The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-17
Observation-Disclosures
The Senate Refuses to Aim This Blow
at the Income Tax.
SENATOR VESTS "REMINISCENCES
or the Events Of Last Session When the
Tariff Bill Was la the Baiance--Defeat
OF the Currency Bill in the House.


deficiency bill, in reference to testing the
constitutionality of the income tax, oc-
cupied most OF to-day's session, and ended
in the rejection OF the amendment by
an overwhelming majority.
Mr.. Vests "reminiscences of the events or
last session, while the tariff act was hang
ing in suspense between the two houses,
were of considerable interest and inn
portance, and his declaration mat the
President ought to call Congress in eX-
traordinary session Immediately II ii
adjourned without proper financial leg
islation attracted considerable attention.
Mr.. Vest said that nc was largely re-
sponsibie for the form in which the in
come tax provision now stood. He did
not claim that il was perfect, or any
thing like perfect, but he asserted that
its imperfectiOns were caused by the
fact that, in the absence Of rules in the
Senate to close debate, the Finance Com
mittee was compelled to put the tariff
bill through under whip and spur. The
entire country, he said, was clamorins
for tariff legislation. He was tired OF
hearing the ceaseiess charges against the
tariff law and its defects, coming from
those who knew. the reason why those
defects existed. Those who had charge
OF the measure had endeayored To make
the income tax as unobJectionable as
possible. There had been grave defects
left In 1t, and it had been hoped that
those defects would be reformed in the
conference committee.
QUESTION By SENATOR HILL.
Mr.. Hill: Does the Senator mean TO
say that the conference committee was
engaged in any particular effort 10 agree
on the income taX?'
MIR. Vest: II do"
Mr.. Hill: 81 never so understood It,"
Mr.. Vest: Il make the assertion now
that the differences between the House
and Senate in relation to the income tax
were taken up and referred to MIR. Nc
MILAN, OF Tennessee, and myself, and we
worked night and day for more than
week, and we finally came to conclu-
sion. Just as We had succeeded In do
Ing so, and while we were considering
an entirely different portion of the tariff
BILL action was had by the Senate which
resulted In IL tie vote on the question OF
dischargng the conference committee, and
the House OF Representatives then ac-
cepted all the amendments OF the Sen
ate TO the tariff bill. And the condl-
ton in which we find ourselves to-day
is simply one of the incidents that have
come, naturally and mentally, from the
want of rules IN this body"
MIR. Vest drifted into discussion Oh
the rules. in reply to Mr.. Germans de-
fence of them on Monday. He argued that
on any political or financial measure IL
was inaossible to force action, while on
other matters any senator might nave
almost any bill passed under senatorial
courtesy"
like MuscovY DUCKS.
when any senator" he said Iacetious-
ly, " desires TO pass bill that does not
excite sectional or partisan opposltion'
senators sit here like a lot or MuscoNy
brakes, and bow ih-quack metre 10 each
other and then go with solemn and stu
hid dignity 10 the routine business OF the
day. daughter. But when you come 10
questions like the tariff bill. or financial
legislation, or the force bill where the
passions and prejudices Of the senator's
are necessarily aroused, IL Is almost I'M
possible 10 secure any result in ms Dody,
so long as five senator's are opposed 10
it's enactment. And experience shows that
i'm such cases the corpse OF that legisla-
tion Is brought here on litter by the
time that Congress has passed upon 1t.
II assert now that the most vicious ana
dangerous and utterly indefensiple fea-
ture OF the absence OF rules TO close de-
bate is the fact that = gives to a minority
the power OF threatening those In charge
Of a bill and of forcing undue ana un-
timely action"
on another point in his speech, Mr.. Vest
said: "I nave no right TO say what the
President will do, for i DO not ENJOY
Executive confidence. but | sincerely nope
that If Congress adjourns without flnan-
cial legislation the President Will call us
Immediately on the final fall OF the saVel
in extraordinary session, ana we VIII then
...aRE Itx~
enactments will bring prosperity 10 the
people of the United States"
I'VE will not have Republican SEN
az Mr.. Hawley suggested.
'You will not have a Democratic Sen
ate" AIr. Vest fetorted. 'if the Stpubi-
cans exercise the power in their hands
they Will organize this Senate"
Mr.. Vest said the enforcement or the
provision exeupting from tax alcohol
used in perfumeries would cost. according
to the report of the Secretary of the
Treasury, one million a year, and would
affect very seriously, besides, the coilec-
ton.
THE AMENDMENT DEFEATED REPEATEDLY.
The amendment had been drawn up. he
said by a druggist in Massachusetts. II
was crude and unsatisfactory, and had
been struck ont in conference, but the
conference committee had not been per-
mitted 10 report.
Finally a vote was reached on the
question OF order; shall the decision OF
the Chair stand as the decision OF the
Senate" and the decision 1t the Chair
was sustained by vote of forty yeas
TO six nays. The negative votes were cast
by Messrs. Dubois, Hill. Mitchell. OF Ore
gon; Pettigrew and Quay AS soon az this
vote was taken. Mr.. Quay again offered
his amendment BY adding at the end the
provision that the law should preclude
any court having any jurisdiction from
hearing proceedings to test the consiitu.
tionality or validity OF the act.
Mr.. Gray raised point or order
against 1t, and the Chair (Mr. GallngeO
sustained 1t.
Mr.. Lodge offered his amendment piac-
ing the officials authorized 10 be ap-
pointed for the income tax In the civil
service. Tabled--yeas, "a; rays, n.
Mr. Quay renewed his amendment for
testing the constitutionality and valid
ity Of the income tax, and II was defeat
ed--yeas, 10; nays. 1, as follows.
THE DETAILED vorE.
Yeas--Aidrich, Chandler. Davis. Frye,
Gray. Hale. Hawley. Hin, Lodge. McSiil-
Ian. Manderson, Mitchell. of Oregon; Pet
tigrew. Platt. Proctor, Quay. Sherman.
Smith and Wilson--l9.
Nays-Allen. Bate, Berry, Blackburn.
Blanchard Butler. Call. Camden. Cock
rell Dubois. George. Gordon. German.
Hunton. Jarvis. Jones. of Arkansas. Kyle.
Lindsay, McLatYrin, Morgan. Pugh. Ran
som. Roach Stewart. Teller. Turpfe. Vest.
Villas, voorhees,. Walsh and woicott-3s.
The paragraph for salaries anu expenses
of len additional revenue agents was
amended. at the suggestion OF Mr.. AM