Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1805-12-09

bove flr4ner uses six times as much salt as the
rich on; for tie iai1ner wants salt for his
mcs', his cattle, lis dairy, bis table, and for
flag his hay while the rich nlan wants on
4. lOr MS table, aud \ span ~ elegant carriage
lrorses by ms you see thathTJe thousand dollars
IN the hands VI farmer in the country, con-
'tli5gtcs Or paws more taxes to the government
than three hundred thousand dollars in the
hands of the richest citizen does, when the rich
citizen ought to pay three hundred dollars 10
this farmers three tlTee hundred dollars To
three dollars would be the proportion accor-
ding their interests DO Won believe, Mr.. Al
Les, that the people in general are sensible
Of this inequality ?--DD YOU believe
Mr. Allen, that if the whole sum Of [say) eigh-
teen millions Of dollars, which the United States
now owes, Was at once 20 lie assessed on the es-
tate olthe whole people, in one grand tax
and the assessors were 10 set a larger tax in
the grand bill, TO the farmer that was worth
three thousand dollars, than they did to the
Gentleman IL the city, who was worth three
hundred thousand dollars, that the farmer
would not oniv see, but sensibly feel the me-
quality and injustice of it ? And if YOU was
one of those grand assessors, should you not
expect that the people would grumble at it, and
drop you Tor the next year Although the
people in general are not sensible Of this being
exactly their situation-although they are dali
ly paying this money, unknown to themselves
every time they buy gallon of rum, pound
ottea, coffee, chocolate, pepper, spice, ginger,
OF j bushcl OF salt, or Ony other article almost
whatever; yet it is a fact that it is the case,
and that it operates Just as iniurously and as
much 10 the damage Of the farmer, as though
il was to be assessed as above stated and a
grand collector was to come end call on them
for their taxes, fer the prices of every article
Of merchandise, which we buy is Just so much
higher, as 10 make the merchant whole for
having before paid tke duties which are by law
act to them.
The federal administration seeing and know
ing, that the external duties alone would oper-
ate thus unequally that the opulent characters
IN the great cities and towns were agoing to es-
cape paying hardly any part Of their share of
the debt, and expences of the goverement, very
judiciously laid on a heavy duty on carriages, a
Kind ofproperty generally possessed and owned
BY the opulent and grand forthe first rate car
riages those grandees had to pay fifteen dollars
ayear, for the second rate, they had to paw
twelve dollars, forthe third rate fee dollars, for
chaisc two dollars and many Of those opu-
lent gentlemen viii own a number of those
high dutied carriages, so that their taxes upon
upon them would frequently be from thirty to
forty dollars annually. This seemed to make
them bear share the burdens though not
yet half their share, according to their proper
ties and ability to Pay.-Licenced persons had
then to give something to the government, for
the privileges of opening houses Of entertain
ment, and selling provisions and liquors, at
two or three hundred percent. proht-this also
was rich resourse of, revenue, a very great
help to the farmer, But under the present
administration both these rich resources of rev
enue are struck off; those two classes of citi-
zens, the opulent gentlemen, and the hceened
persons are released, and the whole burden
thrown on the farmers. These things Tom, |
see, and have, therefore, no hesitation to de-
clare myself dissatisfied with the present ad-
ministration. Congress might have retained
the duties on carriages and licenses, and easily
have divised some method for the government
to have realized the monies arising therefrom.
without continuing the Offices which were at
tached to the system, and thereby helped the
people and If the good of the people had
been at heart, God knows that they would
have donethis.
will write you again on the subject Of the
navy.
PHILANDER RATHBUN.
IVPSf- -Sfor tby-iC1oro lDrt u