Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-04
Mr.. Morgan's Income Tax Amend
ment Defeated.
WAS REJECTED BY IS YEAS, So NAYS
Tax on Sleeping Ger Berths and
Parlor Car Seats.
HOUSE IN SHORT SESSION

<hItSi tHe IduSdClioH Oh DE1eI routine
business the Senate this morning resumed
consideration of the war revenue measure.
As no amendment was pending, Mr.. Ali
son suggested the bill be reported from
the committee of the whole to the Senate.
The suggestion developed several amend
ments. and also the absense of a quorum
Mr.. Mason Qll.). who said he had an i'm
portant amendment, demanded a call of the
Senate.
After delay OF fifteen minutes a quorum
was secured.
Income Tax Amendment.
Mr.. Morgan (Ala) then took the floor
and offered the amendment of which he
gave notice yesterday. requiring the Sec
rotary of the Treasury to proceed with
the collection of taxes under the provi-
sions of the income tax law of 1894, not
directly repealed by the Dingley bill. If
the Secretary of the Treasury should re-
fuse to levy the taxes under the law the
amendment provides that it shall be the
duty of the Attorney General to proceed
against the Secretary of the Treasury to
compel him to perform the duties, and If
the Attorney General should refuse to take
that action any taxpayer of the United
States may bring the necessary action to
compel the enforcement of the law.
MIR. Morgan said that full opportunity
was presented by his amendment to have
the Supreme Court, for, quite naturally,
affirmative action taken by Congress upon
the subject would relegate the entire sub
ject to the Supreme Court.
Mr.. Morgan maintained that no part of
the income tax provisions of the Wilson
law having been repealed by the Dingley
law, the provisions were in full force and
effect They were left in the statute
be Ok, said he. They are there now, and
We want a decision Of the court upon
them He said he had been urged not to
precipitate the question involved in his
amendment until the Supreme Court had
been reorganized by political exigencies,
but he thought that the present moment, a
time of war, was the time to bring forward
the income tax proposition. He said that
while the war was in progress he wanted
the Supreme Court to take I'D the income
tax question and consider it
Now is the accepted time, the opportune
moment. The Supreme Court decision Goes
not present any impeachment whatever as
to many of the sections of the law which
were not touched by the decision of the
court. AS to the probable action of the
court, it may be said that every great man
at times changes his mind upon public
questions. To my mind there is not only a
hope but almost certainty that in this
time of war and the country's need the
Supreme Court will find reason for the ar
nouncement that these unrepealed income
tax laws are valid and ought to be en-
forced"
Mr.. Morgan then entered upon a tech
hiIdi' itSdi anu discussion
| of the income tax proposition.
Congress could scarcely refuse. he
thought, TO provide for another test of the
| income tax question in view of the fact
that it was forced to increase taxation and
to borrow money in order TO prosecute the
present war.
Amendment Rejected
AT the conclusion of his speech Mr.. Nor
gan asked for a yea and nay vote upon
his amendment. The amendment was re-
| jected-35 to 3S-as follows:
Yeas-Allen, Bacon. Bate, Berry. Butler,
Cannon, Chiffon, Clay, CockrelI, Daniel.
Faulkner, Harris. Heitfeld, Jones ark,
Lindsay, McLaurin, Mallory, Mantle Mar
tin, Mills, Mitchell Money, Morgan Mr.
ply, Pasco, Pettigrew, Pettus. Rawlins,
Roach. Stewart, Teller, Tllman, Turley,
Turpie, Whites.
Carter, Clark. Davis. Deboe, Elkins Fair
banks, Foraker, Frye, Gallinger, Gear,
German, Hale, Hanna, Hansbrough. Haw-
ley, Hoar. Lodge. Mcbride. Mcmillan Nor
Pritchard. Quay, Sewell, Shoup Spooner.
Thurston, Warren, Wellington, Wetmore,
Wilson, Wolcott-3S.
Tnxing Transportation Companies.
Mr.. Turley CTenn.) offered an amendment
levying an excise tax of one-fourth of per
cent upon the gross receipts on transporta-
ton firms, companies or corporations doing
an Interstate business or a business be-
tween a state and foreign country The
amendment also placed the same excise tax
upon telegraph and telephone companies
sending messages from one state or terri
tory to another.
The amendment was rejected-24 to IS
Mr.. White (Cal) offered his amendment
placing tax upon sleeping ear firms, COM
panies and corporations of one-fourth of /
per cent upon their gross receipts In the
case of sleeping cars operated by thu rail-
reads the tax is levied only upon the gross
receipts from the sleeping car business. He
SPOKE strongly in favor of the amendment.
Taxing Berths md ParIor Cars.
After desultory debate, which took a
wide range, Mr.. Gallinser On. HI offered as
a substitute for Mr.. Whites amendment,
providing that after July /. 1898. stamp
tax of 1 ce1t on every seat sold in palace
or parlor and on every berth in n sleep
ing car. the stamp to be affixed tc the ticket
and paid for by the car company.
Mr.. White accepted the substitute and it
was Incorporated in the bill without divI-
sion.
To Reduce Import Duties.
Mr.. Mills (Texas) proposed this amend
nent: THAT on and after the 3oth of
June, 1898 and until the Both Cay of June,
1900, in lieu of the duties now imposed by
law on the dutiable articles imported from
loreisn countries there shan De ieNleu col
lected and paid on such dutiable articles
IS per cent of the several duties and rates
of duty now imposed by law upon said ar
ticles severally. ii being the intent of this
section to reduce existing duties on said
articles % per cent of such duties.
The Mills amendment resulted % ayes IL
noes.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.
Upon request of Mr. Dinglsy the House
ordered the printing of 5000 copies of the