The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-04-05
CONGRESS.
Consideration by the Senate of the
Direct Tax Bill, and Some
Speeches Thereon.
Some Allusion to the Direct Cot
ton Tax-Move to Investl-
gate the Strike.
FIFTIHTH CONGRESS.

FIFTIHTH CONGRESS.
SENATE.
WASHINGTON, April 3.-Among the Pc
tititions and memorials presented and
referred, were the following:
To send the United States troops to
Chicago to protect the lives and property
of citizens against the socialists of ILL
nois and Iowa. The resolution hereto
fore offered by Senator Rlddleberger to
suspend so much of the rules as provide
for executive session dutiDg consideration
of the fisheries treaty, was taken up.
Senator Riddeberger said he had given
notice yesterday that he would call up
that resolution in order that those who
were opposed to it might absent them
selves and draw upon the courage which
they lacked to vote for il. His
proposition had been beaten from
time TO time, and had been for five
years, by just the same kind of
parliamentary practice that had been
tried to-day. He called for the yeas and
nays.
On agreeing to the resolution Senator
Edmunds said as the question was one
agreeing to resolution, he desired to
submit some observations to the senate
which he did not care to submit to her
majesty's ministers just at present. He
moved that the galleries be cleared and
the doors closed. The motion was
agreed to.
After executive session the senate
adjourned.
WASHINGTON, April 3-Mr. Culberson,
of Texas, chairman of the committee on
Judiciary, called up, as the special order,
the senate direct tax bill.
Mr.. Foran, of Ohio, antagonized this
with motion that the house go into COM
mittee of the whole on the pension ap-
preparation bill.
Mr.. Forans motion was lost. Yeas, So;
nays, IA.
The house then went into committee of
the whole for the consideration of the
special order.
Mr.. E. B. Taylor, of Ohio, said, that,
while the bill was important on account
of the money involved in it, the facts of
the case were so simple that he did not
think en- extended discussion was
necessary. The bill proposed to relin-
quish the amount of the direct tax
uncollected, and to provide for repayment
to states and individuals who had paid
any of the money. The matter must re-
main as it was--unsettled-a portion of
the states and people having paid their
full Indebtedness; another portion having
,, partly paid, and another portion having
paid nothing at all. Either the taxes
must be collected in states which had not
) paid it, or the plan proposed in the pend
ing bill should be adopted.
Mr. 0otac of Alobon1o in nnoainn tho
bill, said that the tax paid in the northern
states, with the exception of Delaware,
had been paid by states assuming to col
lect it from the people, and retaining Is
per cent, as they were entitled to do under
the provisions of the original bill.
In the southern states after the war the
tax had ben collected directly from the
people. There had been many irregu-
larties. Though the law remained unre-
pealed no attempt had been made to
enforce il; $17500,000 had been collected
leaving but $2,500,000 uncollected. The
fact that about one-eighth of the tax re-
manned uncollected was the only pretense
upon which the passage of the bill, which
involved $17,500000, was urged. He
argued that, under the constitution, con-
gress had had the right and power to levy
direct tax, but he denied the constitu-
tional right of congress to refund tax
which had been legally levied and applied.
A democrat was not entitled to
be considered as such when he legis-
lated outside of the constitution. The
fact that his state would get certain
amount of money would never influence
his action where there was a matter of
sound democracy and constitutional gov
eminent involved. If the house was de-
termined to pass this bill, it should in
clude within its provisions ore for the re-
funding of the cotton taxa tax which
had been levied because it was a tax which,
in the very value of things, could not be
uniform through the states.
Mr.. Heard, of Missouri, favored the
measure. Missouri was not asking for
any favors. Her people had complied
with the provisions of tho direct tax law
and, in view of the fact that other states
had failed to do 80, she now asked that
the money she had paid into the treasury
should be returned to her without interest
, Mr.. Wheeler; of Alabama, regarded the
proposed legislation as more pernicious
! than any which had ever before been
introduced in congress. 1t assumed that
one congress might levy tax in order tc
refund another tax levied by a preceding
congress.
Mr.. Elliott, of South Carolina, favored
the bill and gave instances of IRREGULAR.
ties in the collection of the direct tax il
the southern states, mentioning the fac
that the entire town of Beaufort had beer
sod for the payment of the tax.
Mr.. Hopkins, of Illinois, spoke in advo
cacy of the measure.
Pending further debate the COMMITTEES
rose and the house took recess until p
m, the evening session to be for con
sideration of bills reported by the com.
mittee of military affairs.
Catching thu Priannara