Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-05-28
FIFTY-FIFTH CONGRESS.
WARRINGTON, May IS
SENATE.

The Senate resumed consideration of
the war revenue measure.
Mr.. Allison said he hoped vote
could now be secured on the corpora
ton tax proposition. The question
was on the amendment offered by Mr.
German which provided for special
excise tax upon all corporations, whose
gross receipts are more than S250,0O0
per annum, or one-half of one per cent.
Mr.. Faulkner suggested to Mr.. Cor
man that he accept an amendment
making the tax quarter of one per
cent.
Mr.. Turpie said Mr.. Germans
amendment ought to provide for
proper penalty. He maintnined that a
mere fine would be of no avail in the
circumstances as the corporations
would simply pay the fine ia cases
where it was less than the lax. He
strongly urged that the penalty ought
to include not only fine but imprison.
ment for not less than six months.
Mr.. German presented an argument
in favor of his amendment.
Mr.. Lindsay suggested that, as a
proposition of law, it might be well for
Mr.. German entirely to exempt from
taxation $3.50, 900 of the receipts ofeyely
corporation. II the receipts did not
reach $3.50, 900 they would not be taxed.
and they would be taxed only on re-
ceipts above that sum.
Mr.. Daniel said that while he had no
desire unduly to delay the passage of
the pending bill he thought full dis
cussion of its important provisions
ought to be had. He favored tax
upon the gross receipts of corporations
and expressed his regret that objec.
tions to it on the ground of its suspect
ed unconstitutionality had been made.
These objections he desired to answer
by citation of authorities. He made
an elaborate presentation of his views
upon the respective State and federal
powers of taxation as put in question
by the pending bill, contending that
the taxation upon corporations was
warranted fully by the law as existing
and interpreted by the courts.
10 the course of Mr.. Daniels speech
the Vice-President laid before the Sen
ate communication from the Ohio
legislature announcing the report Of
the Ohio Senate committee on the in.
vestigation of charges of bribery against
the junior Ohio Senator, Mr.. Hanna
The communication was referred to
the committee on privileges ard cleo
tons.
Mr.. Daniel presented an argument in
favor of en- income tex. He said that
the mother country was more demo
cratic, in respect to an income tax, than
the United States, as Great Britain had
levied such tax for more than hun
dred years. Inasmuch as incomes had
been relieved of taxation, Mr.. Daniel
maintained that it was wise, expedient
and fair to tax business, in order that
the wealth Of the country would not be
deprived of the privilege of participa
ton in the great national fight.
Mr.. Wolcott said that until the Ha-
waiian annexation amendment had been
offered to the bill not one feature had
been suggested that was not perfectly
relevant to it. He rejoiced that that
amendment had not been offered by
western Senator, who certainly would
have been charged, in doing so,
with an effort to obstruct the
pending measure. Whatever might be
the individual opinions of Senators
upon the Hawaiian question, it was to
him perfectly clear that it ought not to
have been te cked as a rider to thereye-
nue. bill. He advocated the bond issue
aad said already 200, 900 men had been
called for and he was of opinion that,
in all likelihood, the call would be
doubled before the close Of the war. No
man could say that the war would
come to speedy conclusion and it
could not be said that it might not re-
suit in complications of the most serious
nature.