, 1888-01-14
Congressional

WASHINGTON, Jan. lathe bill to
credit and pay to the several states and
territories and the District of Columbia
all money collected under the direct tax
act of the 5th of August, 1861, was taken
up in the senate to day, the question be-
ing on the verbal amendment offered by
Hoar when the bill was up some days ago.
After q general debate, which lasted
oyer an hour, R~iddleberger made a mo-
ton to go into executive session, his pur-
pose being to forward the action on the
nomination of Lamar. The motion was
lost by a tie up to 26, the division being
upon party lines, except that Riddleberger
voted with the Democrats. A few min
utes later he renewed the motion, stating
that his understanding was that there was
an agreement that the senate should go
into executive session to-day. The mo-
ton was lost this time by &c to 81.
The majority of the enators do not I'M
derstand that there was any agreement
for executive session to-day, but, on the
contrary, that there was a tacit a~cauies-
cence in the wish expressed by some sena-
tors last night that no action should be
attempted until Monday on the Lamar
case and the cabinet nominations.
The votes of to-day are not held to
have any significance as to bearing upon
the result in the Lamar case, since some
of Lamar's friends abstained from voting
in consequence of what they understood
to be the tacit understanding of yester-
day.
The direct tax bill was then laid aside
and Vance proceeded to address the SEN
ate on the resolution offered by Brown,
proposing TO abolish national revenue
taxation, Lines, be said, had been drawn
closely by the presidents message on the
subject OF the surplus and taxation. The
contest had to be fought out squarely and
the question decided u~nequivocally on its
merits. That question was, should taxa
ton be enforced for the support of the
government or for enrichment of private
individuals. He declared that the central
theory of tariff was ~inequity, and he waa
opposed the whole thing out and out. He
should not vote to put anything on the
free list, the tax on which was pure reve-
nue., and he should strive earnestly to
reach taxation on the necessaries of life,
and he should discriminate in nothing ex-
cept against luxuries and in favor of the
helpless and unprotected.
The resolution was laid aside and the
Blair education bill was taken up and
constitutional argument made against it
by Gray.
Aftel some little debate, participated in
by Gray and George, the bill went over
as unfinished business and the senate ad-
iourned until Monday.
In the house to-day the bill relating to
permissible marks in writing or printing
On second, third and fourth class mail
matter was taken up and passed and the
house went into committee OF the whole
(Hatch of Missouri in the chair on the
private calendar. One private bill was
passed and the committee rose.
Morrow of California, from the com
mittee on foreign affairs, reported a joint
resolution, appropriating $50, 900 to en-
able the government to participate in the
International exhibition to be held at
Melbourne in April, 1888, which was re-
ferred to committee of the whole. Ac-
~companying the Joint resolution is a re-
port in which the committee urges the
Importance of encouraging in every proper
way the growing commercial and social
relations between this country and Aus,
tralia.
Alter the transaction of other unim,
portant business the house adjourned un,
til Monday.