National Republican., 1884-06-14
Quite Debate in the Senate on That
Measure
A Motion to Recommit Fails for the
Want Of a Quorum.
POstoflce Appropriations Senate Amendmen
as to the Letter Carries Concurred In.
The House WIN Not Agree 20 the In
crease for Mail Transportation.
SENATE.

On motion OF Mr.. Cameron, of Wisconsin, the
senate took up the house bill providing for the
payment OF tho claims audited by the treasury
department during the past year by virtue Of the
act OF July 4, 1861, for commissarat and quarter
masters supplies furnished to the army during
the war. Mr.. Cameron explained that the bill
had been carefully prepared in the house, and the
senate com mltteo was confident 1t was free from
error. The reading of the bill occupied consider
able time there being 1903 printed pages of IT. The
claims are Tor various sums, ranging from SlO 10
81 900 and over.
The bill was passed.
CONFERENCE ON APPROPRIATION BILLS.
Messages were received from the house Of rop.
resentatlyes announcing non concurrence o. that
BODY IN the senate amendments to the consula
and diplomatic aud the pension APPROPRIATION bills.
The senate insisted on It's amendments and
ordered committees Of conference.
The chair appointed us conferees on tho part of
the senate on the consular and diplomatic bill
Messrs. Allison, Hale, and Beck, and on the PEN
sion bill Messrs. Logan, Dawes, and Call.
STATE CLAIMS.
Mr.. Brown asked and obtained unanimous con-
sent 10 take up bill TO require the payment III
cash TO the state Of Georgia Of s3t BOO appropriated
for that state by AN ACT passed In March, 1873, to
refund to Georgia certain moneys expended for
the common defense IN l777.
Mr.. Dolph moved an amendment to include
e35 900 for oregon and S495 for California TO re-
'und moneys expended by those states in the sup
PRESTON of the ModOc hostiliies III 1872 and 1873
a law had been passed, Mr.. Dolph said, for the
'efunding to those two states Of the amount men
Toned, but the secretary of the resury had with
oeld them by making set offs. He wanted to know
why Oregon should be treated differently from the
stale of Georgia.
In reply to Inquiries Mr. Cameron, of Wisconsin,
the bill. explained that when state assumed the
war tax 1T thereby became claim against the
state, and not claim against the Taxpayers OF
the state. That, at least, was the idea OF the COM
mittee. In the case of Georgia the state govern
ment had not assumed the tax.
Mr.. Brown argued that the United States govern
ment could assess q tax against its citizens, but
could not constitutonaily assess tax against a
state us such. 1t could Tax property and tax in
dividuals, or 1t could impose indirect taxes as by
a tariff but 1t could not tax state proper. The
state of Georgia had not assumed this debt as u
state.
Mr. Harrison asked why Georgia had not better
assume the debt now.
United States concluded to collect the tax from all
the southern states, Georgia would do her share.
congress to refund TO the states the amounts they
had paid and repeal the act requiring 1t TO be paid
Mr. Harrison thought this an ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
that a general statute should be prepared and
passed dealing with the whole subject
Mr.. Brown said the law had been already passed,
so far as Georgia was concerned The attorney
general had given an opinion that the state OF
Georgia owed nothing to the government. The
justice OF the claim had Teen admitted by the pass
age last year OF the act to secure the enforcement
for which the bill under discussion had been in
tToduced.
Mr. Ingalls, did not know of any plea that for
sublime audaUiIy surpassed the plea made by Mr..
Brown. 1t reminded MI. ingalls, of the instance
in which criminal was tried for the murder OF
his own father and mother and when asked IL he
could give any reason why sentence of death
should not be passed on him, replied tlat he
hoped the court would be meruitul to him on the
ground that he was an orphanl tLaughter The
argument was that Georgia had not assumed the
debt and, therefore. should be excused.
Mr.. Brown disclalmed this.
Mr.. ingalls,, continuing, said that other states
had aid their shares Of the tax, aud to excuse
Georgia would be to put a premium OH rebellion.
1t would place the states that rebelled in posi-
tion superior, in peCuniary point of view, to
that OF the states that remained loyal The south
erp states had paid various sums account OF
this tax South Carolina having paid sl4 900 more
than its share. Georgia had been less rvgardful
of its obligations, but even Georgia had paid
$4,000, aside from the amount involved In the
pending bill.
After further discussion by Messrs. Brown,
Morgan, Harrison, George, and Miller, OF Calitor-
MIA, Mr. ingalls, moved to recommit the bill to the
committee ON claims TWAS then discovered that
there was not quorum present. The senate,
then tut 1850 p n.y. adjourned till Monday next.