Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-14
THE FaFTIETH CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, January 10, 1888.
hpnnfQ.

among Tue UltHlOIldlS piSScutru "NAS
several in favor Of the prohibition of the
liduor traffic and for O constitutional
amendment to that effect, and in favor
OF the Worlds Exposition in 1892, and
bill to credit and to pay to the several
States and Territories and the District
of Columbia all moneys collected under
the direct tax act of the 9th of August,
1861, was taken up, the question being
on verbal amendment offered by Mr..
Hoar. When the bill was up some days
ago Mr.. Sherman regarded the proposed
amendment as q mere surplusage, and
while he had no objection to it, still he
preferred to take the bill Just as reported
by the committee as prepared some years
ago by the First Comptroller OF the
Treasury and as tweed passed hy the
Senate.
Mr.. Chandler moved to recommit the
bill. Itmight be somewhat sacrilegious,
he said, to venture to criticise the bill
which had been approved by two Secre-
taries of the Treasury and had been since
passed by the Senate. Nevertheless the
bills were not immaculate, and might
possibly be improved by careful conSid-
Grafton. In the southern States taxes to
the amount of $500, 600 were collected
directly by Federal officials, not one dol
lar of it coming out of State treasury.
be therefore submitted that while 1t was
inst and right to remit to the States the
sums which they had failed to pay and
TO refund moneys which the State trea-
surers had paid to the United States, 1t
was not wise or expedient to payto State
treasurers moneys that had never come
from them.
After several senators had spoken
upon the billa motion to proceed to ex-
ecutive business was made by Mr.. Rid
dleberger. who was proceeding to state
his understanding of an agreement to do
so to-day. when he was informed by
the presiding officer that debate was not
in order. Mr.. Riddleberger demanded the
yeas and nays on his motion. The yeas
and NAYS we're taken and the motion was
reiected-yeas, 26; nays, ga party
vote. except that Mr.. Riddleberger
voted with the Democrats in favor of the
motion.
After some remarks by Mr.. Call in OPP
position to the bill Mr.. Riddleberger re-
newed his motion p proceed to execu-
tive business, and the motion was again
defeated-yeas, IS; nays, 27-Mr. Rid
dleberger again voting with the Demo-
Gratis.
The majority of senator's do not I'M
derstand that there was any agreement
for an executive session to-day, but on
the contrary that there was tacit ac-
quiescence in the wish expressed by some
senators last night that no action should
be attempted until Monday OH the La
mar case and the Cabinet nominations.
The votes of to-day are not held to have
anv significance as bearing upon the re-
suit in the Lamar case, since some OF
Mr.. Lamar's friends abstained from
voting in consequence of what they un-
derstood tobe the tacit understanding OF
yesterday. -, 3,
The bill was then laid aside and
Mr. Vance proceeded to address the
Senate on the resolution offered by Mr.
Brown proposing to abolish internal
revenue taxation. The lines, be said,
had been drawn closely by the Presi-
dents message on the subject OF the sur
plus and taxation. The contest had to
be fought out squarely. and the question
had to be decided unequivocally on Its
merits. That question was, Should tax
alton be enforced for the support OF the
Government or for the enrichment OF
private individuals should money be
collected from the people forpublic or Tor
private purposes ? No reputable hypoth.
esis could he formed which presented
any other phase of the question.
The question was, Where should the
reduction of taxes begin? The
proposition of most OF the Democratic
senator's following the lead OF the Presi-
dent was to begin and end with tariff
taxation. The Republicans, on the
other hand, proposed to begin by re-
dacing (oniy IN part) internal taxes, and
by adding to the free list those things
coming from abroad which did not COM
petewith things made in this country,
and the duty on which was therefore
sii revenue. For himself, he proposed
10 begin with both evils rs be found
them-excessiye internai taxes and ex-