The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-19
LENGTHY DEBATE In TIE SENATE.
The AMENDMENTS OFFERED BY
SENATORS.
Mr. Vance Wants to Add the Cotton Tax.
Mr.. Plumb the Military and
Naval Income Tax.
SENATE.

SENATE.
WASHINGTON, January 1S.-Mr. Sher
man, from the Committee on Foreign
Relations, reported a bill to fix the
charge for passports at $40 (now $J), and
the bill was thereupon passed
| RETUSDING THE DIRECT TAX.
| At the close of the morning business
the bill for refunding the direct tax of
1851 was taken up, the question being on
Mr.. Chandler's motion to recommit the
bill. The motion was rejected.
AMENDMENTS TO THE BILL.
The question was then taken on the
amendment offered by Mr.. Edmunds re-
quiring all claims to be filed wiShin six
years, and 1t was agreed to.
Several amendments Of a vei bal char
| acter were agreed to.
Mr.. Berry offered an amendment pro-
viding that no part Of the money col
lected from individuals shall be retained
by the United States as set of against
any State indebtedness. The amend
ment was agreed to.
THE COTTON TAX AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Vance offered an amendment ex-
tending the provisions OF the bill to the
cotton tax collected under the law of
1862 and subsequent laws. He said that
il the direct tax was to be refunded this
cotton tax, which was also direct tax,
ought to be refunded. II one was a
hardship the other was equally a hard
ship. The cotton tax was a tax ON ex-
ports, and was levied ON a particular
product of one section of the country, SO
that there could be no compensating tax
on any other section.
OTHER ADVOCATES FOR IT.
Mr.. GEORGE advocated the amendment
The constitutionality of the cotton tax
had been referred, he said, to the Su-
preme Court, and that court, consisting
then Of only eight members. had been
equally divided upon it. Being tax
upon raw product it was virtually
tax ON lands, therefore a direct tax,
which should be, under the Constitution,
apportioned according to population.
Mr.. Berry also advocated the amend
ment. Four-fifths of the money under
the bill to refund the direct tax would
go to the Northern States, and it was
but equitable and just that the cotton
tax, which had fallen wholly on the
Southern planters, should be refunded.
NOT ExPEDIENT.
Mr.. Brown believed that the cotton
tax should be refunded, and whenever
that question come up in such a shape
that he could probably vote for it he
would do 50. But the adoption of the
cotton tax amendment would, he was
convinced, defeat the pending mes sure.
which he believed ought To pass. He
should, therefore, vote against the
amendment.
MIR. MORGAN OPPOSES 1T.
Mr.. Morgan expressed his concurrence
with the views of MIR. Brown. The ques-
tion of the cotton tax had not been con-
sidered by the Committee on Finance.
1t was very grave question, and there
would be serious difficulty found in re-
funding the cotton tax. The effect of
the pending bill would be to remove all
causes of heartburning that might be
lingering in the minds of the people of
the two sections. He supported it be-
cause Of its merits and he did NOT desire
to have it connected with any other
great proposition which would embarass
its passage. The proposition offered by
the Senator from North Carolina, was a
very disputed one. If the people of the
South had the constitutional right to
claim the refun1ing of the cotton tax he
would support their claims, but he would
never set up an equitable claim to it, for,
after all, it was the right of the United
that dissolution of the Union by the Sc
cession of the States was impossible, to
tax the people of the South. He was
not prepared to give a definite opinion
on the constitutionality of the cotton tax,
and would therefore sustain the position
THE DEBATE PROCEEDS.
Mr.. Vance said that the amendment
had not been offered by him for the pur-
pose OF defeating the bill, but he could
not see why il one tax were refunded
the other should not also be refunded.
Mr.. Call, while advocating the amend
meLt, opposed the whole bill.
MIR. Beck said he favored the i'll As a
measure of justice, but argued that it
should not be encumbered with any
thing else
Mr.. Vorhces also regarded the amend
ment as one which, if adopted. would
defeat the bill, which he regarded as an
entirely just measure and very credita-
BILE to the gentleman who had been
most active and prominent in bringing
it forward. He would look upon his
vote for the amendment as being vote
against the bill.
Mr.. Hampton stated some facts to
show that the State of South Carolina
| 500, 900, while her quota of the direct
tax was only $363, 900.
| Mr. Sherman admitted the facts but
said that the Finance Committee had
thought it best not to deal with the mat
| ter further than refundicg the actual
money received by the United States.
Mr.. Hampton asked to be, and was
| excused from voting on the amendment
because he was directly interested in it,
A vote was taken on Mr.. vance's
amendment and it was rejected-yeas
Is; nays, 48-as follows:
THE VOTE.
Yeas-Bate, Berry, Butler, Call, Coke