Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-03-14
METTlE TESTERS.
Important Matters Up for Congress
sionaI Consideration.



ard its relations to the business OF the
country. The appropriation bills. being
| supported by far more united party than
the tariff and silver bills, could not excite
bitterness within the majority party, and,
| as to tie contested election cases, they
4 were practically decided in favor Of the
majority party's man, as usual, before
coming into the house. But when it comes
| to the Torrey bankruptcy bill, and the
struggle between it and the Bailey bill,
the question of free ships, and some of the
| propositions of Chairman Hatch Of the
j agricultural committee, there will neces-
| sarily be discussion upon radical princi-
| pies.
The judiciary committee has not as yet
| made any great progress in considering
| the bankruptcy bill. With the Torrey bill
! the public is reasonably familiar. Mr..
| Bailey's bill in its first form is radically
| different, and however modified these two
viii represent the opposing principles con-
| tending in regard to the proper attitude OF
government in all that class of cases of
which bankruptcy is but one. It is not
certain which of the bills can be consider
| ed first, but it is tolerably certain that the
| Fithian bill in favor of free ships will ex-
| cite intense interest and possibly one of
| the fiercest debates Of the session.
To Amend the Constitution.
Next to it, and probably to be consider
| ed in advance Of it, are Mr.. Hatch's bills
| to hold up agriculture by the tail, and in
| cidentally the house may amuse itself
with the proposition of the "Christian
| statesmen" who are now bombarding the
committees of both houses with PROPOSE
| ton to amend the constitution. They have
| been given very respectful hearings, and
| there are many more members inclined to
| favor their views than one would have
supposed, for congress is not In appear
| ance notably religious body.
As tho phrase "Christian statesmen"
may not be generally understood, it is well
| to add that these ladies and gentlemen
for there are many ladies in the visiting
delegation represent that large class who
want to put God in the constitution, rec
ognize Christianity by law and ii posi-
bic make every body virtuous and happy
by net of congress. The remarkable sue
cess which has attended efforts of that
sort in the past seems to have encouraged
them greatly, and confident prophecies are
heard about the capitol that in few years
at the furthest this will be in the broadcast
sense truly Christian government.
Question of Taxation.
Another bill which will excite very
| lively debate in all probability is that OF
Mr. George w. Cooper, which is still in
the committee on banking and currency,
| but will probably be reported to the house
with very little change. In brief, it au-
thorizes the states and territories to tax
call circulating notes of national banking
Ill TIL toto
tender notes, and all other notes and GER
tificates of the United States payable on
demand circulating as currency" but they
are not to tax them higher than any Other
money in their jurisdiction.
it is indeed remarkable fact that con-
gressmen should still be disputing oven
the question Us to whether national bank
notes are taxableeby states or other local
authorities. But SO it is, and the supreme
court of Mississippi has decided that they
are not taxable. That of some other state
has decided that they are. 1t is agreed, OF
course, by everybody that greenbacks are
not now taxable. and hence it is claimed
by the advocates of this bill that the
amount of money passed every spring as
nontaxable is two or three times as great
as the volume of greenbacks. Of course
there is no way of getting at the truth OF
| this statement, but it is tolerably certain
| that green backs are sorted out of the gen.
eral currency and held against the day OF
assessment, and that they are changed
around and reduplicated by ways that are
dark and tricksS that are very far from
vain in the way of escaping taxation.
Now, if the principles of the Mississippi
decision stand, and it would take very
| talented lawyer, say the members of this
committee, to point out any error in it,
then not only national bank notes, but gold
| and silver certificates, treasury notes and
| currency certificates are all exempt from
| taxation. The Cooper bill proposes to end
| this by a national law to authorize taxing
| everything except bonds and greenbacks-
| that is, not that the nation shall tax 1t,
| but that the states and territories shall he
allowed to do so.
Bonds and the Tariff.
| The list as reported to the committee
shows that the days for assessment in va
1osns states and territories range from
some time in March till in May; hence, it
| is argued, the same greenbacks or other
currency. now exempt could be used in diff
| ferent states This bill was introduced by
Senator George of Mississippi in the Fifty
| hist ana f1IIy second cOnRreSSeS, anu I'VE
| might have been expected, he considers the
Mississippi decision as unassailable law.
| However, it is only law as declared by the
| court according to a federal statute, which
| can be repealed us to anything which does
not bear interest and circulate as money.
| The bonds of course come under the gen.
eral provision against nation taxing its
own credit. rs has been more than once
decided by the United States supreme
court. Nevertheless the right of congress
is not clear to authorize taxation, and as
the expedienoy is also questioned the de-
butte viii probably be of great interest.
By the time all these are out of the way
4 is hoped that the tariff bill will come
back from the senate. and the opposing par
tisans can have one more grand battle roy
al over it before they 20 home to their con-
stituents. And while the calculations
as to the time of said bills return contin-
I ne rs various Ne ever it is interesting to
, note that the house committees which
have the bills above mentioned in charge
are working on this basis: "That the rest
J a. March will be consumed by the sena-
J tors in getting ready: that April and May
will be consumed in speeches, and that
when the hill returns to the house it will
10 IN conference two weeks and become 4