The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-02-18


due from the national ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ed for the payment of the ordinary expenses 0
the government. These should be preserved
as sacred trust, to be devoted to some grea
objects of public improvement which shall tenc
, to maintain the elevated rank which Massa
chusetts holds among her sister States, but
which she must lose, inevitably, if the penny
wise system, advocated by some of our legisla
tors, is to become the policy Of the State
To what new source, then, are we to look
for an increase of revenue, WHICH shall be as
just or as equitable as direct taxation? It has
been proposed TO tax the stock or dividends Of
Insurance Companies. This, in our opinion
would not only be unequal but unwise Une-
quail, because it would be borne by portion
only of the community, and these, frequently,
such as are least able to bear the burthen. The
effect of such tax would be to increase the
rate OF insurance so much as would be equiva-
lent to the amount of the tax. 1t would, there
fore, be those who get insured, and not those
who own the stock, that would paw the tax.
This, then. shews that such tax would be un.
wise; because it will not be controverted. that
good policy would lead us to afford facilities for
obtaining insurance, instead of throwing obsta-
cles in the way of it. A small amount might
probably be raised by probate fees, without any
great injustice /; yet it must be by adopting
plan different from the old one, where the ex-
penses were about as great on an estate of fifty
dollars as on one of fifty thousand But it is
useless now to speculate ON this subject as
propositions for raising a revenue by either of
these modes have already been rejected.
There is, in fact, no such thing as a system
of indirect taxation which shall not operate par.
tally and unequally. It ought, therefore, al
ways to be the object of the legislator. in re.
sorting to it, to have special reference to its
effects upon the moral condition of society. If
by such means, intemperance can be diminish
ed, and luxury restrained, public good is
effected by the same operation that provides
means for the support of government. The
duty on licences to retailers Of ardent spirits is
therefore, proper one, and might, in some in
stances, be advantageously increased But it
is not our object, now, to point out the specific
sources of revenue which wise government
may avail itself Of Whatever they NAV be
we have no expectation of seeing them resort
ed to, to an extent adequate to the exipencies
OF the times. The Legislature will probably
adjourn after adding considerably to the public
debt already due, without providing any means.
Whatever for diminishing it, or preventing its
further accumulation.
Under such circumstances, there IS duty
which the people owe to themselves and to
each other. If they do not wish their govern
ment to become bankrupt; if they do not wish
to have debt accumulated, which must some
time be discharged, and which will come the
heavier the longer it is delayed; if they do
not wish to see their representatives, from SEES
sion to session. borrowing money on The dimin-
ishing credit of the State, to pay their own
board with, so that they may leave the seat of
government with some individual credit If,
we say they are DESTROYS no longer to have
this state of things continue, they must be true
to themselves, and send such men to represent
them will neither be led astray by the artifc
es of noisy demagogues, nor shrink from an in
dependent discharge of their duty for the pur-
pose of counting popularity, or for any other
cause. We had hoped that the Senate would
have refused to pass the resolution to authorize
the borrowing Of money to pay the wages of
members, till means should be provided for its
reimbursement But in this wo were disap-
pointed. To the people, therefore, we must
look to correct the evil.