American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1825-02-18

lily and injustice which this plain calcn,,;.l
glarngly shews, would alone have been .na
to arrest the Legislature in this i'll advised ,a1
but there is principle Of yet greater imn s.s
involved in tas question and one which i, M" "
allowed them to forget mot only the nal,rn
OF few thousand dollars more than the A.. n
portion of New Castle county is at stake nn
last dollar held by every individual in that c%.
and in fact throughout the state is at hazard.
The legislature is admitted, under the Con...
ton, to have the right Of raising money bv m.s
OF direct taxes, without Limitation as to bs ,'s
gate annual amount. II they can lew 9lsS
they can, by the same power, call upon me n.,'
for fifteen millions and unless we concedp ny
people the right TO resist the laws made by bs;,.
preseDtatives, clothed with constitutional auhos.
10 do which would be virtual abandonment NJ :.
government, what security have the people ,h, y
sum total Of their properly may not, BY som.
price Of the Legislature, be swept from ,bsn
The security is found most ample in the prinGs
for which we have contended.- Man will s.a
injure himself, however prone he may be 10 onnsE
his fellow men. Let the sum proposed to BE- ,.s
! by direct TAX be equally or according 10 the msE
Der of Representatives, apportioned on the rem
tive counties !; and chen the burden of each coTE
is to be distributed upon the Citizens Of MI
county, then let each one bear part in erad MI
portion to his ireaHh and all the Repres.nanvk
wiH themselves feel the ,reigM of their oun MI
conduct. if they should attempt to injure The o,bm
The people TOO, will then have the very person,,
their power who have been the authors OF the 81
Why, if not based upon this principle, isint
our constitution makes il necessary that Rem
sentative in the Legislature, should hold frrsh N
estate in the county where he may be chosen Il
why is it, tina, all bills Tor raising revenue must N
ginate in the popular branch Of the Legislature M
members OF which are annually elected Reeves,
this plclure and see how falacious is the peoples ii
curily. Let combination OF any Two Of our con,
ties be entered into, against the third and what nav
not be the consequences No matter what moisr
may urge on the combination il the object Of I'M
the opp ession or destruction Of one third olh
State, it will only be necessary to say that dl,s
lax OF eight or ten millions Of dollars is drmandu
to aid the government, and that the devoted count
and its prescribed inhabitants, are len time, i
wealthy as the rest Of the State taken together; 81
make an apportonment OF the tax accordingly. Il
such case, the majority in the Legislature vii
imposed this burden, would not feel lis weight TOD
would they be at all consitulionally in the powtrs
those whom they oppressed.
i Ii is idle and Ial!acous in the extreme, to talk
apporloning direct tax according 10 The relslt
wealth Of each county because in this we can ta'
no security; tor The same majority in the Leglsaur
so long as the number Of Representatives are tQu,
may make the value OF property Just what they M
please to have il. board Of assessors may b, q
pointed, and Court Of Appeals set up, b! lhtf
selves, acting under their authority, and accounl
BILE TO no other tribunal and all, or majority
these Agents. may it necessary to complete u
Operation, reside without The limits, and have nos
terest in that county where the effect is desiguet
lbe produced Whether this be real or ali lma
4 nary case, il is one which may easily grow QUIZ
the principle assumed by the Legislature, IN d
apporlionment of The State tax and whenever
right to levy upon, and collect taxes from the II
Pile is found to be boltomed upon principle sou
secure and capable OF an extension so wild and
lstructive, it must be wrong, and ought immediate
o be abandoned 1t cannot be deemed unreasot
lbe in the people to insist having some better
cutity for their property and their lights than IS
be found in the mere prudence and discretion Oh
Legislature and especially when composed omsn
bers over whose appointments they can exeIclsel
CONTROL
u The practice which our Legislature has,
many years pursued, in relation to the apPoTlo
nent OF the State taxes appears to have been sew
upon no .tTed principle. Previous to the year ~
large direct taxes were demanded in this State .
were then apportioned equity upon all the coahl
, AT that time, and without any certain data ira,
now be found, the Legislature seemed 10 ~
thought it right or the power was thus early assn
= ed, al least oil making the aPportonmen' onequ
and visionary scale Of twenty one parts was au "
. ted. OF these parts, eight were givenio New !.
: tie, screen to Kent, and sir TO Sussex ana !!
y practice was continued, with but little saI'sD
: down to the year 1875; at which perlou "
: some sudden and extraordinary freak IN the Nv
lalure, unaccountabe, except by reference %
! weakness and fallability OF mankind, a dllee !,
{ was authorized, OF S 1000 and the county Of n
: Castle called upon for the payment OF ne@ly
: thirds OF the whole sum. The excitement ptoou
{ by this event induced the Legislature to pause,
again change their ground. The State lax o.
eial subsequent years was levied and collected y
the different counties according to the sau'
, DrODertV. as aScPrtaued nv fhe OF NE