Year: 1862

entertained of the loyalty of men who ex-
pose and denounce larcenies from or frauds
upon the public Treasury My young
and eloquent friend from Indiana has been
suspected, because he had the audacity to
charge that thefts had been committed up
on the Treasury, and that our expendi.
lures were enormous each day. Neither
Democratic address nor the speech of Mr..
voorhees, charges one half of what is al
legged by the Holt commission, the Van
Wyck committee, by Republican members
upon this floor, and in the Senate. Both
here and in the Senate it has been said by
Republican members and Republican Sen.
ators that we were in more danger from
those who were plunderiug the Treasury
than from the rebels in arms


Believing that it was wrong to plunder
the public money in this hour of my coun-
try's need, and that economy was nocess-
ary, have said so, and still adhere to
that opinion.


1 am grievcd to think that all this ado
on the part of Republicans about prodi.
gality and to prevent fraud was mere
sham to deceive the public. confess l
do not comprehend how we can embarrass
the Administration by exposing and de.
nouncipg fraud and peculation upon the
Treasury, by bringing the Government
back to rigid economy, I had supposed,
until recently, that this was the proper
way to aid the Administration, to help
them put down the rebellion and preserve
the Government. am mistaken if you
do not find this the true and indispensable
policy to control your actions in future.


There is one single other poin. to which
wish to allude, and l will then take my
seat. 1t is said, both here and elsewhere,
tina no member is loyal who did not sup
port the tax bill as it passed this House
1 am ready to defend that vote here or
elsewhere; | feel no uneasiness upon that
point. To day l might content myself in
defense by saying that, if the statements


as to our Indebtedness and expenditure as


made by the Secretary of the Treasury


by the gentlemen Mr.. Dawes and Mr.


McP are true, we do not need the


vast amount that will be raised under this


bill. If the Secretary of the Treasury


has not made truthful statement in thi,


regard, he should not have control of the


amount, vast as it will be, which you pro


pose to raise.


But, sir, there existed reasons that Were


satisfactory to my mind for the vote giver


that shall hereafter elaborate and only


briefly alludc to now. The amendment


made by the Senate in some respects great


ly improved the bill, in others made i


more Objectionable. The principle upol
which the bill il based is erroneous ant


wrong. BY your tariff as now arranged
and your tax bill as it passed this House
the support of the Government falls main


ly and heavily upon the laborer and tn
producer, not upon capital, which is capa


BILE to pay and should be made to pay
Under the operation of the tariff as it nov


exists, the poor laborer, with dozen per
sons in his family, pays into the Treasury


indirectly it is true, more than the riches
man in New England. Under the ia,


bill as it passed this House, and agaihs
which l cast my vote, some persons in m.


district will pay three times as much int
the Treasury as the man worth his man,
millions in the city of New York. Wealth
in great emergencies like this, should pa


the taxes individuals fight the battles
Mr.. HOLMAN ask my friend fror


Illinois to allow me to make this singl
suggestion: the tendency of his remark


would seem to array parties against eac


other upon the tax bill. l trust he vii


not forget majority of the Democrat
party in this House voted for the tax bill
Mr.. RICHARDSON. l am giving tn
reasons why voted against it, not assail


ing any Democrat or Republican who vo
/; ted for the bill


= The burdens of the tax bill fall mos
heavily upon the section from which
come, and unequally upon persons residin
there. The tax bill, as it passed thi
: House, levied tax on each hog slaugh
$ tered of ten cents; head of cattle, fft
cents; sheep, five cents, unless killed 70
Q domestic use. The census does not sho1


the number killed, but the value. In 1866
G in Illinois alone, the value of animal
f slaughtered was over fifteen millions. /
= the six New England States together th
t value was less than fifteen millions an
$ one half. The entire tax upon this hea