The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-20
DIRECT TAX TO BE REFUNDED.
The Bill Passed BY the House OF Repre-
.sent1tiyes,

.sentatiyes.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-1n the
House, Blanchard, of Louisiana, re-
ported the river and harbor bill, and it
was referred to the committee Of the
whole.
On motion of Hatch, Of Missouri, the
Senate amendments to the Department
of Agriculture bill were non-concurred
in, and conference was ordered.
On motion of Sayers, of Texas, a
joint resolution was passed, appropriate
ing $4,000 to meet the deficiency in the
contingent fund of the House.
The House then went into commit
tee of the whole, Springer, of Illinois,
in the chair, on the direct tax bill.
Walker, of Missouri, offered all
amendment, providing for the refund
ing of the tax on the basis of the pres
ent population of the States. Rejected.
Johnston, of North Carolina, offered
an amendment appropriating O,0O0,-
600, in eight annual payments, for the
support of the common schools.
Grain, of Texas, faised point of Or
der, which was sustained by the ch air,
and the amendment was ruled out.
Johnston also offered an amendment
for the refunding OF the surplus in the
treasury to the States which paid the
same under the internal revenue laws.
Ruled out.
Elliott, of South Carolina, offered
an amendment making it the duty OF
the Secretary Of the Treasury to pay to
such person as shall apply therefor, aud
furnish satisfactory evidence that such
applicant was, at the time of the sales
hereinafter mentioned, the legal owner
or issue at law or devisee of the legal
owner Of such lands as were sold in the
parishes Of Helena and st. Luke's, il
South Carolina, under the Acts OF
Congress, the value of said lands
in the manner following: To own
ers of lots in the town of Beau
fort, the value assessed for taxation
by the United States Direct Tax Com
lnissioners for South Carolina to own
ers of land which were rated foT taxa
ton by the State of South Carolina as
being usually cultivated, or capable Of
cultivation; SIG per acre for each acre
returned in the proper tax book; to
owners Of all Lands, SIG per acre. In
all cases where persons while serving
IL the army or navy or marine corps
purchased any of said lands, and such
lands afterwards reverted to the United
States, it shall be the duty of the Sec
retary of the Treasury to pay to such
persons as shall in each case apply
therefor, or to their heirs at law, de-
yisees or grantees in good faith and for
valuable consideration, whatever sum
was so paid to the United States in
such case.
In order to carry out the provisions
ofthe amendment, SS50,OO0 is appTo-
priated. The amendment was adopted.
Oates, of Alabama, offered an amend
ment providing for the refunding of
the cotton tax.
Alien, Of Mississippi, moved to
amend the amendment by proposing
that the money so refunded shall be
turned into common school fund.
In the course Of some humorous re-
marks upon the various propositions
for taking money out of the Treasury,
Allen said if those who saved the
Union during the war kept on paying
themselves back for what they had
done, the first thing they knew the
country would not owe them anything.
After the amendment offered by AL
len had been voted down, the amend
ment offered by Oates for the refund
ing OF the cotton tax was rejected by
rising vote Of 81 yeas to l29 nays, the
Republicans voting solidly against it
and being reinforced by the votes of u
number of Democrats.
Oates then offered an amendment
allowing any person from whom the
cotton tax was collected to bring suit
ia the Court of Claims and the Su-
prene Court to test the constitutiona!i-
ty of the Act under which it was COL
lected. In support Of his amendment
Mr.. Oates said that many of the South
ern people were OF the opinion that this
cotton tax had been taken from them
by robbery-bv al unconstitutional
law. They would cherlully acquiesce
in any decision the court might make.
On the point OF order by Casewell, of
Wisconsin, that the amendment was
not germane to the bill it was ruled out
of order
An amendment offered by Oates, pro-
viding that in settling The account of
any State with the United States, the
SAFE snail be credited with anv
amount which may be due by it to the
United States under the Act of 1886, to
regulate deposits Of public money, was
also rejected.
These amendments ali came up in the
course of long discussion, in which a
dozen or more members participated.
A vote was then taken upon the
amendment proposed by the judiciary
committee, striking out the provision
IN the Senate bill declaring that no part
of the money appropriated by the bill
should be paid TO any attorney or
agent, under contract for services now
existing or hereafter entered into be-
tween the representative of any State