The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1822-02-05

ny s,css al ar, iha1ts ron t'ie PFsfi-
satfll. r. ,,e,) yet he wlsnot satishei that u
90 exne lent u las the proposed tax he sail
ar,rt ,y,uld ia III, opinion be to drive an in
,,.tr;ops and usefIl part Of our population away,
- ,rcrent their settling with us-uiat argument
he had not heard answered.
AR. WHFFLrR, was opposed TO the bill he
III Tho President If the Senate had remarked
.s.t this proposition bad nothing to DO with the
;,;,;a h,t If that were the case, il was very
..c-o th,t the whole Of the debate upon it, had
,.on conducted with reference TO that system.
!, - n fact he Said, covert attack upon the
r.sI~o-s AMI Quakers, and as such he was deci-
~. anoosed ~ il. Ii gentlemen wished that
!. "a ,;asses of our citizens should do military
satv lot them come forward openly and say 50:
- would then meet the question as openly but
!, Get I'D prctcncc of the sort this bill provides,
,rouId not deceive those people. He thought
t,o that the tax arising from this source would
very snail, while the excitement it would
-s-rlnce must be great he did not therefore
,ank il expedient for trifiing an object TO oc-
c,s;oa SO much uneasiness, as IL undoubtedly
would.
Mr.. Rosr, wished to correct the impression of
.Ao gentleman from York, as to whathe Mr.. +. J
observed concerning the Quakers, supporting
their moor. He admitted that they did support
tho moor. who were actually members of their
sect' but he meant to be understood that they
took pretty good care that not MANY became
NOR among them; the Lords poor they did
maintain, but the devils poor they turned a.
drift. When a member was pursuing vicious
course and one that must lead bin 10 poverty,
hey provided in season against supporting hun,
bv reading him ont. TO what was said about
the effect of this bill. in preventing that class of
neoplc from coming into the State, he did not
give much weight, for in Pennsylvania and New
York where thew are taxed in siiniiar man
ner we find they increase rather than diminish,
;ad there was no difficulty in collecting the
tx nor was there danger Of their going out OF
The State ; for they could not take their houses
:nd their lands, and he did not fear that they
would resis, the payment Of the tax-they were
too good citizens for that. FIR. II. made some
remarks upon the necessity of militia system,
andthe security il gave 10 the people by strength
enns the government &c. and enforcing the
administration of justice, though lie did not APP
prove oil that now existing. The Quakers he
said derived benefit from the strength OF the
rilitia. and they ought 10 pay something for IT.
Mr.. BoNp opposed the bill--he said its opera
lion would be unjust and oppressire-it Is pre-
posed that certain descriptions OF people shall
pay a tax equal to their State tax, as an cfuiya-
lent Tor military duty but this military duty, Is
a personal service, for the non performance of
which, certain penalties are leyIcd--now this
bill requires that cxcmpts, instead OF performing
This service shall pay tax. which IN fact amounts
10 more than they would have 10 pay il they were
enrolled. and paid their fines. You are therefore
laying an unequal and unjust tax. The bill will
operate too, 10 discourage the emigration t. this
state of useful and valuable citizens, who will as
sst Us much more BY their industry, than we shall
he benefited by the proposed tax. Neither of
Che New England states, he observed, had any
provision in their laws 10 tax these people, BY
way of an equivalent, and il was fair to presume,
That people SO consCientiously scrupulous as
thcv were on this subject. would prefer removing
10 a state where they were unmolested in their
religious principles, than TO submit 10 that species
ofpersecution here. The revenue that would be
derived from This source, would be so small that
il would hardly paw for the attempt the whole
number of Quallcrs in the state was probably
not more than 1000: of these, you could not cal
cniale upon more than $50 subjects Of the law.
The object for which the tax was to be raised
was, he sand a very good one, but he should rath-
er pay the money ont OF the Treasury than that
these people and the Judges OF the Supreme Court
and ministers Of the gospel all of whom the bill
comprehended should be taxed improperly for
This purpose.
On motion Of Mr.. Rose the Senate then rose
and reported the bill without amendments.
This report was soon after taken up in the
Senate, when Mr.. BRADBuRY moved that il be
postponed TO the next session of the Legislature
u other words indefinitely, which succeeded. 9
too.
Mr. BRApBuRY in supporting his motion pass
ed through the principal Arguments against the
bill, and touched with some severity upon the mil
tia system as now esiabli-hed.-We regret that
re cannot give his remarks entire. Our object
has been in this sketch TO show the principal ar
guments that were offered on this occasion upon
ihe interesting subject of taxing the Quakers.
1t was not contended in the debate by any speak
bat that the Legislature had a right to make them
pay equivalent for militia service; the discus
sion was wholly upon the erpediency of the meas
ure.