The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-05-20
IN THE SENATE.
The Day Devoted to Discussion Of
the War Revenue Bill.

| WASHINGTON, May 19.-The death
| of Mr. Gladstone was made the theme
OF the Chaolain's invocation at the
| opening of the Senate to-day.
A resolution presented by Mills OF
| Texas was passed It calls upon the
| Secretary Of War for plans and speci-
fcations for the Improvement of Ar
kansas harbor, the removal of the bar
and the Improvement of the channel
making ii twenty feet deep and 100
/ feet wide at the bottom.
| At the conclusion of the morning bus
| mess consideration of the war revenue
| bill was resumed.
McLaurin of South Carolina delivered
| a set speech Speaking of the war In
which we are now engaged, he salu
/ Spain had supposed that commercial
greed had stifled patriotism. This. to
her sorrow. she had learned at Manila,
was not the fact. She had realized th1t
| Mr.. Dewey was a worthy successor 10
Decatur and Perry.
He was ready, he said to vote for
any measure that would tend to bring
the war to a successful conclusion. Peo-
pie on the island of Cuba are dying
| every hour. Their condition is beyond
description. Every day now means the
loss of hundreds, perhaps thousands, Of
lives in Cuba, McLaurin declared. Lib
erty on the island is at stake. and the
war has placed our own national pres
tige at stake.
There is an army in this country"
said he. Just as anxious to raid the
United States treasury as our volun-
teers are to raid the island Of Cuba. To
the army 1 refer to, no volunteers are
needed. These jobbers and spectators
form a greater menace to US than the
war with Spain"
At the conclusion of McLaurins
speech the Clerk proceeded with the
reading of the bill.
When the paragraph providing for
stamp tax upon all transfers of stock
was considered, Bacon of Georgia said
the committee had carefully covered
agreements TO sell stock, and that II 1t
should be established that agreement
! to SELF should not bear stamps unless
an actual transfer of stock took place
| agreements might be made and then a
| settlement effected between the parties
without an actual transfer of stock.
The paragraph was amended so as
to clearly cover all agreements to sell
stock. whether the stock actually was
transferred or not.
German thought transfer Of small
amounts ought not to be required to
| bear stamps.
Aldrich, in reply, said that the elimi-
nation of checks for small amounts
would reduce the revenue from this
source about 100000. The tax, he
said, did not bear upon small depositors
| heavily and upon savings bank depos-
/ itors who drew money in their books it
! bore not at all.
Clay of Georgia moved to strike out
the requirement of a tax of cents upon
each promisory note of 800 or less.
| 1t was rejected.
| Bacon moved to so modify the pro-
vision for a tax on inland bills of eX-
change as to relieve bills of less than
! 800 in value from the requirements,
! and to fix the rate at cents, where
the value is between 500 and $500.
Wolcott objected to the change, say
ing that there was no real foundation
for the objection to the proposed tax
except upon the stamp.
German suggested that if the bill
was to pass as reported, it would car
ry too much revenue, and that taxes
such as these now under consideration
could be eliminated. He urged that
the Democratic amendments be taken
up now.
| Allison suggested that if the Dem
ocratic amendments were to be in
Guided in the bill, as it should become
a law it would carry more revenue
than was needed but if they were in
cluded in the final action Of the Sem
ate, it would be easy enough to re-
turn to other items.
Aldrich opposed any change n the
order of proceeding with the bill.
Teller said the difficulty was that the
committee was divided as to the sum
that should be raised as revenue under
the bill. He did not believe that bill
would produce as much as Allison had
estimated. but as for himself, he want
ed a $200O00,000 tax. Continuing, he
| said he thought the country should not
only provide revenue for the present
war, but also for the next. Teller said
that the indications were that the war
with Spain would not long continue,
but to him the signs were equally
strong that within a few years we
would be involved in another war
| which might and probably would be
of far more serious consequence than
the contest with 1.-The seven by nine
country with which we are now con-
tending"
Upon a roll call the Bacon amend
ment was lost by a vote of ID to Al.
Mallory (Fla.) believed that the tax
on telephone messages would be diff
cult to collect.
Allison explained that the require
ments of a receipt for messages did
not apply to residence telephones, but
to pay stations, of which there were
thousands in all large cities. On all
| other telephone transactions the
books of the companies would exhibit
the facts and secure payment of the
tax to the Government
At the suggestion of Wolcott, the en-
tire amendment relating to express,
freight and telephone taxes was laid
over for future consideration.
The committee amendment relating
to the taxes upon life insurance poll
cies was passed over at the suggestion
of White (Cal).
The other committee amendments re-
lating to marine, inland. fire, casualty
fidelity and guarantee insurance, were
agreed to-
Referring to the tax on druggists
supplies now on hand, Allison said all
/ Senators had received letters urging
that the stamp tax be not levied upon
stocks on hand. Allison said many
druggists were willing to place The
stamps upon articles when they were
sold. although they objected to being
-