Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-11-10

Mum
Is perS. See the number of represen, a,iras -:
~ axe manner take the whole taxes Of the StaIo
!, ana those OF each county, If the taxes ve thn G
: rule s0@e'' aiiu 'nal Is tnt
MT M. Thought that this plan would osIv serya >,
niS! use inc diIilcuty To what portion Of renre
rd a % warwick with her ANNUAL toxcsat 500
amd her Whitc population 62O persons ba or,;IJs
Tue objection still applies, notwithstanding tho oxnio
nation mat frecliodar, lawful voter Of the cpn
mon"eaIth, VIII be weighed in the same SCALES With
t Ives he may chance to contribute TO tho yyanf
or the caprice OF the Legislature and Gnd h;.aaI
pdiancea against the fraction u a single Io)ar
gre 7'i9inission to such degiadaton all that
na 3 ny th'2mgenious political composition Of
49, Shu money, IL Would be possible though il nrbt
1e ulncll. 10 udure It patiently: But is IL possihsro
derive, frcn such materials, any equitable ar stsb
proportion or balance of political power between the
~; ei,'.' suiS or interests rs they are called OF
tEis commonwealth, or indeed of any otbrr Wi, h
Wh'ch we are acquainted? know lis oppf,tian in
tooutn Carolina, said Or. N. only so far MS -: AZ
'a'Ls arc oscosea III hel Constitution. Let US turn
70 It. BY this, it is provided that 60 members of ~
more Ru1lerot.S, will not call it popular branch of
her legislature shall be distributed among her nre
existing election districts, i'll number d. from rcr
~ te'r VINE hanitents; and 62, among the
same districts from reference - ''e ouount OF an
fdres r1ised by The legislature rLsher direct or iua
rect or oi uteeer sptc1S.~ paid in each deductinr
te'foin' al axes paid on account OF p opesty held
III any "iher district, u adding thereto all tayes ee-
where paid, on account Of property held in such dis
fiet' 10 give effect to t;,s principle OF represen
Iaoh, u IS further provided that there shaU be an
enumeration OF the people once in every ion vc,rs
ana tAat IN eycSY apportionDent of representation
WHICH sha! take place after the first sthe amount of
LaAes sAaA be tied from the average the ten
pfecealn years.; land the first apporionment shall
be founded the tax of the preceding wear eycn.
oins from the amount thereof the whole produc of
'the Tux on sales at pH5hc aucfion'
tie bad attended, AIR. AZ. said, the more closely of
heSe PROVISIONS In order TO ascertain what nntliL tn
I1Duse OF l24 members would fall to the STARE of
Inc city Of Charleston This city had of the former
house OF REPRESENTATIVES. of tie state INCLUDING the
parishes OF ST Philips aud St Michaels, fifteen ile1n-
eefs ovt ui i2s Ehe auction duties OF South "a
roilna, there can be but little doubt are paid chiefly
II not solely i'll Charleston They were not to h.,
computed ut all III the first apporlonl.icnt of repre-
sentaIon, that of 1910; but The verv' nvc,nt;o, =.
well as the antecedent language other Cunstituton
Shows that they were to be reckoned in ever. sah
sequent aPport;onment founded on the taxes OF the
preceding Ten years. They must have been compll-
Ted therefore in 1920. Ihe present Representation
OF this city, in TIA House of Representatives af
South Csro!ina,I have yet to learn; but If apy mart
cl IL Is founded on these auction duties, since her e-
aiiic Is invoked 10 The aid ofthe amendment in dis
cusson, ask If size rs entitled TO ii on INV nrincioa
"hich woul" not give TO the citizens Of PhiladeIoha
or New York, a like claim to representation oyar
~ aooVe their iar proportion to numbers the egis
llturc5 OF Their respective states, The extent c no
dntles annually collected in Charlest on IS unknou
TO me: but the uctiou duties of Ph.adclphia I he
bePe, constitute third of the entire revenue of Penn
SyVihfa, whose state government is sustained with
OUT any ether tax, whatever except uD,n the .fiv;
deAds OF her banks, aud collateral inertances de-
uses ea9 beque.s- These taxes, together with her
scare OF the annual dividends accrnng on her seve
raj road, bridge, canal and bank stocks make I'D thu,
sun total OF the public income applied 10 the disburs
lnents OF state government, where neither a land
nor Poh tax exists More than l1oiety OF it ari-
ses in Philadelphia. " ~
Simliar views apply to New York The auction
auties levied IN Ter great emporium largely exceed
moitty OF our State revenue, and are established
mo SET apart Tor special purpose, by express
proglsion OF her Constitution.
The only tax we have in Virginia analogous to this,
is ohe on merchants licenses and both nave closa
dthniiy n her principles and operation 10 the npo
duties OF the United States They ara all lowed at
the mats of commerce, all clargeahIe upon tile COM
Inodtics which into that commerce. They are
consequently, all paid neither by TIE importer nor the
Vender neither by the auciioriesr the merchant
who ure but the collectors Of the tax and charge u
prof on their labQur They all paid in tiue by the
consumer, who for the opportunity Of paying them
THIS anendent would require of him to surrender not
only the prce in money Of the articles which he pur
chases but u most undue and enormous ADVANCE of
political power to his superors the tax-paying mer-
chant and auctoneer. Apply this amendment to tho
condition of Pennsylvania and New York and tbnr
chief cities would govern those States. These new
heads OF monled aristocracy, the auctioneers who
pay, by TAR, the largest share of the taxes TO the
State, would, IN the several State Governments fur
outrank the regular merchant, whose PRINCIPAL dtes
pass through the Collectors of the Customs to the
Treasury of the Federal Government and couge-
quentiy neither augment his own political power nor
1lat Vi MS neighbours, however large they pay be,
and actually
1.-THE payment Of "a tax gives right 10 proper
Tomato share of the power which leYies it, my consti-
tuents have fair claim to representation i'll the Lee
gisatures of New York and Pennsylvania since thew
pay no small share ofthese auction duties
Sir, said Mr.. NJ. the salt tax Of New York q
State excise is also set apart by her Constitution for
a special purpose. Being q cents on the bushel
and the quantity made about 100000 bushels, it
does not fall short Of 10000 dollars per annnm and
being levied and collected on Lake Onondaga, near
the town of Salina, should cntitle the in6abtants
Of that vicinity to very large proportion of the 20
lilica' power Of that great and fourishing State
During the last war, endeavoured to lew a
similar tax In the counties Of Washington AMI Ka-
nawha; ost with less success Should the political
weight Of our several counties be hereafter depen
dent on the amount oE taxes they may severally paw
as the gentleman from Culpeper proposes, whatever
the salt makers may think of the renewal oFthat tax
the politicians and the people Of those counties npt
overrue these objections for the sake Of governing
the rest Of the Commonwealth by this newly invent