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

&c oltinued from lSt PGge.)
Inst eouazipp land Law apparent ratio ofone only,
10 more than ..
3,nIve veaYs of age was III cents; i'll 1915 il was
raised By che war to so cents, III 1919 reduced to 70
ccns IN 1921 to 53 cents, i'll S2G to al cents, and
the LIST reduction brought it down to 10 cents Or
cexts less than its auiount prior to the
fhc tax ON horses for several years prior to the
lat var was cents. In 1915 it mounted up
TOGO cents In 1919 it Was I8 cents; in 1921 131
c3nts; in 1902, fs cents, uud 1T now 10 cents or
twenty five per cent more than it prior to the
war.
The besides adding more than forty specific
tnXc TO the three have enumerated, raised es-
stntaly the proportions between those of ordnury
Gs.
1t greatly increased the ratio of the land and horse
to the slave tax. The relative product of the taxes
On lands, slaves and horses in 1909 was i+.1 900;
10000, and 38 600 respectively In 1916. 238, 900;
1000, and 10000. In 1929, 1T5 900; 81 OOO and
$4,000 respectively. when the revenue from these
three subjects stood highest that after the equal
zing law took effect in 1920, their proportions were
$4,000; l63 900; and $4,000. Their proportions
III the last year were ,oo0 81 O0o aud 80 600 do
llrs
The land tax it win be seen, has been ganing on
INC amount of the slave tax since 1909 Since When
$4,000 has been added TO the gross amount of the
land tax and $1,000 to the of the slave tax.
w hc these variations in the total amount of the
,uHes evied on the old subjects oftaxator, have
peeh strongly married. cYccpt during the continI-
ante OF wir the proportion paid by the several coun-
ties ofthe State have been more diversified.
~, IN 1915, amounted to the sum of S2,8s5 Those
of the county of Warwick to 1926, or very near a
tanth part OF that amount. In each of the years
1898 and 1924, Warwick paid only 500 dollars and
Loudoun $500. In the last year Warwick paid 526
dollars, and Loudoun lo,5O7 dollars. Thus the pro-
portion OF taxes actually paid into the Treasury by
t'ese counties which have notwithstanding, an equal
representation III the House of Delegates, was in
1918, ten to one; and is, now very near twenty to
one The proportion having varied in the ratio of
yerySear two to one.
IeSruu tbo Ioe+
We're added to the three subjects ofordnary State re,
venue Among the former we're excuses on salt iron
lead and manufactured tobacco, objects all ofIimtcd
production and while CONSUMED every where taxed
only where made.
Phey suggest one view Of this subject which ought
not to be omitted 1t Is that by resting the re1jre-
sellatlon OF the people OF this Commonwealth on the
uasis OF taNatlon and numbers place their rela
i've political power the operations of their own
state Government, under tho control of the CONGRESS
OF the United States.
10 dcvelnpe this argument il ia necessary IN re
Ter to the Federal Constitution which gives TO the
national legislature exclusively the power of in,po-
sing duties on foreign Imports and concurrent a,l-
tborty with the several Suites to tax every tl1inD
else within their limits.
Should Congress prohibit public auctions of fnrern
goods as they have been earnestly entreated to do bv
.ie resident merchants of all our great cities, what
would become ofthe revenue of New York, PennsyI-
Nenla, and South Carolina, from this source9 And
snoniu the revenue disappear of that portion of the
ieDresentat'on OF charleston derived from the auction
taxi May 1T not be said that those States who
tax a particular mode of selling foreign commod-
ties immediately after they landed while they are
expressly debarred from taxing their Importation ,
trench more directly the powers of the Federal Go
vernOent than that Government has done, upon the
natura Distribution of labor and capital within the So
Vcra States by the imposition of tariff for the cnceu
9agement of domestic manufactures?
Iior is 1T the direct action Of the fiscal rauua tons
OF the United Sia'es, IN particular branches Of State
gevenve, to which slngly allude; the whole system
OF federal taxation eKerts indirect but constant
control over oil the subjects which State can tax
Were the United States, for example, to repeal the
go cent duty salt, what would become of the New
York excise on that commodity; an excise which en-
lances its price, not only to the people that State
but OF the Western counts of Pennsylvania and Vir-
gina.
trust said Mr. ". that / need not adiure the
Committee to exclude, if practicable, the action oil
the General Government whether direct or Indirect
OIL the representation of the people of Virginia in the
Legislative department of their State Government
ttad such basis of representation obtained ia the
federal legislature in lieu of federal numbers what
now would be the rela i've power of New York. to the
rest of the Unen; and of the city of NewYork to the
rest of that greut commercial State.
Ihe duties there paid would overturn every lust |
6nance of political power and overwhe1n in the vor-
tex of moped arstocracy the liberty and happiness
npt Of that city only but Of the whole Union.
ITO be continued.3