United States oracle and Portsmouth advertiser — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-04-24 00:00:00, page 1

all displaced, and we may hereafter de
termine, who are to colled the money.
On Un's point, indeed, he saw no great
difficulty. A hint thrown out by a
member from Maryland, (Mr. Dennis)
t a few days since relieved from all anxi
ety on the score of collection. The gen-
had been made with refped to other
items of the internal taxes ; this Rill he
hoped would prevail. If it was neces
sary that any tax at all ffiould be levied
for the support of government, he hum
bly conceived this to be one of the fair
eft and lead oppressive which can be
thought of. He would not undertake
to contradift the affection made by the
member from New-Jersey, (Mr. South
ard) that the tax on pleasurable car
riages fell heavily on the laborious and
industrious farmers of his date. But
if such was really the case, ifhe was
fatisfied its oppressive operation in this
refpeft matt be confined to that Rate,
he was perfectly willing to unite with
the gentleman in modifying the law, so
as to relieve this class of the communi
ty. For the very reason which induc
ed him to with to retain the tax on plea
furablc carriages, was because he con
ceived it fell almost exclusively on the
rich, and he certainly felt no inclina
tion to continue it in cases where it was
tonftrued to extend to carriages neces
sary for carying on the business of
husbandry and farming.
As to the dilemma in which the gen
tleman thought we should be placed,
if we retained this tax alone, viz. that
we muft/retain also the whole number
of offi&is heretofore necessary for the
collodion of the internal taxes ; he
could easily relieve him from his em
barrassment. It was only necessary to
call to his aid the doctrine which he
had advocated on a former occasion,
and pursue the mode which had been
adopted in the repeal of the judiciary
ad of the last session.
tieman alluded to, observed, that taxes
of this kind might very conveniently be
collected by the collectors of the cus
toms and the deputy post-masters. He
saw no difficulty in this. There were
collectors it. mod of the Sea-ports, and
deputy post-masters were Scattered thro'-
out the continent, who for a commis
sion of five or fix per cent, would readi
ly receive and pay the proceeds of this
tax into the treasury. "The member
from Jersey goes into a statement of
the amount of this tax paid by New-
York, Pennsylvania and New-Jerfey,to
shew that tte latter pays more than its
constitutional proportion of it. In an
swer to this, he would observe, that
scarcely any, except a direct tax could
be paid, of which some one or other of
the Rates would not pay more or less
than their constitutional proportion^—
And what must be his (Mr. H's) feel
ings on this point, when he observed,
how great a disproportion of the im
posts and duties on tonnage fell upon
his Rate, and how much more it paid
in the ttycle of customs than some
other ftatefy whose members evinced
such an anxiety to get rid of the inter
nal taxes, and thereby throw the whole
burden of the government upon articles
of importation, so great a proportion
of which was consumed by the inhab
itants of South-Carolina, and more es
pecially that part of it he immediately
represented. He would beg the hon
orable member for example to turn to
the documents on his table, and com
pare the relative Situation of South-
On the motion to repeal the Taxes On Dis
tilled Spirits, Pbafure Carriages, %.
MR. HUGER. Gentlemen may
well be in favour of taking off
t ris tax, who know that after it is tak
en off, we are to bear the burthens of
the day. He was, however, decidedly
in favour of continuing the tax on plea
farable carriages, and notwithstanding
the fate of the various motions which
The house were then told to do the
thing, to pass the law for the repeal ;
no matter how incorred the details
were—they need not at that time trou
ble themselves to amend these. A
new bill might be afterwards on any
future day brought in for this purpose.
So, said Mr. H. in^he present case, let
us only retain the tax,no matter for the
details. The present officers may be
Os ALL THE DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS WHICH LEAD TO POLITICAL-)
prosperity, RELIGION AND MORALITY are indispensable €
SUPPORTS. WASHINGTON'S L^cr. J
^.X11.) SATURDAY, APRIL 24, 1802.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Printed and Published everv
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
CONGRESS.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, TWENTY- SIXTH YEAR.
Witeb States
Portsmouth
—c
With repeat to the particular item
. of the internal taxes at present under
consideration, it amounted nearly to
80,000 dollars ; and he would Submit
it to the gentleman from New-Jersey
himfelf to determine, whether it would
not afford more real advantage, and
add more to the comfort of the great
body of the American people, especial
ly to the poor, if the tax on pleafureable
carriages was retained, and the duty
on brown Sugar or salt, diminished in
proportion to that sum.
