Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1829-02-20
Report If the comn;itec.of fysoccs.

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Rep1rt II the conDitecct FTaa.ce.
Nc select the following para graph from the Report
Among other employ mems, we Ind much stock
actively engaged IN the trade in PORK; trade. ,c
winch many OF our citizens. through custom depend
Tor ihcir domestic supplies: yet which in It's cons.-
Guenccs is THE most extensively embarrassing Of an,
no'!e OF our social exchange. Through this channS
ii Is supposed that 500 900 $1,000 coo IN cash is
ann:ialy taken from circulating mediurni an,
when our general commerce is laDGua, and It's c
turs SLOW, and consisting chiefly III articles w.icl
wal MOI entirely supply the deficiency iii the currency
NJ the state, th Obvious effect OF the trade Will b. tli
deprecatlon II the price Of property, difficulty n
complying with pocrniary cngagaments, and q conse-
Ilcht distress pecvang all commercial reiliol,s
Why should capital engaged in s,,ch dealings claim 10
re exempt ifoa taxa:ion' /: is not perceived hat
any strong reasons exist, which should make Other
modes or merchandising ST. rauch less favored ana
which give peculiar liberty to this occupation
And this portion of the report Is concluded, bv a
sort of general recommendation to subject the ho,
merchants to The payment of Il license.
The reader will perceive that this is q half wae
adoption and timid Recommendations OF Gov. Giles
idea Of taxing Kentucky hogs, by way of retaliation
Upon that state, for her agency i'll enactnc the tariff
we are somewhat surprised that So important
and Intelligent committee as that of Finance sloul,
nave sufferers. to come from their hands, surecs
ton so remotely and obscurcly expressed, ami in
dica:ing so entire ignorance of the saodsg oe >
a"dt OF n tax upon articles OF consumption W,
supposed that every body at oil conversant will
financial matters apprsed that the consumer ant
not the capitalist. paid the tax levied upon articles
lot CONSUMPTION; and that in the general burdens
imposed by government uron such articles, no mat
Ter how oncrous in the place Of reacng the capital
lst whose resources created them, operated to h
advantage By giving him preteXt for exacting larger
profits from the consumer. Thus the distilcres o
the eountry never enjoyed so rich harvest as a
Tee time, when the necessities produced by the war
compelled government 10 lay a heavy hand upo,
! them--nor are We apprscd that there is any nita
ton to the truth of the position short of the tota
prohibition suppression Of the burthened articles
II these principles true, what would be the ef
feet ofburthens upon The live stock brought from h
western states? World such burthens come out q
the pockets Of the Capitalists who send into thi
state the product OF their capital? Or would the
tall exclusively, on that portion of our own comrnu
lrty, who rely upon this resource for the necessarc
OF lite' We imagine that every tyro in political
economy, can answer these questons yet if the quo
tation We have made from the Report Of the com
mittce of Finance any thing it means the NEG
alive of the answer which such tyro would qive.-
Is it then, tic object ofthe committee TO tax the far
rners anu planters Of Virginia, for buying Eenuck
pork Do they mean to compel the people Of thi
commonwealth to raise their own stock, when thos
people think they obtain it advantageous
elsewhere? The committee allow, that, through Gus
tom, many Of citizens depend upon this resource
for their domestic supplies Do they mean to cut oil
this resource, upon which 50 many arc absolutely dc
pendent for their domestic supplies? Or in thei
blind rage against tile tariff and It's abettors Go the
mean to punish by taxation, those refractory citizen
who will not raise their own hogs, but persist j
thinking that they can purchase their pork I'D
vantageousy than faisc il? Or was it intended sim
ply to manifest their devotion to Gov. Giles, Di
Cooper, and the Colleton gentlemen
We say nothing Of The constitutonaty Of 81,
measure. This has been doubted even by Maio
Hamilton and Gov. Tayor-and denounced as wors
than useless by most OF the S. Carolina aposiolcals
The S. Carolina doctors have granted, that it is in
competent for state power to tax the property Of cit
liens of other states, before is mixed up and ncor
porated with the property of the citizens Of the tax
ing state. How will Mr.. Bryce the chairman of til
Finance condnittec and that committee escape fror
this difficulty Where arc the hogs to pay the tax
At the turnpike gate at Cumberland gap, or in tn
slaughter pens through the country? While the
are still hogs, or when they assume the shape Q
pork'--for that is the language of the Report.
We do not mean n be disrespcctful to the con-
! mittoe of Finance, al OF whom we know and csteeT
but VIC mem to express our rcprobaton Of tn
contemplated tax, dur disapprobaticn Of bic sYir