The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-13
WINGS FOR THE SURPLUS
THE HOUSE PASSES THE DIRECT
TAX BILL.

A Vote of 178 to 90 Settles the Long
Contest-The Speeches Closing the
Debate-An Outline of the Provisions
ofthe Bill-Beaufort's Case Provided
For.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The House to-
day went into committee of the whole. with
Mr.. Springer of Illinois in the chair, on the
direct tax bill Mr.. Walker of Missouri
offered an amendment providing for the
refunding of the tax on the basis of the
present population Of the states. 1t was
rejected.
Mr.. Johnston of North Carolina offered
an amendment approprieting $40, 100000 in
eight annual payments for the support of
the common schools.
Mr.. Grain of Texas raised point of order,
which was sustained by the chair, and the
amendment was ruled out.
Mr.. Johnston also offered an amendment
for the refunding of the surplus i'll the
treasury to the states which paid the same
under the internal revenue laws. Ruled
out.
MR.. ELLIOTT'S AMENDMENT.
Mr.. Elliott of South Carolina offered an
amendment making it the duty of the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to pay to such per-
son as shall apply therefor, and furnish salts
factory evidence that such applicant was at
the time of the sales hereinafter mentioned
the legal owner, OF is an heir at law
or devisee of the legal owner of
st. Helena and st. Lukes, in South Caro-
lima, under the acts of congress, the value
of said lands to be determined in the man
ner following: To owners of lots in the
town of Beaufort. the value assessed for
taxation by the United States direct tax
commissioners for South Carolina; to the
owners of lands which were rated for
taxation by the state of South
Carolina as being usually cultivated
or capable OF cultivation, $40 per
acre for each acre returned on the proper
tax book; to the owners of all other lands
81 per acre. In all cases where persons
while serving in the army or ma y or
marine corps purchased any of said lands,
and such lands afterward reverted to the
United States, it shall be the duty of the
Secretary of the Treasury to pay to such
persons as shall in each case apply therefor,
or to their heirs-at-law, devisees or grantees
in good faith and for valuable consider
alton. whatever sum was so paid to the
United States in such case.
In orde. to carry out the provisions of
the amendment, S650,OO0 is appropriated.
ne aIl6nQil6uC was duODU6u.
REPAYMENT OF THE COTTON TAX.
Mr., Oates of Alabama offered an amend
ment providing for the refunding of cotton
tax.
Mr.. Allen of Mississi pi moved to amend
the amendment by proposing that the
money so refunded shall be turned into the
common school fund. In the course of
some humorous remarks upon various
propositions for taking money out of the
treasury, Mr.. Allen said that if those who
served 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 Mr..
Allen had been voted down, the
amendment offered by Mr.. Oates
for the refunding of the cotton tax was re-
jected by a rising vote of "a yeas to 129
nays, the republicans voting solidly against
1t and being REINFORCED by the votes of a
number of democrats.
RIGHT TO BRING SUIT.
Mr.. Oates then offered an amendment
allowing any person from whom cotton tax
was collected to bring suit in the court of
claims and supreme court to test the con-
stitutionality of the act under which it was
collected. In support of his amendment,
Mr.. Oates said that many of
the southern people were Of the
opinion that this cotton tax had been taken
from them by robbery, by an uncoDsti u
tional law. They would cheerfully acqui-
esce in any decision the court might make.
On a point of order by Mr.. Caswell of
Wisconsin, that the amendment was not
germane to the bill, it was ruled out of
order.
SETTLING ACCOUNTS.
An amendment offered by Mr.. Oates,
providing that in settling the accounts OF
any state with the United States, the state
shall be credited with any am unit which
may be due by it to the United States under
the act of 1886 to regulate deposits of public
ments all came up i the course of long
discussion in which dozen or more mem
bers participated.
A vote was then taken upon the amend
ment proposed by the judiciary COMMITTEES
striking out the provision in the Senate bill
declaring that no part of the money ap
propriated by the i'll should be paid to
any attorney or agent under any contract
for services now existing or heretofore
made between the repre- ,entative of any
state and any attorney or agent. The
amendment was disagreed to.
Mr.. Wheeler of Alabama offered an
amendment providing that the money re-
funded shall be applied to the payment Of
pensions to three months men who enlisted
prior 10 draIt
MR.. ALIENS OPPOSITION.
Mr.. Allen of Michigan opposed the
amendment. The states, he said, did not
propose to pay pensions. The war had
been for the preservation of the union, and
the United States government would always
assume the responsibility. He would tell
the gentlemen on the other side why the
north had been solid at the last election.
The prime reason was because she was afraid
OF such leaders as his friends from Alabama
(Messrs. Oates and Wheeler) Let the new
south send men here who were not battle
SCARED in favor of the rebellion. Let such
men come here and represent the new south
and there would be no solid north. But as
long as the gentlemen on the other side,
when pensions were asked for, talked of
levylng an income tax or something of that
Kind, just 50 long the north would distrust
them, and just so long she would vote them
down. The amendment was rejected.
Mr.. Phelan of Tennessee offered an
amendment authorizing the Secretary of
The Treasury to refund with per cent in
terest the amounts of money paid by pur-
chasers of land sold for the collection of
direct taxes, where the tax for which the
land was sold had been paid in part or in
III prior to the sale. The amendment was
rejected, and the committee rose and re-
ported the bill to the House. 1t was passed
by vote of l1S yeas to SO nays
The House then, at 4:4O o'clock, adj