Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1819-04-28

rests, tnty l6sScu uiS SooS'essoSS
the sovereign, and at the same time, they
incroach upon our rights and our liberty.
The duties of the ministers under the
representative government, are to watch
the social act, to keep the wants Of the go
We, nment apace with its resources, and to
employ their strength, justice and honor,
to make the nation happy and respected
at home and abroad.
The duties Of the people are to respect
the laws, to cultivate and to contribute,
according to their income, towards thejust
expenses Of the government, and the magni-
6cence of the crown.
Should the ministers abandon themselves
to commercial speculations, the attention
they would give to their own interest, be-
ing otherwise employed, would do away
any suspicious of their integrity.
And as there are no men, whose COM
mercial means could goin contact with
the resources of the government, emula-
ton must cease, the concurrence is de-
stroyed, the profits lessen, the value OF the
goods rise above its standard, the agio
makes common cause with usury. the
weight of the public taxes becomes intole-
rable, and the polite body sinks by ex.
tremes, or by the state of inactivity, the
only fruit of the above evil.
| From our demonstration that the nature
of representative government is entirely
contradictory with the ministers embark
ing themselves in any commercial specu-
lations, the question arises, OF what name
could be gwen to law by which citizen
should be Kindred from working Or SOW
ing bis field at bis own will, and if then
the same citizen ought not to be considers
ed as slave but the advocates for the
monopoly object it is not enough for you
to criticise, you ought to find the means
to supply the products of 40 millions neat,
and Of 72 millions in toto.
Well, let us seek for that remedy, and
what would be our situation il, under the
charter Of our rights and Of our liberty to
supply the public expenses, we were O.
bIiged TO admit the monopoly, as the only
remedy May we be far from such hui
initiation.
| So, since by necessity, we are forced to
find remedy to clear ourselves of the mo-
nopoly, we will submit one arising from
the thing itself.
Let US gain full liberty to the culture OF
tobacco, with that restriction nevertheless,
that once collected, each owner at given
times shall be obliged to deposit for his
own private account, his produce in stores
provided for that purpose-and that in
case of any sale being closed, the buyer
will have so much to pay upon the amounts,
in proportion with the annual consumption
generally known by the ministers.
Let it be law that all the tobacco to
be found out Of the public stores, after
the stated time, or in some mandatory,
shall be liable to seizure and sold at pub
!
lie sale, and the amount to be equally di-
vided between the officers of the govern
ment to that effect, and the planters who
shall have complied with the law of the
storage.
AS for the imported tobaccos, let US at
! its arrival, store them in the custom house,
ware houses, and when sold, let the buyers
pay so much per custom upon the amount,
according TO the annual consumption Of the
article, when known by the ministers.
i Every manufacturer, who, to evade the
duty, should have bought any tobacco out
of the public stores, ought to be suppress
(! ed, and subject to a penalty, to be divided
i equally between the officers to that effect
and the planters, who shall have complied
with the law.
According to these dispositions, it would
be impossible for the government not to
receive annually as much benefit as the ac-
; tual one, because then il will be at liberty
to raise the duty at forty millions, according
to the knowledge it should have OF the ac-
tual consumption Of this domestic and i'm
ported leaf.
Ifthere is too great difference between
the value of the imported tobacco with our
own, the poor will be relieved, and the
rich will have 10 pay the duty according
to bis own wants.
Our view in the foregoing observation is
only topay the tribute which every lover
ofhis country is bound 70 do.