Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1813-01-11

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ioymen, Of he rights OF all, equa! as TO he
tperation of the laws, which Gle not csicu
lated TO secure those lights. an exclu
s.ve ak ton, on enc class OF men, in what
ever sha cit may come, IS direct violation
I the Constitution.
Tie reasons why so great a portion
# exemp,s is allowed by law do not appear
0 be well understood No duiy can be par.
mount to that which involves the safety and
lrf.nce of the commonwealth. Judicial of
icers, more especially Justices oflhe Peace,
ire exempted, not because they have any
claims u exclusive privileges, hut because
they are called upon to decide questions re-
lstlng 20, and arising under the militia law.
s me exemptions are indeed made, on the
r,nciple that paplck officers should be al
ways ready TO transact business and not be
carried from their empioymen,s 10 do mill
ary du.y. Hut with few exceptions, the
-xemp,s are persons whose empioyments
md Offices, by means of which they are ex-
rmpted, sre lucrative, and instead IF emf
ting them TO favour, enables tnem To pay
that tax which is so inequitsbly exacted from
hose who are least able TO bear IL. No rea
son then can exist, why those, whose per
sons and property are protected. should not
contribute their proportion tor the common
good, in money, IT they are exempted from
personal service,
We are we'll aware that our readers may
be surprized At the magnitude Of the sums
expressed in The calculations in this and the
fore GOING numbers. But q nsamenis con
s,dcrstion will convince any one, who knows
what lax militia soldier pays TO the com
munily, OF The correctness Of these calcula.
lions. Ten dollars per annum is low com.
putation of the soldiers expences. 'rhe
least possible amount of liaes for non siten.
dence al m.Ilar, mus,ers is Eleven dollars
per annum. Can a militia m n then be cal.
led unre ssonable, who asks the Legislature
to equaiize in some degfeea tax now PAID
by the poorer part of the community, for
the bencfl OF the whole
We fhail here take The preeauiion to change
our mode Of attack, by efbsiioa asd e0srte,moreb,
uotll we have gained he fi,k and ,sa, of the
enemy where We may 10 aifpofe of our for
&C. $ to drive HIM from hi, bgB g,osnh and
bring his own ar illery 10 bear upon h,m
1t has been aiked by fome very siJiafs,ef.i
gentlemen VIVA all this defamation 10 about
the militia Have patience. gave Grs. and
you ihall preienfly know fbs roboie Essrn. 10
your opinions, the law having fcleened You
FROM duty or military ray lie militia is very
wei off -they have fulfil cent encouragement,
already, and in faef hey enjoy one of the mon
exalted p ivi'eges inherited by Freemen -
Thar of bearing arm. Really, gentlemen
you deierve vote of hanks from this priv.
leged" part of community for your eIienfive
1. I.l..
return you the hzhdiome compliment paid
them the mi it,a, who are or oughl TO he, tho
great mais of he people, were 10 iufiruel theiI
representatives to honor you wuh an erclu-
five privilege" aIfo, by permitting you &c
pay in,o the fa'e trezfury annually beiide,
your evil Tar, ten or fifteen dollar, each or
sum iomewhat 10 proportion to capital ftock
owned by you, or money Al interef Thi,
would only be dividing this tor, of fsvo,, now
and 70 long essisyfvsty eyyei by the militia
and give Their" inLfps.ds1 fellow citizens au
opportunity 10 partrcipxe in them We dc
not conhier monopoly, by enc eIafs Of men
conionani to our Republican infti,u ions, ef-
peeiay where al the mem sess of The commu
nty are vieing with each other, which flial
have he privilege TO contribute moi, tt
the public veal; we fhall therefore preeatly
thew by ari hsaeticsi ejaculation. without en-
tering iuso vulgar fractions, 70 spbIf em,ssl
theie fame militia mea, have for ferries o
yeas enjoyed the 6'sor and privilege, of bearing
arms at fbeiy ozDs eIpenle, 10 he exc uiion. in
tire EXECUTION of many vry 4oslhby iad verJ
respectable citizens TO be lure, hefe ci,ize en-
have enjoyed other bu minor privileges in CT
vii honors, and pay and fairy and fps6 4 ,f.,
bu they have not been I.fs,sf to con r,bu
as their pa.riotiim, no doubt, would urg,
them, any thing to the military department
Herein IL nun be infifed on the mil,ri;
have carried their 1re,enions of monopoly to,
far, nd have by 70 dong deprived many o
their snsiiensble and eo.Daatisssi .igJb
This afcendency of the military over tn,
civil authority i, dangerou, to the Republic
laasmurh as i, give. the folder an undue in :
fuence over the public council, He AFRO.
gates TO himfelf the privilege Of paying three
times as much yearly tax a. doe. the saforfs-
nate rich gentleman, whom the lac has NAV
fo"!y excluded both from " bearing ms and
contributing due proportion Of direct and
iudireei taxation
FoR EXAMPLE.
For the year IS 2, 80 600 eiti.
zen folders expended each D. 10
is D. $780, 900
During the fame year the whole
State Tax TO cefray the expence,
of governmen, principally the CT
vii Department vas Di5s7i9. 81
Leaving The monarous patriotic
"pr,vilege" il favor OF the militia
~ expenditure of Deoo sc4,os
Beiide, this balance the eai=ss Cider eontri :
buted TO the lafl mentioned ,aK az much in
proportion TO P,ef"y P.DgS. as did the edi-
xes no soidia.
Trn,ng a. thi. monopoly may a. fra ap.
pear, it amounts in the ihort fpace of ter years
TO