Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-18
AT THE CAPITOL TO-DAY.
DIRECT TAX In THE SENATE.
SECTIONAL ISSUES RAISED.
PASSED BY THE HOUSE
The Senate,

The Senate.
Among the petitions and memorials presented
and referred several In favor Of the proposed
Worlds Exposition; resolutions OF a mass meeting
in san Francisco In favor OF legislation excluding
Chinese; prohibiting the adulteration Of lard; for
prohlbltory law In the District Of Columbia, and
for the Blair educational BILL
MT. Butler moved to reconsider the vote by
which the bill In relation to marriages between
White men and Indian women was passed yester-
day. Motion entered.
Mr.. Sherman, from the committee ON foreign re-
latiOns, reported bill to fix the charge for pass
ports at 81 (now So, and the bill was thereupon
passed.
BILLS REPORTED.
Among the bills reported from committees and
placed on the calendar were the following:
Donating TO the city OF st. Louis certain strip OF
land for street purposes.
To settle and adjust the claim OF any state for
expenses incurred In defense OF the United States.
Relating to the pay and retirement or mates In
For the appointment OF a Delegate to the fourth
International prison congress in st. Petersburg In
For relief Of owners officers and seamen Of Brit
1Sh bark Chance,
Among the bills introduced and referred were
By Mr.. Hoar, fixing the salaries of the Justices
OF the United States District Court at 3d. 900; to
establish national art commission, and to provide
for lnquests under national authority.
on the Great Lakes
By MIR. Bate. authorizing the construction OF
bridges across the Tennessee RIVER the Cumber-
land River. and the Caney Fork River.
Mr.. Manderson offered a resolution, which was
qure into the advisabity Of purchasing Iife-size
picture OF Abraham Lincoln by VIM. 7. Matthews,
OF New York.
THE INQUIRY ABOUT Mr. wEsTBROoK.
The resolution offered yesterday by Mr.. Hale,
calling on the Attorney General for information
a Of II WsActh
assistant to the district attorney for the southern
district OF New York, was taken up and passed.
The morning business being finished the bill for
refunding the direct tax of 1861 was taken up, the
question being on Mr.. Chambers motion TO recon-
nit the bill. The motion was rejected.
the question was then taken on an amendment
0nered by Mr.. EdmundS, requiring all claims TO be
flied within six years. and It was agreed TO.
Several amendments OF verbal character were
also az, eed TO.
Mr.. Berry offered an amendment providing that
no part OF the mOney collected from individuals
shall be retained by the United States a SET on
against any state Indebtedness.
Mr.. sherman opposed the amendment as un-
necessary.
The amendment was agreed to-
MIR. Vance offered an amendment extending the
provisions OF the bill to the cotton tax collected
under the law OF 1862 and subsequent laws. He
said that II the direct tax was to Oe refunded this
COTTON TAX (Which was also direct Ia Ky ought 10
De refunded. II the one was hardship the other
was equally hardship. The cotton tax was tax
on exports, and levied on the peculiar product
OF one section OF the country, SO that there could
De no c0mpensating lax on any other section.
MI George advocated the amenoment. The con-
no said, TO the Supreme Court, and the court
consisting then OF only eight members) had been
equally divided upon IL. Being TAX upon raw
product, II was virtually tax on land; therefore
direct tax, which should be (under the ConStitu-
tion) appOruoned according to population.
THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH.
Mr.. Berry also advocated the amendment Four
flfths Of the money, under the bill to refund the
dtrQct TOW mid uo To ha
was but equitable and just that the cotton tax,
which had fallen wholly on Southern planters,
should be refunded.
Mr.. Brown believed that the cotton tax should
be refunded; and whenever that question came up
In such shape that he could properly for it he
would do so. But the adoption Of the cotton tax
amendment would Che was cOnvinced) defeat the
pending measure. which. he believed, ought TO
pass. He should, therefore, vote against the
Mr.. Morgan expressed his concurrence with the
views of..Mr. BrOwD. The question OF the cotton
tax had not been considered by the committee on
would be a serious drhculty found in rerunding
the cotton tax. The effect OF the pending bill
would be TO remove all causes of heart-burning
that might be lingering In the minds of the people
cause of its merits, and he did not desire
great proposition which would embarrass its pas"
sage The proposition offered by the Senator
from North Carolina was very disputed one. II
the people OF the South had the constitutional
right TO claim the rerunding OF the cotton tax he
would support the claim; but he would never
up s sn sht the % % ALL
rrom It's standpoint that the dissolution of the
Union Dy the secession OF states was impoSSible)
to tax the people OF the South. He was not pre-
pared to give a definite opinion on the constitu.
tiOnality OF the cotton tax and would, therefore
sustain the position OF the Senator from Georgia
IMr. BrOwn).
Mr.. sherman expressed his surprise that Sena-
tors whom he had supposed to be strongly in favor
OF the pending measure, and for the benefit OF
chtehV
should have interposed such an obstacle to it's pas
sage. He believed that the cotton tax QrOm 60 10
81 m1ll10n5) had been right and JUST and he was
ready TO defend that position whenever It was
assailed.
The vote was taken on Mr.. vance's amendment
and 1t was reJected-yeas, 16; nays, 46.
THE BILL PASSED.
Other amendments were rejected and the bill
was passed-yeas, 4S; nays, TO-
House of Representatives.
After the reading OF the journal the Speaker
pro tenn. called the House to order and said: 81 de-
sire say In order to allay uneasiness and appre
hensiOn about the condition of our honOred
Speaker, tnat he is In process OF rapid recovery,
and that the occasion which calls the present
occupant to the chair will happily, trust, rapidly
pass away"
Mr. GrOsvenor (Ohio) presented the memorial Of
eta, Ohio in regard to the centennial celebration
OF the settlement OF the Northwestern territories
and IL was ordered printed In the Record.
The TIMBER LANDS
Mr.. Stone (Mo) from the committee on public
lands, reported resolution calling on the Secre-
tary OF the Interior for information as to what
legislation Is necessary for the disposal Of the pub
lie timber lands, so to secure at the same time
the preservation OF the natural forest lands at the
headwaters OF nayigable rivers and put within
reach OF settlers legal means OF providing them
selves with timber for building and domestic pur-
poses. Adopted.
AN INQUIRY ABOUT THE FUNDING ACT.
Mr.. Plumb Qil) asked unanimous consent to
offer for immediate consideration the following
preamble and resolution: Whereas the last annual
report OF the OF the Treasury made to this
body shows that acting in accord with the views OF
the PRESIDENT he has paid out OF the revenues COL
lected from imports the sum OF 81, ,S52, OILS In
premiums TO holders OF Government bonds, as
sumng that in no other way under existing laws
can the requirements OF the sinking fund be met;
and whereas by the terms OF the refund
ling act passed July H. 1870, as shown
by the record OF the nnal vote thereon,
all OF the bonds called 'four per cents" OF which
there are now outstanding the sum OF
x738,561 $50 are payable at the pleasure Of the
United states for thirty years from the date OF
their issue-a provision which. II understood and
acted upon In accordance with its manifest word
Ing and intention, makes possible not only the
payment OF the said bonds as fast as any surplus
available FOR such purpose may accumulate III the
hut elSfr tho Ill 49, fh0