Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-30

nrorted 81 tie TAX gathsrers q their
vouchcrs, .set the people 70 r1gbts
That II, excite their hatred against the
federal administration, under which the
internal taxes we're laid and would M
duce ,hem 10 vote for and bring into
power and place the men pretending e
superior or exclusive patriotism, with
Jefferson, at thoir head. And what are
,.ome Of the consequences (besidsa the =
violations Of the public faith fet that re-
peal Of tho Intervals taxes! q resort TO
enormous loans, which, Il erected,
threaten to burthen our country with a
perpetual debt--sm missions OF paper no-
nsy BY millions--an q palpabls violation
of tho public faith. BY Anticipating ana
intercepting tho revenues long sinco
pledged for the payment Of the debts OF
our revolution. Those revenues, arising
from duties on imported goods, owing
to the restrictions on oommsrce and the
war, will not now be equal in amount to
the paper money called treasury notes,
or exchequer bills, already issued and
authorised to be emitted; but which
bills are receivable at the custom houses,
in the payment of duties, instead OF mo-
ney, of which therefore none will remain
to pay the interest, and gradually dis
charge the principal, of the old debts;
for which, under the federal admlnlstra-
ton, ample funds were provided BY a
succession of laws made for tho redemp.
ton of the pubic debt, In enc passed
March 8, l7s5,is the following solemn
declaration: And the faith OF the y.
Statss is hereby pledged, that the mo
MES or funds aforesaid, shall inviolably
remain, and DO appropriated and vested,
as aforesaid, to be applied to the said
reimbursement and redemption, in maa-
ner aforesaid, until the same shall be
fully and completely Effected"
What an ample fund for the ,redemp-
ton of the public debt, the. internal du-
ties, which MIR. Jefferson caused to be
abolished, would have yielded, some
judgment may be formed from what
lately passed in tho house of represen-
tatives of the u States. MIR. M'Kim
"a democratic member from Baltimore)
suggested the expedieney Of imposing
a duty on spiritusus liquors distilled
within the United States, much the
greatest part of which is whiskey. By
his calculation, such duty, Of emily Is
cents a gallon (Which is less than half
now paid by the farmers, mechanics,
sailors and laborsrs on and near the sea-
board, on all imported rum and spirits
they consume) would yield SIX millions
of dollars annually. But Mr.. M'Kim's
proposition was rejected; tho house
would not even suffer it to be taken into
consideration and Mr.. Mckee "a mem.
Der from Kentacky) explicitly gave his
opinion" that his constituents would
not pay such tax 20 And yet those
Kentuckians, and other western men,
have been burning with zeal for begin.
ming and persevering in this disss.
troas and disgraceful war % And while
such men bear rule, and the northern
aud eastern states patiently bear all the
burthens, the war will be coatiaued and
the commercial states be impoverished,
by the draining away of their money to
fill tho pockets of its authors and abet-
tors. For myself, as member of the
national legislature, having deliberately
considered the subject, l explicitly de-
clare, that do not hold myself under any
sbligation to give my vote to redeem
the paper money called exchequer sihs,
issued and issuing by the secretary o!
the treasury, or the loans OF millions on
millions which he is now attempting to
effect, to continue this unnecessary and
Ubiquitous war.
TIMOTHY PICKERING.
March l6, 1918.