--“providing for a revision of the Enrolment Act, so as to afford a sliding scale of commutation for the draft, the object being to rate commutation according to the means of the drafted individual. I quote from telegrams of this morning’s news. In my humble opinion you have hit the nail on the head. I think this is the only method to equalize the burden, and satisfy all claims for justice and equitable dealing. When any fixed sum is indicated as the commutation fee to exempt from actual military duty, it needs but little reflection to see that it indirectly imposes a premium upon property while it taxes the poor.” Then he goes on to suppose a case, somewhat at length, quite elaborately indeed, between two citizens of Cincinnati, neighbors, whom he minutely describes, and finally winds up that part of his communication by saying,-- “Suppose the latter person [whom he calls John Smith] is drafted. Why, three hundred dollars is no more to him than a three-penny loaf to the other person. Am I not right, that a fixed sum for exemption imposes a tax upon honest poverty and a premium upon wealth?” This intelligent constituent of the Senator objects to his whole theory as a tax upon honest poverty and a premium upon wealth. The Senator opposes my amendment as a tax upon wealth. Call it, if you please, a tax upon wealth. The time has come when it should be levied. But I put aside such language. I put aside the idea, except in the general sense, that the draft itself is a tax, and the amendment simply aims to equalize that tax. The amendment was lost,--Yeas 15, Nays 25. * * * * * January 15th, Mr. Sumner moved his amendment as an additional section. Again it was lost,--Yeas 16, Nays 28. * * * * * June 20th, the Senate having under consideration a bill to prohibit the discharge of persons from liability to military duty by reason of the payment of money, Mr. Sumner moved again the former amendment, with the further proviso:-- “That the contributions thus made shall be employed by the Secretary of War as a fund for bounties to be paid to the men actually drafted and mustered into the service under any call subsequent to the date of this Act, whenever they shall be honorably discharged, or, in the case of death, to the widow and minor children of any such man, according to rules and regulations established by the War Department.” Mr. Sumner again vindicated his amendment. In the course of his remarks, he said:--