Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-29

that sum. Surprising funds could be
s%soSided for the punctusl payment of the
s,erest whichthe 9Th year viii amount to-
~ 400. 600; the country will at the end of that
'eriod be involved ina new aebtof i4o ,ooo,o 900.
gpt II is perfectly easy TO see that the nation
men deprived Of It's commerce, and withthe
",rous branches OF industry and enterprise
.,,,lized, would bs unequal to the task OF
.sriue such burden. Recourse must be
psdi new loans to pay the interest of the
1srcedine or il mus be unpaid, In which
Uni the fairh Of the nation would be prostrat-
i and am end would be soon quito borrowing
sncb u.1r, a war productive ofsuch burdens
~ the people, would soon tafn the public ex-
sryation froai the enemy we have selectSd to
he authors of the w4r. The people would
soop begin to contract their present situation
NTH their prosperity before its commence
ment.
have made this calculation on the presuinp-
ann that the amount Of revenue which will
he derived from tbs several items OF tlle con-
,smplatetl taxes would come up to the estl-
mate of the secretary Of the treasury. 1 have
:. data ola which to found an estllnateot the
sbabIe amount which will be raised from
,staxes generally. It is thought that some
&c itt.m will produces sum muchlarger
nm the calculation. think however that 1t
i easy 10 show that the estimated amount to
Ne derived from impos.s and tonnage, IN case
&C . Wal. is evidently fallacious This source
I'll recc,llect the estimate correctly, Is caicu-
ated oct doubling the present rate OF duties to
oroduce 8 100000 annually. From what
sources ourimportations are to be derived In
time of war Ifcannet conceive. They cannot
come troa1 G. Britain of course and VIXEN
involved IN war and our ports and harbors
bIockaGled by the British fleets, the number OF
arrivals from other nations must be very tew.
Attempted inportat!ons viii be much more
likely to arrive in port either in Halifax or
the w Indies than inthe y. States. Aud 1t
some stragglers should have the good fortune
70 arriyts III safety, the mere circumstance OF
doubling the duties will defeat It's object, by
tisesaoling the fair trader to maintain COM
petition, and compelling him either TO abandon
commerce entirely, and tarow the business IN
TO the hand of smuggl rs and sharpers, by
whom tae treasury would be detlauded, or to
turn sIluggler IN bis own defence As 1t fes-
pects the furnishing ofa revenue. Commerce
when ullshackled, and subjected only to such
amoierate impost as does not afford SO great
a bounty to smuggling as to counterbalance
the risk. is Ike the goose in the fable which
every das laid the golden egg, BY hamper
ing it witll impol.hc restrictions and especial
" by burt hcnipg it with an impost duty so G.
normous S TO render smuggling more gain
full than nazardous, and thereby disenabing
the fair III lder who respects the laws, to pur-
sue his business to advantage, nation is
guilty of species of folly similar to that OF
the boy no killed bis goose with a view to
cngross the who treasure at once. 1t IS to
strangls, her in the nest, and prevent her from
ever laying the golden egg in future.
(I'o be Contmued.