Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-11-12

- sWOrf hIaIeg OT m.
ba'ons, who asseUpl' ID, may h. We been m,,.e =,
hounimancc at Damascus or TUlcda.
In attempting TO assimiiate the present con, ,o,o
yps P'inica' power betweea different parts of tbs
commemorative, Ia that which subsisted ho,,,'
England anl hcc colonies m the vnr az IT, -,
tim, lheinrinber from Chest field relies IN
posed inequality IN the iSlrbutisn OF the t,Y.s rf
tbeDc'hnnouwcIrifh IA. wahhi u,s,if, t,c l.,.I. -,
country .wiirh l. represented IN ,,.;, 49,; w
political power dispTnportionntr u he numbers f -,
white pol'iatioi, ON the ground thN At - Al prcsen,
overturned. Dim -9.f D. S.- .. - i. -. ~'~'''
-st 40 sdssui. his position h. sh rIt show .b,. ,b,
pub &c taxes not fairly proportional 10 tb,. ~,
ath use nyiThon they are psl-an, could IA, sh,u.
suns the resp 'nSbiiity for such rlus;rc would TO-,
ipt WIN those who cltIna new appprtinnicpt o. the
legislative power ot the government. but with those
who have so Lung ruled the commonwealth
IL ma, not he aInlss tn cximir, the facts tinrn
"nch this supposed inequality OF taxation H. dcdu-
ead. With this view, neg leave to recall the attri-
non OF the committee to some o. the facts which
ahhnc'd, Tor another purpose in an early stage OF
NJ argument The revenue OF thus Comm luyy cuitii,
except thu income of the funds "a. InIcrpai improve
nlcnt and EircatIon, before Tho last war as il
IA pe'n ever since the pc &C.. principl ly drawn
from three sources taXcson sl SLAVES and horses.
N the actual value oftlie ialis and lots C.scd
taxation, b. now iSshic ~ he 500 ,OCO UOD; Of
the slaves .anpun ing n ni'G5 TO $50 eco, 10 be
Ss7.5D0,OcO: and of273 0cO lor, - at 30 doa.s cacl
10 be Si3,dj0,0oo theu comparison OF the revenue
derived from each ot these sources IN the last ven
VIII by no mems prrive that the pablo bnrthens
are uneqrrly distrbu5 Il, to the p eiulicc Of The
slave holder Hu-
The reyenuc chnr4ni upon his peculiar cap;tal
VII DO found 70 he less than that charged upon
hOrses, and still less than that CHARGED upon
llnls, estimiiing each subject taxaton ut IT,.
fair value For evidences Of his refer o a table of
the compare tive revenue on each Il these s,,icc;s
since the eqniizng land tax All ) nutur!u district
act Of 1917, which We IL mt con ss.A opcrlto.i in
1920
For the fist folr wears of tn, srccee lny ner 3D.
Tie average product ct the and AK vas 9i8i .OJO of
: D of he 'or4 Dn.
dollars.
The revenue from those sources for he current
year in round Numbers /; by n, 'Dr'r supplied me.
$4,000 dollars lands $4,000 IN slaves and 80 900
on horses.
An error pervales all the reasoning Of ouI advc--
slrifs on this subject, IN considering he lave tax rs
tax a certain territory than on produce
ti'e property OF the tax which no complaint
would b mIis, we it dispe,scd YER the strta @
o. the Com n'nw"ntt Err II il not easy la con-
ee've an otg 'ciinn To tax this property
mat might not be made with equal prnpria-
~ to any other tax wf4trvcr II is found
FL like every Other tax. on the ability of tie
proprietor 10 pay 1t: aud that ability is derived
from the productivrness Of This species of stock. The
tables oi the growth OF this spec Ut population d.
monStra o, when compared with tho increase of lis
numbers IN the Commonwealth FIR twenty wears past
tnat an annual revenue of not less than a million aud
halt of dollars is derived from the expectation of
part OF Its ANIMAL increase. While the proprrcors of
tine lands OF the COurnun' vgol,h ont ihu.ing an
equal ar greater INK in proper ion to he actual
COrFeSDOudCEt
profit from the gradual augmentation of that value.
The revenue of eve country consists Of the ncon:
of its land, its abcur, and its stock. Taxation can
draw from thai income without oppression, only part
of what after sustaining the capita OF every
description which produces il and abonr engaged in
IFS production II tho numbers of the lbnurers were
exact measure of this income, oxation to be- equal
should be proportiDned to the aggregate number of
all the slaves and free labourCrs of country since
che surplus which the former able Ia supply af-
ter sustaining themselves, s greater in proportion
as their wants are loss Costly and their natural in
conspres with the produce oil their abour to
swll the income of the proprietor who is churgea
bic with the they pay.
But while | do not admit, but on the contrary
amprepnred to prove that injustice has hithcr o
ben practicc1 towards the PROJECTORS of this de
scTption of property. | am not only Gesrous, but
dean it practicable to afford to them a protection
iron the oppression which they apPrehend.
am aware Mr.. Chairman, said Mr.. NJ. of the
exreme sensbility, with which the members of this
holy, who opposed to the resolution on YOUR ia
bl, receive every suggestion Of a dimes our
p1t, TO provide by the Constitution itself security
aainst the danger of unequal taxation. In whatcv
c spirit it may be accepted am prepared TO submit
aguarantec, which 10 my poor Judgment Will be
bth just i'll itself and adequate To lis end. Ii will
cnslst in Constitutional provision, that tax on
saves shall ever be imposed without general taX
q lands and horses; and That every tax which. may
L levied those subjects, shall b. founded on a
ir of their value and bear TO that value
n uniform proportion.
f,rd, with that supplied by the Constitution of the
hited States to the same property, IN acquiring the
oportiOnment Of all direct taxes. and will any ques-
on be made of the superiority Of the latter How
20 direct taxes, which to b. appor'ioncd among
te States, according TO their rep esentave repre-
sntation, disiinguishable from indirect taxcs, which
re required TO be uniform, In the Judgment OF
ne Supreme Court, in tho cas- Of the Uni cd States
nd Hilton, the boundaries Of these two exercises o
(xatoD, dcsignaied mainly by reference to single
brsgrsph from the author of tic Wealth Of Nations
his was the of the Cariinge tax. which tic
ourt regarded l. a tax not capital, but eXpen
iturc or income, which . commonly Us measure
some Of h9 Judges doubt their own ability ~
Iy dawn characteristic distinctions which shall
Invariably serve To- distinguish the appropriate
objects VI these different taxes required by
he Constitution TO be differently levied. The
cause on the other hand which propose seen
ry to the proprietor of slaves against unequal Taxa
TIM II admitted into the Constitution could receive
bu ono construction which there a magistrat,
m virginia would hesitate to pronounce, aud by
N1ch, nnV law passed. i'm viuIytiou of H. IyOuld he