Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1892-06-15
HON. L. 3. CASWELL.
A Brief Exhibit of His Record in Con-
gTess from the First District.


gress from the First District.
L. B. Caswell was on the Committee
! of Appropriations in the Forty-Seventh
Congress, and chairman Of the sub
committee that made up the appropri-
atoms for the postoffice department.
| This entire work was confined to his
hands. The first year the bill carried
over forty-four millions. The second
year about forty-eight millions. 1t was
in the last one of these bills in 1888,
letter postage from three to two cents,
and put clause in the bill Postmas-
ter-General Howe was opposed to it..
Many of the conservative members of
the Senate, including Edmunds, were
opposed to its reduction, but Mr.. Cas-
we'll insisted upon it. It was carried
through both Houses and approved by
the president, greatly to the relief Of
every one. The Direct Tax was levied
by law, $4,000, 0OO.) in the year 1862,
on all the real estate of the whole coun
try, South as we'll as North. The
Northern States assumed their proper
ton, and for the most part paid it to
the treasury of the United States. The
Southern States being in rebellion did
not, but collection was enforced In such
of the Southern States as were In pos
session of the Federal troops. But
there was still standing two and half
million dollars against the Southern
States uncollected. In the Northern
States many of the School and Trust
funds held by the States. were taken
and paid over on this war tax, and these
funds had never been reimbursed.
Great inequalities existed in the pay
ment of this tax. It had been the
policy of the general government in all
other instances to reimburse the States
for their assistance in raising troops,
furnishing supplies, ETC., why not in
this instance? The Southern States
would not. pay their uncollected por-
ton. Mr.. Caswell believed the only
way to settle this matter, as it was Civ
ing the Treasury department great
trouble, was to have the tax which was
paid returned to the States, and that
which still existed against the Southern
States cancelled. So he introduced
bill to that effect in the Forty Ninth
Congress. Mr.. Caswell was on the Ju-
dietary committee to which the bill
was referred, and Immediately took
charge of the same. There was still
standing against the State of Wisconsin
and the government was from time to
time using the proceeds of land sales.
part Of which belonged to Wisconsin
to reduce the amount of indebtedness.
For the balance of this tax Mr.. Caswell
called for full statement from the
Secretary of the Treasury, and in ex-
aiming that statement he found by
miscalculations Wisconsin bad been
wronged out of some thirty thousand
dollars. He applied to the Secretary
of the Treasury for a review of Wiscon-
sins account, and the review obtained
an additional credit of thirty thousand
dollars, which he claimed. In this
way and by the allowance Of twenty
one thousand dollars of sales of public
lands, this balance of fifty-one thousand
dollars was paid off.
In the Forty Ninth Congress Mr.. Cas-
we'll reported the bill favorably from
the Judiciary committee to refund the
tax, but its passage could not be Sc
cured. In the Fiftieth Congress he
introduced the bill, reported it to the
House and passed it. After stormy,
continuous session of nine days, with
out adjournment, compromise was
reached to put the bill over to the next
o. second session of that Congress,
when it should be considered without
fillibustering At the end Of two days
it passed the House, and afterwards
the Senate, but Mr.. Cleveland vetoed
it. In the Fifty-Firs Congress Mr..
Caswell renewed his efforts, and put
the bill through the House again, just
before the close of Congress. After
working constantly against every con-
ceivable opposition, it became law
Janesville Republican.