Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-06
INTERNAL REVENUE ABOLITION.

r. k X.
pend the rules and pass the bill abolishing the
internal revenue tax on tobacco, cigars, snuff,
cigarettes and cheroOts. the tax on distilled
spirits used for mechanical and manufactur-
ing purposes. and the special tax on dealers
in tobacco and the tax on liquors distilled
wholly from fruit.
Mr.. Mills, of Texas, demanded a second, and
the motion was seconded by So to IS. A half
hours debate being then allowed under the
rules, Mr.. HiscOck took the floor in support of
the bill. Its object, he said, was-frst, to re-
peal all the internal revenue tax on tobacco;
second, to repeal the tax on distilled spirits
so far as they were consumed and used In
manufacturing and in mechanics and arts;
and third. it repealed the tax on brandt dis
titled from fruit. The bill would reduce the
revenues of the government nearly $50, 900,
and he believed that it would be good thing
to have the revenues decreased to that
amount.
Mr.. O'Neill, of Missouri, said that if this
Congress would do nothing on the tariff ques-
ton, It could at least avoid the stupendOus
blunder of passing this bill.
Mr.. BlOunt, of Georgia. thought it very un-
wise for the House TO legislatG upon the i'm
portant questions presented by the pending
bill, without having an opportunity to debate
it thoroughly and amend 1t carefully. 1t came
to the House without the recommendation of
a committee, and he trusted that a measure of
this character would not be passed in this
way.
Mr. Thompson, Of Kentucky, cOntended that
the bill would ruin the Western grain dis
tilling trade.
Messrs. Cabell and Tucker, of Virginia,
spoke in favor of the bill.
Mr.. Hewitt, of New York, suggested that it
was hardly a proper system of revenue re-
form to leave the duty on cotton and take the
tax of whisky. The motion to suspend the
rules and pass the bill was lost by a yeas to
lbs nays.
THE MEXICAN PENSION BILL.
Mr.. Keifer. Of Ohio, moved to suspend the
rules, and take from the Speakers table the
Mexican pension bill. and concur in all the
Senate amendments thereto.
Mr.. Hammond, of Georgia. demanded
second, and the House, by vote OF 9S to 6S,
seconded the motion. Mr.. Hammond. In OPP
position to the motion, called attention to
the magnitude of the provisions of the
bilh The Mexican pension bill. which
passed .he House, he heartily approved. The
Senate had engrafted upon it amend
ments to pension all Federal soldiers OF lne
late war. He did not know how much this
would take from the Treasury,
but it would entail upon the
people an immense burden Of taxa
tiOn. The gentlemen who favored this propo-
sitiOn in the Senate and who favored it here
wished to make the people believe that they
would DO anything for the soldier, in the hopes
that conservative Democrats would keep this
burden Off the shoulders of the people. Not
withstanding this buncombe, he asked the
gentleman from Ohio, Mr.; In, kelier
take out of the Treasury.
Mr.. keifer declined even when the question
was pre- sed to name any sum as an approx
mdlc estimate.
Mr.. Hammond then stated emphatically
that no man who regards his reputation for
honesty would undertake even to guess.
Mr.. Reed, of Maine. thought that the ideas
of the probable cost of this bill were eXagger-
ated. He placed its limit at 81, 900, 900 an
nuallv, and predicted that il the bill were not
passed within the next sixty minutes it would
never be passed.
Mr. Herbert, of Alabama, regarded the
measure as unwise, extravagant and unjust
unjust both to the soldiers and taxpayers of
the countrv who would be saddled with a
debt which was absolutely incalculahe.
The mot on to suspend the rules and concur
in ne senate amendments to the Mexican
pension bills was lost by vote of l29 yeas to
50 j ys, not ihc neeassary two-thirds in the
| ahi native.
THE BANK RUPTCY BILL.
Mr.. Collins, of Massachusetts, moved to
suspend the ruls aud adopt the resolution
making the Senate bill to establish uniform
| system OF bankru CY, the continuing special
order teT Thursday, , an. %.
| Nj. Willis, OF sew York. demand a second,
| whicA WAS ordered BY 1l9 to 81. After long
| debs e tle motion to suspend the
/ rules 3nd MAKE lie bankruptcy bill the
| continuing ofisf wal lost by lbs to 70, not the
necee " swn- .hia in the Affirmative.