The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-11-19

6ffEb' 10 COnultute an indIctdble offence. the
matter Pnblithed mutt Be not only abfolntely
tajs, but it mutt ALTO be detamatory and nalrgnan
IN IFS nature, and bear on the face of il mani
tat iHfeHtfo effect fome nulaGyfd purpofe. The
tat ls-this law is nor altogether new one
It has exited in another hape (nnder The demo.
| mination OF the common ka1v) ever Gnce the
country was favored with juridical deciGons.
Hardly year pafes but trials on indictment
for the publication of EbsL IRE had in fon Of
our Courts of Ju}ice-and yet we never had
| any Statute LGzU for this defcrption of offences.
l. may podibiy be true, that the common law
did not reach offences Of this nature aganf a
fsgylafiVs b7dy-but fee no reaion why the cha
Ter OF Congrels ar body fhould not he equally
protected againa the hef and ca(umnies OF ma
levolent men, who have it in their power, if not
| checked, to deceive the people, and ruin their
public fervants. The act in quefion, however,
is much more favorable to the citizen than the
comnon law: For it allows the offender, con.
trary to all experience, to give in evidence the
| truth Of the libel in Notification Of his coudua.
This very provifon NUT detroy all reafonable
objections to the exiteDce of iuch law: For
who can fay, that the liar and a1J1ia1fgr Of rep.
utations ought to be fcreened from pun:lhment
None bur thofe who are bent on mfhef, and
who have it in view to excite ill.founded zeal
oufes among the people, and to bring the Gov
eminent into contempt and GIjfebuis. For fuch
men alone this law was made and every well
wi(her to truth, and every friend to his country
NUT rejoice in its e1iRence, and the prompt
neis Of IT'S execution.
The arguments againR LAND TAX are
! equally unfUpPorted by rational difcudion.-
Contrary to the experience Of any age or nation,
our government has hitherto fulfilled without
the aid of 6iret7 taxation the produ aions OF
our revenue have betrayed its current expence'
and annually extinguifhed the iafeyeR, and nc
fmall part of IL. principal of our public debt
The wanton deltrufion Of our commerce has
! gradually lefIened this fource of national
wealth; and the accumulated expenc-s Of our
! Government in providing the meaiures Of de
| fence, both on land and at Tea, have rendered a
land tar highlyneeeflry. Even the scquiGnon II
| this tax will not make good the IFS ol our re
venue. Il aPPe2rs by The climates OF Govern.
ment, thar the French alone have bir1tsd our
property 70 the amount Of thirty nihiaHs 81
dollars duty on which at fifteen per eenfnm
the average proceeds, would bring into the
4
| thirty tboujdzI D2Harg-whereas the whole tax
aGeGed on the United States is no more than
Tqco millions Or Dollars.
But this land tax, 70 much complained Of
is of no great burthen TO us Congreis has e
wif.ly coatrived it, that mott of it falls on the
rich and I venture TO fay, that not more thar
four tsaths Of The country people viii be taxed
70 much as Jingle cenr. Nothing but the
want Of Information has made this tax-a6 IN
popular. I will eadeayor to explain its Princi
| PIES and operation.
II the fri place all aa}5 ar. exempted from
t7xato on. a valuation is to Be taken Of all h;
| dwelling nouleE and out.houfes il the United
States, and the lots on-which they Rand 10 the
extent Of toOo acres !; and, to make them obje9'
of taxation, they mutt Be valued al more tllan
| 100 Dollars. q houfe worth more than 100
and lefs than 500 Dollars, pays only tcOo tenth!
/ Of one per cent. on the Valuation: IF, for H.
| f7nce, it be valued at 400 Dollars, it will BE-
afehed the enormous fun Of Eighty tenfr, and NJ
more. Very few houfrs in our back towns, in
| GLIDING two acres of land round them, are wor
| 400 dollars-of courfe the tax falls lightly or
people of moderate property-snd the poor
Whole houfes arc not worth 100 Dollars, will
be totally exempted. We will now fee how the
tax-ad operates on the more wealthy part of the
community. A houle valued at fun between
500 and 1900 dollars, pays three fentbs of one
per cent. on the valuation Therefore If worth
1000 dollars, il will pay Precifely 5 dollars. A
hou(- valued at fun between 1000 and 3ooc
dollars, pays toar tcnthj Of one per cent. on the
valuation If, for infance, it be valued at 1000
dollars, it pays dollars 70 thar property
of 1900 dollars, only fVe times greater thar
J one of 400 dollars, pays zen times as much tax
There is the Fame ratio OF increafe till property
valued at 1900 dollars pays EVea teatb5 of ont
Per eesf. which is 10 doil4rs--a property worth
/ 10000 dollars pays 9ne per cent. on the amour
of the valuation, which is 600 dollars. Hence