Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-01-14
FIF4Y-THIRD CONGRESS.
WASHINGTON, Jan. IA.
SENATE.

SENATE.
The Senate proceedings were opened
to-day with prayer by Bishop Cyrus
d. Foss. ID. d.. Ill. D., of Philadelphia.
After the routine morning business
the urgent deficiency bill was taken
up-the question being on Mr.. Hills
appeal from the decision Of the char
ruling out the amendment offered by
hin to authorize the United States
courts to hear and determine questions
as to the constitutionality and validity
Of the income tax.
Mr.. Stewart took the floor in con-
tinuation of the speech in which he was
interrupted by the adjournment last
Saturday.
He declared that this was bank
governed country. The press was under
oblig ations to the banks. Many of the
newspapers were stock companies and
their stock was pledged to the banks.
Even the majority of the stock of the
great dissemination of news-the West
-ern Union Telegraph Company-was
held by the banks as collateral security
and was voted by the banks. In fact,
the people were PROSTATE before the
banks: aud the issue now was whether
the banks should own the country, or
whether the people should be free.
Therefore, so far as any scheme was
concerned that aggrandized the banks,
he was opposed to it. He was in favor
of the eovernment-not the banks
issuing the money of the country.
Mr. German addressed the Senate.
The pending proposition was, he said,
simple one. An appropriation bill
was before the Senate providing for de-
ficiencies, among them one to enable
the Secretary OF the Treasury to carry
out the law for the collection Of an in
come tax. 1t was the duty of Congress
to provide the money for that purpose.
Ordinarily there would not be single
objection in either house of Congress to
such a proposition. He quoted from
Mr.. Hills speech, and referred, APP
provingly, to Sir. Shsrman's assertion
that ample provision now existed for
testing the constitutionality of this or
any other law.
a "But what the Senator from New
York DESIRES" Mr.. German continued,
sis provision that would enable any
taxpayer to suspend the income tax"
Such an attempt, Mr.. German
declared, would be destructive
70 the interests of the treasury.
No political party could live that
would deliberately down receipts while
it kept up expenses, and then issue
gold bonds.
The Senate had added iSty millions
to the Wilson tariff bill as it came from
the House: and if he had supposed
that the law would not have produced
sufficient revenue he would never have
voted for it.
Mr.. Vest asked Mr.. German if he
| took into consideration the revenue
which would be derived from the sugar
tax and from the increased revenue
duty on whisky.
Mr.. German said that he made his
estimate on information derived from
the Secretary Of the Treasury, to whom
IN passing, he paid a high compliment.
There never was a moro hazardous I'M
ciertnking than that of revising the
| tariff lew III the time the democratic
party undertook it. The bill was a
compromise measure, and no bill could
have passed the Senate except by a
compromise to which every democratic
Senator except the Senator from New
Y TX agreed AS whole, and as it
..antIs to day, the tariff law is the act
Of the democratic party, and it is the
best tariff law that has been on the
statute books for forty years. There Is
something in the atmosphere of north
err New York which, it seems to me,
makes itimpossible fora statesman from
that section, never to compromise. "
Uaughter) Mr.. German closed his
speech with the declaration that he did
not know, that between now and the
fourth OF March next, any we'll de-
vised plan that would have ben
efcial effect would be formulated
and pass both Houses; but he
appealed to republicans 10 drop their
party opposition, and unite with demo-
cratic Senators in the attempt TO pass
wise currency measure,