The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-10-01

On this principle the bill came from the
Republican Committee of the House. OS
the 22d of January the amendment offered
by Mr.. Wood to tax whisky on hand, and
which bad paid one tax, was adopted by the
House with my vote against it, IN company
with Thaddeus Stevens, James G. Blaine,
Henry Winter Davis, William A. Wheeler,
George S. Boutwell,, and others of lesser note
on the Republican side, and with William
S. Holman, Samuel j. Randall, George II.
Pendleton, and other distinguished gentle
men on my own side OF the chamber. Do
you think all these eminent men wanted
the rebellion to succeed Do you assume
that it would have been gall and NORWOOD
to their souls as well as mine 10 have seen
the revenue increased?
When this bill, thus amended, reached the
Senate il was, under the rules, referred to
the Finance Committee OF that body, of
which William Pitt Fessenden was Chair
man. You will hardly doubt his patriotism
or his ability, even for the pleasure of strik-
ing a political opponent. he reported the
bill back to the Senate with the Wood
amendment stricken out, and, in the course
of debate, he said:
To tax an article of this kind on hand-snd
more especially in the hands of an owner
whether an imported article or whether an article
subject to domestic duties which has already paid
q tax, or which, perhaps, has not, is thing en-
trely new ia the revenue system of any country.
examined il myself because l was told there was
no doubt about the facD that iI has never been
done IN England in any case; and If we lntroduce
IL here, it will be the first time in the history of
any system OF this kind that you take an article
! OF property which mas already gone through the
hands OF government, and paid this tax to govern
ment, and again assess tax upon IL in the hands
Of the owner. am told it has never been done a.
we should be introducing an Entirely new system,
| and one which might be attended with c0nSidera-
| bic embarrassment.
On a vote in the Senate Mr.. Fessenden and
the Committee on Finance were sustained
and the principle OF repeated taxation of the
same article wasA condemned by ma ority
| OF more than two to one, the two Senators
from Indiana, Henry S. Lane and Thomas
| A. Hendricks, voting together against it.
! When the bill was returned to the House
with the Wood amendment stricken out
Mr.. Stevens called it up February 10 and
said:
| It will be recollected that the Committee on
/ Ways and Means recommended that after the 18th
Of January, the time the bill was reported, al
| whisky distilled and sold, or removed for sale
should pay forty cents per gallon, in addition tC
| the present tax of twenty cents. The House, Oh
| motion OF the gentleman from New York (Mr
Fernando Wood, changed that so as 10 put the
tax upon all stock hand. without reference tc
the time when the same was distilled or whether
it had been taxed or not. The House adopted tina
amendment, and in that shape the bill was sent e
The Senate acted upon the bill. ana they, in
short amended the bill so that it should be en-
| tirely prospective, etc. - - The question no y
| IS whether the House viii accept the amendment
OF the Senate, or viii adhere TO their own bill The
| Committee on Ways sud Means are clearly of the
opinion tlaf tue House ought 10 accept the Senate
bill, tint tspsuSe II is more consistent with thu
| principle lsXation adopted by this and ever
other govern lnent in laying tax upon future
! products, and because It is consistent with tbs
pledge which Congress nsde 10 the community a
! the time they passed the tax law.
Upon such reasoning as this the House con
/ Cured with the Senate in striking out th'
amendment offered by Mr.. Wood, and which
was at first adopted. l simply agreed with
Mr. Stevens. Mr.. Fessenden, and other abb
leaders in both branches of Congress in op
| posing principle Of continuous taxation
which involves the right of confscation; anC
if for this you think best to assail me before
the people OF Indiana, l am content for yoJ
TO do so. This is my explanation which yoJ
demanded; and If it is different from wha
you expected it is because my record is bet
ter than you thought it was. 1 have tn
honor 10 be, very respectfully. yours,
D. W. VOORHEES,.
Terre Eaute. Sept. i, 1854.