE TRANSPORTATION OF CHINESE FROM |
CUBA.
The Attorney General has given an opin-
ion TO the Secretary Of the Treasury that |
the request of the transportation companies |
to he allowed to take some sixty thousand |
Chinese latorers through this country from |
Cuba to China, cannot be granted under the |
law as it now stands. This af1rms the |
rn}sap recently made on this question by