The argument of the member from
Maffachuietts (Mr. Bacon) he confeft,
did not operate very forcibly in his
mind, as an inducement to retain this
tax. If any thing, it had a contrary
effect. - The honorable gentleman told
us that the clergy in New-England
paid a considerable portion of this ta^,
and that they were in that quarter of
the union exempted from paying the
state taxes—The clergy, Mr. H. said,
was a class of the community he highly
refpeded ; but in his part of the coun
try, they Were regarded as fellow-citi
zens, enjoying the fame advantage and
protedion from the government as
their neighbours, and therefore equal
ly bound to contribute their mite to
wards the support of it. He presum
ed the clergy of New-England were
also willing to do so. He had never
at least, heard of any complaint in this
refpe& on their part, and if it was true
that they were exempted from the pay
ment of Rate taxes, they were tire bet
ter able and had the less reason to com
plain at being called on to contribute
their portion to the Support of the na
tional government. She next argu
ment is not less curious : We are told
that though a particular branch of the
internal duties does not fall heavily up
on the community, yet that if one be
repealed, we must repeal the whole: —
But if one of these taxes be wrong,why
not repeal it, and let the others stand.
He would fay with the gentleman fiom
Virginia, that if we cannot colled the
tax on whisky without a system of es
pionage odious to a free people, he had
no objection to doing it away, but let
us retain the carriage tax, against
which no such objection can certainly
be made.—When, too, we call upon
gentlemen, for particular information
to enable us to determine' the compara
tive merits of internal and external
taxes, we are only answered by the ex
hibition of a profound and philosophic
Silence. He conceived that when the
time comes for a repeal of certain taxes
we ought to have Ratements in black
I and white ; wepught to have chapter
Carolina and Virginia, with refped to
the external and internal taxes Mr.
Huger said, according to a rough and
hasty calculation, which he held in his
hand, it would appear, that the great
Rate of Virginia, which under the new
apportionment of the federal represen
tation, was to fend to the next Cotigrefs
22 members to that house, paid only
810,000 dollars or thereabouts in the
article of customs ; whilst South Caro
lina, hereafter to be represented by 8
members, contributed during the fame
period 814,000 dollars some thousand
dollars more than her overgrown neigh
bor. It might be true that a part of
the imported articles were consumed in
some of the adjoining Rates. It was
not less true, howevever, that the citi
zens of South-Carolina were as great
cemfumers of the different articles im
ported, as those of any other whatever
of the sixteen Rates, of the internal du
ties. On the other hand, Virginia pays
134,000 dollars, while South-Carolina
pays only 23,000 dollars ; and if these
taxes are repealed, South-Carolina is
to confdie herfelf for being released
from the payment of 23,000 dollars,
while Virginia is released from the pay
ment of 134,000 dollars.
But the case was still more Striking,
when such Rates as Kentucky and Ten
nessee were taken into confideration,the
inhabitants of which would contribute
but a very trifle to the Support ;of the
government if the whole of the taxes
were taken off, and the national expen
ces were to be defrayed entirely from
the commerce of the country. This
was Something in the style of the frogs,
who were pelted by an idle lad for his
amiifement. To him it was no doubt
fine fun, but to the poor frogs, at whose
expence he enjoyed such sport, it was a
very serious piece of business.
Such were the grounds upon which
this measure was predicated. At the
time of election, the repeal of certain
taxes is promised. An executive mes
sage afterwards holds out a similar doc
trine. Gentlemen rife on this floor and
make a great bustle to the fame effect,
and then gravely tell us that the re
peal of these taxes must take place—
public rhind is excited ; that they may
indeed be regarded as already half re
pealed : that hap-hazard at all events,
a final repeal of them must take place,
arid if they be hereafter wanted, they
may be again renewed.
This mode of doing business may
answer eledioneering and party pur
poses very well, but the public good re
quired a very different line of condud.
If the Rate of our finances admitted of
a redaction of the taxes, all of Us must
rejoice. Before so large a portion of
the revenue however was dispensed
with, it was incumbent on those who
brought forward the meafure^ to give
such a statement to the house and na
tion at large, of the receipts and ex
penditures of the country as might fit
isfy every cancti mind, that there was
no danger of a deficit in the reverihe.
Why has not this been done ?—
Why does not the hon. chairmail of
the committee of ways and means pre
sent us with a statement in figures, arid
in black and white, proving that the
state of the national treasury is such as
to admit of the prop'ofed redu&ion ?
Had he done any thing of the kind ?
Very far from it. The only docu
ments he had presented us, are a re
duced estimate of the Secretary ofWar,
that some 4 or 5 hundred thousand dol
lars would be probably laved in his de
partment. Upon these uncertain and
equivocal ground 700^000 dollars of
our most certain revenue is io be giv
en up at one Rroke of the pen. The
whole burden of the government was
to be thrown on the trade of rhe coun
try—at a moment root when die com
mercial world was shaken to its centre,
and when the moR sanguine could
scarcely proraife themselves a continu
ation of the present annual average of
the proceeds of her customs.
