The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1815-02-15

ing, & anxious AS Eel to the contribute ut
most OF my feeble efforts TO ensure success To
the contest in which il $ engaged, deem il
unnecessary that j should ch-r am apology
tor troubling the house with the propositions
am about 60 submit. Surely, sir, ifthe pre-
sent contest snail terminate inglorlously, the
cause OF 1t must and will be charged upon
tins Congress; and, may be permitted to
add, THAI nothing can ever be urged as All "a
pology for us. For it can never be SAID, that
tile country which has produced Brown.
Scott, aud !ackson, with the Spartan bands
which have fought Ivy their sides, and which
contains near two million II men equally ca.
paole or bearing arms, together with all the
means OF supplying armies, and subssting It's
Inhabitants, Can be unsuccessful in a cortes,
with any nation Whatever except for want
OF proper application of the means within
the power OF the government With know
ledge, however, OF the difficulty we have ex-
prricneed in uniting the house IN any impor-
tant measures, ought, perhaps, TO 'forbear
making an aa-cmpt 1T new project &c the late
period OF the session, and content myself with
trusting the defence of our country to whs,
regular forces may be obtained by the ortli-
nary mode OF enlistment, relying or voiun-
tsers and militia tor the balance. But, sir,
When CONSIDER the dangers with which our
Country is threatened, ard the unequal bur
deDs which are imposed upon tic people by
drafts from, the militia, SIS well as the enor.
nous expence atteKJiing them, feel it my
DUTY, late AS 1t IS, TO make one effort to &C
compiish that which shall better csmport
with what / sehevc to be duty we owo to
the community.
Mr. X. then submitted the following reso-
tons
RssoLUed, That the Committee on Militia.
y Affairs be instructed to enquire into the
expsdiency OF providing by law, for arrane-
ing the citizens subject 10 the direct tax into
classes IN SUCH manner that each shall az far
as may be practicable, consist of persons re-
siding contiguous TO each other, and from
which together hundred dollars
shall be due; and of permitting each class
to turnish one man for the regular army,
within given number of days. IN lieu of said
tax.
RESOLVED, That the said committee be in
struCted to enquire into the expetsjency of
auginenting the Direct Tax for the present
year, so as that it may be sufficient to pro
cure thousand men at huadred doll
lars each.
The House having agreed to consider
these resolutions, MI X. agsin rose and AID
dressed the House as follows:
Having sub tilted the Propositions before
yca, 1t is due to mvse f & 10 the houss, that
should give brief explanation Of my views
as To the details of the proposed ineasui C.
propose, sir, that it shag. be made the du-
y of the principal assessors in the several
states, as soon AS the tax lists Shall be made
out, to furnish each ass slant assessor with a
hst ccmpreh nei,g ,hc tx bic pc, sens in the
assessment districts respectively, and that
the assist mt assessors shall be required to ar
range them into classes in such manner that
each class shall, as far as may be practical
Die, consist Of persons residing contiguous to
each other, and from whom in the Whole,
two hundred dollars of the tax shall be due,
requiring of the said assessors that they
should m Ike a return OF the classification to
the collector, designating the classes by mum
0ers, OF III sore ol1er manner which shall be
sufficiently descriptive, and that the citizens
OF each assessment district should he notified
OF the class to which they may severauy be-
long, and of the tax due from each, by the
posting up Ofclass lists, at suitable number
OF the most public places in each district. |
propose that each class should be allowed to
eXonCrate itself from the tax by furnishing
man (wItiln given number of days) to en-
gage for the war, without the bounty in mo
ney IroBl the government but to be entitled
to TIE land bounty, and that "A class on fur
nishing recruit should he entitled to a GER
tifcate from the officer AUTHORISED to receive
the recruits, winch being presented to the
collector should BE- good payment for the tax
OF the class. And in the absence of such Ger
titcate, for given Rumber ofGays, the COL
lsrtor should proceed IN the collection. 1t is
not Improbable that in arranging the classes
1t might be eXpcdieut ia some cases. and per-
haps ~ all, to include in class those whose
tax together should amount to four, or SIX or
perhaps eight hundred dollars, and provide
that il should exonerate itself from the tax
by furnishing Il corresponding lumber of men.
i feel no difficulty, sir, III hazafdng an Opt
mon, that most of the classes would furnish
the men, and believe they would do so, be-
Cause thereby they would make saving 10
themselves in money, and not only would they
make saving i'll amount, but in most ses
they would pay recruit in the necessary
supplies for a family, and in various other
ways, in which they would Compensate him,
with move convenience than to RAISE the same
amount III money at a given period. And iii
aid of this plan, we should enlist, not only all
tile fee lings which result from a wish TO see
the country properly defended, but those Of
peeuDiary interest. Every taxable citizen
would 10 a degree voluntarily become re-
cruitiug officer, aUd among the whole, there
can be little doubt but sufficient number of
recruits would be found. If, however, it
should be believed, that to allow two hundred
dollars Of the tax for A recruit would be a
sum insufficient to ensure the obtaining Of
them, let the sum be augmented and if ne
cessary, increase the tex accordingly, to
which J Can see no objection, as. Whatever