Year: 1864

Hill AZ 169 I09 R1
Senate amendments thereto ss,ssssos IS


Total. lO6, ,7Is 40


Senate amendments in which the


Committee of Ways and Means


commend concurrence 3S2,S31 w


LOG, ,O39, 1856 40
Amount inserted by Senate, in which


recommend non concurrence. 1850 90
Total in bill reported $l05 1888 1856 40


Mr.. STEVENS. The gentleman from Nsw York will
not fail to say that the Committee of Ways and Means do
not ask that That is the amount OF the bill
turned from the Senate. The COMMITTEE of Ways and
Means ask only about eight millions All the remainder
has been sent from the Senate. will say to the gentle
that the committee have concluded to ask the House
to non-concur in all the amendments Of the Senate


Mr.. BROOKS. take the report Of the action of the
Committee of Ways and Means exed to the bill
itse in which they recommend concurrence in the first
second fourth, fifth, sixth six and half eighth, ninth
tenth thirteenth, fourteenth, and sixteenth amendments
of the Senate


Mr. STEVENS. That is so, but at a subsequent meet.
ing Of The committee they thought it best to concur
if the House would agree to it,


Mr.. BROOKS. am correct, then.


Mr. STEVENS. Correct in reference to the first action
of the committee.


change of action first announced upon the part of the
Committee Of Ways and Means. 1 am pleased because
the idea of shows they appalled, with
the magnitude of the Senate appropriations we'll
humble a member of the House myself. But am
than amazed that they propose take from this
House. by the simple proposition to nonconcur the de-
berae aud detailed action of the House upon these
expenditures and abandon the constitutional powers
and functions Of this House examine in detail all these
amendments OF the Senate and to throw that whole
from into the hands of committee of conference
to be appointed by the Chair. To with the
Seoate upon this bill in its present stage B to abandon all
right, all authority all duty to examine the
details Of expenditures proposed by the action of the
Senate and to throw the whole discussion and debers
on, which Justly belong to this House, exclusively into
the hands Of committee of conference.


The result Of this action has recently been on the
whskey bill That bill ost in this House by large
majority defeated and again the House having
affirmed s intention to pass retroactive law upon the
stock of whskey hand yet the House wss by mere
parliamentary action, by the action of committee of
ference, deprived Of its legitimate power to impose
troacve duty, it is intended upon the stock hand
aud the SENATE by with the adherng action
of the House. enabled to pass bill almost orig
nay intended by the Senate, despite all tho resolves and
re-resoves OF the House.


the House, therefore, in bill OF this enormous
magnitude dsposiDg of hundred and FIVE million
dollars not to abandon at this stage Of the bill it's legitimate
function Of examination in detail by besowng it upon
committee Of conference.


Mr.. COLFAX, (the Speaker9 ] he gentleman will
allow to correct him as TO matter Of fact The
why the bill did not have hs retroactive feature ia it uhsn
it finally passed because the House did not appoint
committee Of conference at the last but upon the motion
Of the gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. STEvENs) ad
hered 10 ts to the amendmentso the Senate
and allowed the Senate TO recede from it's amendments,
thus leaving thr bill without the retroactive feature OF
course the gentleman will be Just to the Chair by saying
that in each instance majority of the members Of the
committee on The part Of the House agreed in their votes
with the msjority Of the House.


Mr.. BROOKS j was far from casting any imputation
whateyer upon the action Of the Speaker He fairly
presented the commitees qf conference the majority
OF the House was but showing thst though the House
had determined by forty majority TO have is way and
repeated that determination and again by
and fifteen majority yet by parliamentary action that de-
termination Of the House reversed and The bill pas
| without this retroactive feature.


| Mr. COLFAX II was because the House refused to
raise another committee OF conference but under the ope
ration Of the rules voted adherence The Senate then
| receded and ibe bill passed aa
! Mr.. STEVENS The bill as it passed is precisely as
| the House agreed 10 it,


| Mr. BROOKS. ! understand all that comprehend
tn parliamentary tactics comprehendd them at the time,
and II had not intended o vote with the gentleman from
Pennsylvania should have resisted hs propostpp II is
because be Ia the old paaDenaran that he s that
he would st WISH II be could, to take from the discus
aud examination OF this House the details Of this bill
by the action Of conference committee, by transferring
! The forum Of discussion--


Mr. DAWES The gentleman makes mistake. The
why we have not tax upon Wbiskey hand
is not because of parliamentary tactics There s trace
Of parliamentary tactics about it, and reference TO the
fact will show It, The H0nse put tax whiskey on
hand. The Senate struck that out an amendment II
back to the House and the HOuse conourred 10 that
amendments and the reason why there s no tax upon
Uhskey on band today is because the majority of the
House 10 its legitimate functions and in dschagog it's
duty without the aid skill of my friend from Peunsyl
vania lMr STEYEssl at ALL concurred in the ACTION of
the Senate 1t done by the concurrent sson Of the
two Houses and not by any committee Of ouferepce and
that the why there tax whiskey hand
Mr. BROOKS. l comprehend all that thoroughly and
do not msstate it, will not take time to DISCUSS this
matter simply state the fact that this House at one
time by foryfour majority and at other times by maori
ties Of ten twelve resolved and resolved to tax the
whiskey hand, and the whskey hand s not taxed
despite the resolution Of the House The country under
stands that aud will not dispute about the ways aud
means BY which II was done say 1t was parliamentary
tactics and conference committees Other gentlemen
think differently. The great facts berore the
dus operandi will not dispute about
Mr., Chairman, whskey is an exciting and entrancing
question and have been led altogether from the Egua-
tire speech have hand 10 the discussion Of far more
exciting and thrilling topic than that Of mere bill Of de-
fcencIes But tmptine IL the theme, mnst recall
the attention Of the House TO the dryer topic which
have hand namely this Sl05 SSs 3s6 appropriation
We have here left few deficiencies for the scsl year be-
ginning July !, 1863, and ending June 30, 1864


call the atenos Of the House first to the fact that in
this deficiency bill there for The War Department
alone appropriations amounting to about ninety nine mil
lions, when at the beginning of The session IN the es
mates submitted by the War Department through the
Secretary Of the Treasury, not single cent was asked