The prefent.Rate of our trade ought
Whilst-on his legs,he would beg leave
to make a few observations on the fub
je& generally, and the house, and the
chairman of the committee of ways &
means in particular, would, he trusted,
pardon him, when he avowed, that the
whole tranfatfion presented itfelf to
him in a very questionable Riape. He
had great refpe&, and much personal
regard for that gentleman. There was
nevertheless, a combination of circum-
Rances, which impressed his mind with
the idea, that this measure was brought
forward and urged at this early period,
rather .with a view to gain a little tem
porary popularity, than from the ex
pectation of promoting thereby the re
al and permanent interests of the na
tion; This had been, indeed, openly
avowed in the course of the debate. It
had been said, that the repeal of these
taxes was held out at the commence
ment of the session, in an executive
communication to Congress : That
conversations to the fame effect had tak
en place, both within and without these
doors; that the public mind was turn
ed to this object, its expectation excited
and that these taxes must therefore, be
repealed, and might in fad be regard
ed, as half repealed already. It had
also been obferved,however, byway of
consolation to us, that although it
might seem premature to dispense thus
early with these taxes ; although the
amount of them might well be found
necessary to answer the public exigen
cies, yet we may Rill proceed to
repeal them, for we could hereafter
lay on other taxes or renew the fame,
and the people would not only be wil
ling, but able to pay them, as the fun
would hereafter continue to thine, and
the rain to fertilize the earth no less
than they do at present.
and verse, and he had always thought
it best to be fare of our ways & means
before we do away a branch of our rev
enue.—
The expence of colleding these tax
es is infixed on. But it has been ihewn
that many, if not all, the present offices
may be dispensed with, and the expence
reduced to a level with the expence of
collecting the imports ; and thus every
reason for the repeal is done Iway.
to influence our decision on this fub
jed. Our merchants are in a serious
Situation. He knew as a planter, that
his produce Rands unfold, even at re
duced prices, owing to the embarrass
ments of our merchants. The want
of circulating coin will prevent the
merchants from importing,and us from
buying goods. It is possible that our
commerce may Dot, butit is probable
that it will decline. It ought to be re
coMeded that for some years past we
have enjoyed the advantages of neu
trality amidst belligerent nations. —
Hence our tonnage & trade had great
ly increased. They must now decline,
and he greatly feared that-but exter
nal duties will not be commensurate to
the demands of the government for the
next year. You will observe that the
Secretary of the Treasury calculates
for a number.of years; whereas the
committte of wafts and means calcu
late only for this year. Even therefore
though there may be resources enough
for the present, there will be 4 defalca
tion the next year, from the increasing
inftalment of foreign debt.
For his own part, when he cast his
eyes across the Atlantic and saw the
present Rate of things in that quarter
of the globe—when he brought them
nearer home and turned them towards
a certain Island, and saw v hat was go
ing on there, or towards an extensive
and highly important country on the
continent, bordering immediately on
our territory, which, it is affected was
Shortly to change masters, he could not
b,at anticipate dangers and consequences
of the moR serious nature. He should
have thought it therefore both wife &
prudent to retain and huSband all our
resources, and to have endeavored to
avail ourselves of the present favorable
moment for diminishing our public
debt, which hung so heavily upon Us,
When the whole energies of the nation
might not be more than fufficient to
ensure its Safety and independence.
With such impreflions on his mind;
gentlemen must excuse him if he re
peated the observation, that the hade
with which they aded on this import
ant occasion, carried with it too much
the appearance, at lead of an Undue so
licitude to obtain popularity at the ex
pence of the real & permanent interests
of the country.
The present administration had not
been a year in power. They could
scarcely be supposed to be yet perfectly
acquainted with all the various exigen
cies of the country. Neither ought it
to be forgotten—-that they had been
fufpeded of being little friendly to the
Navy, public credit, &c.—that they had
been accused of wiring to unhinge and
weaken the national government, and
to profttate the union at the feet of
certain plates. He did not mean to
insinuate that this was really the case.
He hoped and traded it was not. But
it was perfectly well known to gentle
men on both sides of the house, that a
diffidence has been entertained, both
abroad and at home, of the opinions
and views of the present executive as
well as of many of those around him
with refpea to our system of public
credit. Mr. H. said, he spoke with the
more confidence on this fubjeft, because
no other motive but a with to promote
the national honor & prosperity could
be attributed to him, as he neither pof
ferfed at the present time nor ever had
been to possession of a dollar of the pub
lic debt Or securities of any kind what
soever. He was a mere planter and
had no intereß whatever in the funds.
