Year: 1868




TIoNAL DEBT, TAXATION AND REVENUE


SENATOR H0wARD's REPORT ON THE PRES


TDENT'S MESSAGE SUsPENDING SECRETAhl


sTANTON-THE WHISKY RING.


BIT rELxGRAPH rHR TRIBUNE


WASHINGTON, Jan. S, 1868.


IL is expected that Congress will at once get TO
work earnestly and periodically upon the measures
already proposed and others contemplated, to relieve
the country from the commercial and financial dis
orders which prevail Members of Congress
Just returned from holiday visits to their
homes, report that they have been urged by
their constituents to use their best ehorts
to Immediately perfect the necessary legislation on
questions Of finance and taxation, to the END that
these may be speedily and wisely settled, not only III
obedience to the emergency Of tho times but so that
these grave matters may be determined peloro tho
Presidential election and thus keep them as Tree as
possible from party politics. These members repre-
sent that recently some modihcatioh III
public sentiment has taken place on the
proposition to increase the paper currency, OF
to contract the same, the first increase oi
currency being urged less and the latter lcontrac-
ton) scarcely at ALL that the proposition 10 tax
Government bonds has grown in favor, and that the
mode and time of paying these bonds is engaglngthe
earnest consideration of the people that there Is
we-defined division of opinion on this subJect, ahd'
except in cases where the law in express language,
directs payment in coin it is difficult to determine
whether there is is not majority IN favor Oh re-
deeming these obligations in currency. Ihey also
represent that there is not such earnest ana actVe
oppostion TO National banks as was manifested
at the commencement of the November session OF
Congress But above all other questions upon which
the people express solictude, that of taxation is
probably foremost. The reduction of the aggregate
oil, md he
to be that it should be fixed, an experiment, for
the present at least. at about three hundred
millions of dollars. IL is also advised that the
number of taxable articles be greatly reduced;
that the cotton tax should be at once re-
pealed; that the income tax is odious ana
nmistorial. and should be abolished; that the tax
ON distilled spirits should be greatly reduced-some
urging twenty, others fifty cents per gallon. Upon
the subject of the tax on whisky, there are memo
rails here to be presented this week in the House,
which agree with the views above presented; and
one of these memorials from the Cincinnati Cham
her of Commerce) recommends the abolishment OF
bonded warehouses, and the collection OF the tax at
the distilleries and to fix the tax at fifty cents per
gallon.


Senator Howard stated to gentleman this evening
that he had completed his report on the Presldents
Message suspending Stanton andwould submit 1t, TO
the Military Committee at their meeting tomorrow
He has conferred with no one in preparing the re-
port and confines himself principally to the consti
tutona questions involved and the charges preferred
against the secretary by the President. Whether the
members of the Military Committee will take the
same view of the questions involved remains 10 De
seen. Secretary Stanton was called upon 10 know
whether he desired to make any reply to the lmpil-
cations contained in the Presidents Message but he
fiona t,f fbaE mimi fpp
or 10 Congress in regard to the matter 1t will un-
doubtedly give rise to good deal of debate when 1t
is reported to the Senate involves the constitu
tionalty of the Tenure-of-O Office bill. large num-
Der of Senators at the time of its passage doubted
not only the propriety but the consttutionalty OF
such legislation.


Senator Sherman intends to call up tomorrow the
House bill for the repeal of the cotton tax, IN the
hone of securing speedy action on that measure
Those opposed TO its repeal in hopes OF securing
a acompromis sby fixing the reduction at one and
half cents per pound. They will probably fail in this
rs there seems 10 be majority in favor of the bill as
il passed the House. If the discussion this bill is
10 be protracted, Senator Morton will call up the
House bill to stop contraction of the currency. The
Senators from the Northwest regard this more
important matter than the Cotton bill, as they are
strongly urged by their constituents to take the
power from the Secretary to interfere any further
with the currency question.


The subcommittee of Ways and Means have been
examining for the last four days a number OF de-
tectives who are understood TO be familiar with an
extensive organization known as the Whisky hing
Ii appears from the evidence elected thus far tnt
this organization has.its headquarters at NewYork
City, and extends its operations to all the principai
cities in the West and East and South.
.I.o.t how haan in QtInn
one year, they claim to have made $50.OO0,0OO.
and are still pursuing their business of defrauding
the Government out of the tax on whisky. This or
ganization have thus far defed the Government and
make their boasts that they will do it in the future
The Committee are fully satisfied that unless this
corrupt organization is broken up it is useless for
Congress to pass laws for the collection of the reve
nue. on this or any other article, when the incentive
is so great to steal and plunder the Government 1t
is said there parties occupying high positions in
the Government who are interested in this organiZa
ton. The Committee intend TO probe this mat
ter to the bottom, in the hope OF bringing
out all the facts and showing the parties engaged
in this nefarous transaction. The Committee which
have been in session during recess is being aided in
this work by many large distilers throughout the
country who have been compelled to shut up their
places of business account of the immense frauds


large meeting of citizens of the cities of Wash
ington and Georgetown and the District was held on
Friday evening for the purpose of considering the pro-
posed plans of government for the District of Colum
bia A resolution declaring that the meeting was in
favor of consolidating the municipalities of Washing
ton and Georgetown and the county under one gov
ernment, was unanimously adopted. A discussion
then ensued as to the best form of government to DO
recommended to Congress. So must interest was
manifested in the subject that it was considered best
TO hold another meeting before adopting any certain