The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-05-10

n prsfent had no via, TO Offer IN opinion. blu.
he could not help abiding TO the novel manner
IN which the right honourabe gentleman wiihed
the ways and means 70 be voted. The regular
way furely was for the houie fifit TO decide on
the policy of any fubliiy to be given, rs well as
its amount, before any fpecific FUN WIS voted
for that purpofe. Here, however, the houfe
itemed proceedinp on different grounds, by irfl
agreeing to particular fun for the fpecific OBJ
ltet OF continental fubGdy, without having
been permitted to- form any opinion of the time
at which the fnbidy was TO be afforded, or the
manner in which it was to be applied. IF at
forwards any queitlon arofe on theie points, it
might he attempted to be argued, that all future
dliculnon was precluded; and it was with the
view of providing againt any fuch ailumDton
that he felt It his duty to rife on the preisnt oc-
Gallon. He had no objection to have the fun
OF ilve millions in the mean time voted for, but
he begged it to be clearly underltood, that with
refpeet to the policy of continental tiibiidy,
the extent to which it might be carried, or the
manner IN which it was to be applied, he conf
dered himfrlf as at perfect liberty to offer his
ientlments ut length whenever the matter ihould
he regularly brought before the houfe. He
thought it neceilary to make this declaration,
though he had no reafon to think, that in aliud.
ing 10 the Quehion of continental ii;bGdies, the
right honorable gentleman wiihed to take the
honf- by furprize. Having difpofed of this pre-
iimlnary quefion, the honoufable gentleman
next adverted 20 the new taxes meant to be ins-
poted. AS to the tax agricultural horfes, he
confeied that he felt degree of alarm. Every
ore acquainted with agricultural affairs knew
that the tax, even rs it now food, was found to
be highly opprelive, and he was fhre that the
propoied addition would be conlidered a very
ferrous burden by thofe moi ferioully concern
ed. He therefore had a ftrong objection to this
addition. He had an equal objection to the
propofed tax on falt, but he would referve his
obfervations on the fubjea to that period when
the matter came to be fully difcuilcd. In the
mean time, he could not help rcmarkne that of
the taxes mentioned, with the exception of that
on ialt, none were on articles Of coniumpton.
1t would not be denied that the poflibility of
taxing articles of coniumption, was the beft cri-
terion OF the powers of nation TO fnitain bur.
dens. He diiliked the idea of relinquihing this
mode or taxation, as it feemed to indicate that
we were in fituation far more reduced than he
could bring himfelf to believe. He was forty,
too, for the addition to the property tax. His
great objection, both to the income tax, as well
as the property tax, was, that it afforded too
great facility for augmentation, and that it was
lmpoiiible to fay where its operation would ter
inmate. 1t now it was increafed twenty-five
per cent. it might foon be doubled or triplcd.
In ihort, by gradual procefs, the people might,
under the form of a property tax, be deprived
of almof all they pof1eiied. 1t was to be kept
in view, at the fame time, that the property tax
was very unequally levied. So far as it affected
property in land, the aflefIments might be pref
ty fairly arranged, but this would not hold with
refpett to commercial profits, to which no ia
tisfa6tory mode of Allotment could be applied.
The danger was, alto, that if the property tax
were long continued, it might come to be con-
hdered AS permanent land tax, and voted an
nuay on iimilar principles. IF the old mode
OF taxing articles of confumpton was to be a.
bandoned, and income directly to be attacked,
it was impoiiIble to fay to what limits it might
be carried. at prcfent it was confined to in
como, but it was not eafy to fay how foon even
the capital might be invaded. 1t was matter
of the utmoh confequence to have it undertood
that it lhould not be augmented beyond GER
tain amount.-It would afford great atisfaetion
to the country to know that it fhould in no cafe
be augmented beyond the half of its prefent A.
mount. People would pay the tax with the
greatelt fatisfaction if they knew that it was to
have determinate period.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer afIinred the
honorable gentleman and the houie that he en-.
tertained not the nighteft idea of willling the
houie to exprefs any opinion as to the policy of
continental fubfdies. He was aware that the
fubied would remain July open to future diff
cuiiion when the period for that diEcufIion ar
rived. Then every honorable gentleman would
have full opportunity of exprefing his fenti-
ments fully, both as to the circumstances under
which a fubfdy was propofed to be given, the
amount of that fublidy, and the particular man
ner in which it was to be applied. But though
he allowed that the fubjea was open for fair
ditcuiiion, he certainly had felt it his duty to
defer bringing forward the ways and means for
the year. He had many reafons for avoiding
this delay. 1t was, in the frll place, proper
that when fubjeGt of this importance was pro-
duced, it fhould meet with full confederation,
and therefore it was not polite to bring it for
ward at very late period of the fef1ion. 1t
was alto proper to have it early bro't forward,
becauie, by delaying the loan to late period,
the public was a fuferer, from the mode in
which the intereft was TO be betrayed AS to
the propofed taxes, he had to offer few obfrr-
vations. The honorable member had objected
that the taxes were to operate directly, inRead
OF being laid on articles of confumption. The
honorable gentleman would not however de.
ny that iat was an article of confumption, and
one too of very ferrous defcription. The
lame obtervation would apply to horfes employ
ed in agriculture, and though the tax on the
Poft-olice was not actually on an article of con-
fumption, it was on an article of convenience,