But for the reasons already mention
ed, he humbly conceived that a cau
lious.condu& in this refped would have
been peculiarly proper on the part of
the prefect administration. It was fur
ther to be recoUeded—that the excite
had been repeatedly pledged for the
payment of the interest and the reim
.burfement of certain indalments of the
principal of the public debt.—Whf &|
therefore, it was to be entirely d% e a .
way, Gentlemen ought at leafl t 9 j^ ve
taken the pains to Shew to t^ e world—
that there was an adequate Supply, if
not a Surplus of revenue accruing from
other quarters. I^Q however of
pursuing this pl& n and fifopfe courfe—'
indeed of making in the firft ty&ce
such retrenchment's in dtenatiohal ex
penditure, i§ the return of peace and
present favorable Rate of things might
warrant, and waiting as common pru
dence would seem to require, till the
Saturday Morning, by WILLIAM TREADWELL, &C 2
OADVERTISEMENTS reasonably & conspicuously inserted—COMMU
f NEGATIONS did, attended to—and ever, FAVOR THANKFULLY
<ACKNOWLEDGED.
PRICE I DOLLAR 50 CENTS Pct Annum. [No. 30.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FOURTEENTH YEAR.
Advertiser.
®MaCCe, anti
next session, to fee, what degree of Sav
ing had actually been made. We put
(to borrow a vulgar comparison,) the
cart before the horft: —We begin by
depriving ourselves of one of our most
Solid and certain Sources of revenue,and
then depend upon the chapter of acci
dents?and trimming down and Starving
our most necessary establishments,in or
der, if poßible, to make up the deficien
cy of ways and means, which mud ne
ceSfarily ensue from such a novel mode
of conducing our finances. Thus in
the documents presented to the house,
at the commencement of the session by
the Secretary of the treasury, the ex
pences of the Navy Department were
estimated at 1,100,000 —and although
Congress have not made the fnialleft
reduction or the lead change with re
fpe& to that department—■ iVe are now
told that 900,000 —must anfwer—
without a Single reason being given to
Shew the propriety of thus cutting down
and reducing the means, necessary to
give life and vigor to our infant Navy..
It is confidently averted, however,
that we can dispense with the amount
of the internal taxes. Be it so. He had
no wish or inclination to embarrass the
measure of the administration ; but was
desirous rather to keep them in the pos
session of Sufficient means to carry on
the business of the nation with credit
to themselves and the greatest advan
tage to the community at large. Gen
tlemen, however, had the management
of the finances in their hands and a full
view of the whole ground. They ought
certainly therefore, to be possessed of
the necessary and best information on
the fubjeA. Although they did no:
think proper to communicate it to us
or th< public at large. Having then
done his duty iri Submitting to the house
his view of the fubjed, he was willing
to take gentlemen at their word, and
if they continue to pledge themfelv es
that the government could, without in
jury to the public Service dispense with
so large a portion of the present reve
nue, he was perfedly ready to unite
with them in relieving his fellow-citi
zens from a part of-their burthens, e
qual to that amount.
But if such was the happy Situation
of our finances and we could Spare a
part of our revenue, he wished gentle
men would have the goodness to extend
their fegards to every corner of the
Union and deal but their favors with an
equal, an impartial hand.
Some honorable members complain
that the excise is burthenfome to our
brethren in certain parts of the union.
He was willing then to put it down.
The Ramp tax too, though profitable
and easily collected, yet being attended
with some inconvenience, he would dil
penfe with, if the proceeds of it could,
be conveniently Spared. But he wish
ed to flop here with refped to the in-*
ternal taxes, and fee, whether a part ot
some of the internal taxes, (such as
those on brown Sugar, Salt, coffee, &c.)
could not be advantageously exchang
ed for the 4 items of the internal reve
nue, viz. Sales at auction, licences to
retailers, duties on refined Sugars, and
the tax on carriages now under conside
ration. The aggregate amount of these
four taxes is about 2)4,000 dollars,and
they are all of them taxes of the leaß
oppressive kind. On the other han,
the 8 cents additional duty, which h^
been laid on salt, amounted to two
hundred and eighteen thousand dollars.
This tax it must be confeffed, was 1-
verely felt by tlie great jmafs of t.e
community, peculiarly so by the poor.
He well recblltded having heard the
honorable gentleman fromVirginQ?_
Randolph) inveigh with so rfon*elo
quence on a former %_[; on this very
additional duty % (ah,that he had h~A
nearly.induce ^ vote against it huu*
felf, and # ^^ only prevet^v 1 from do-
^ m'by the peculiar eygfocies of the
moment, xhich did not allow us to
Spare a fngte cent of our revenne. H^l
not thiir, taken their prefect course if
should have thought himfelftferelo'c
authorised to call op,,ha:,&t.:lpMu
for his fqp'port ;ap^m^U&K©in far;
of tlieprefcrtt proposition. And wH,%
this IWde'h and entire change 0% Ids
pfrt ? Do not the per plc feel this duty
on Alt as ferifibly at the present mo-
Client, as when he formerly reprobated
it in glowing colours.
Mr. Huger faill, he could not br
feel some degree of warmth on
fubje^—when fie recolleaed, 1