Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1831-03-19

W money, lutsu III dmOuut. 0ls Woutu D II
case. upon the superstition ,hs, tho taxes were con.
tibu,ed equally by tbs people Of each State. ascertain
ell on the basic Vt representation, which, In the very
nature OF thing, canno, possibly happen In a Govsrn-
meat like nurs, embracing v thin lie limits such a va
riety OF climate, population, and productions, aud Civ
INK rise TO such a variety OF pur.ui's in Its different
part'. But, whether to-. taxes DO u WED equally or un-
equally on the people, the Committee have TO hesita.
ti,n in giving IL ss their opinion, that. sftsr The public
deb' shall, have b-eu paid oil, no more money -hould
b. drawn into The Tiea-ury from the people. than shall
be necessary for the proper and lie giimate sdninis'r..
ton Of tbs Government. They fully acc, with the
President In the $. nt:ment expressed in his Message
OF the 9th OF May last, returning, with his reasons
Tor lis rejection, the Maysville road bill, to the House
Of Representatives, that, however important improve
men,s are admitted TO be. III are no, the only object.
" which demand the fostering care CT the Govern.
mcnt. The preservation aud success Of the repub,i.
ran principle, rest with US. To e,eva'e is character
and extend its Influence, rank among cur most impor+
AN. du.ies ; and the best means % accomplish ihese
desirable obj let's, are those which will rive' the at.
tachment oil our ciiiz RS 10 the G~ov-rnmerto Of thei
choice, by the comparative ~hghfness OF their public
ourhens, and by the attraction, which the superior sue
Gees OF Its operations, VIII present to the admiration
ADD respec, Of the world" Thcy are Of opiaion. fur.
tAer, shat The rssourcsso Of ths nation, beyond those
required for the immediate and necessary purposes OF
The Governm-n', can n, where be 40 we'll deposited.
az In the pockets Of the people," Ours was inierd- ID
TO be n plain and cheap Government, no, a splendid or
expensive one not one imposing unnecessary bur
thcns on its citiz ms.
But, it l.. only in the event that, after the payment,
Of the debt, there sbal! be found 10 the Treasury an
dccOnniAIug annual surplus, over AMI hOOVe u cur
rent expenses, which the Government know TO: how
Otherwise TO dispose of, tina, the question arises, what
3 20 he dons with 1t! The complaint in most Gov
iernmeDts Is, that the rulers canno; wr ny from III l.
subjects IN Iney enough. and are compelled TO resort TO
loans. In this, we shall have paid off The debt, and,
in the case supposed, will have drawn from the psople
more money than wa have any use for, for cons,i,u-
ton,l purposes; and the question Of d,Gieui,y with Va
will be, in what m,nner we shall dispose Of IN The
obvious an'we-, 1, seems to the Committee, Is, 10 re-
luce tbs taxes to the standard Of the demands Of The
| GOveTnment. for all tia cousiutional nrta. AMI
leave wha, would otherwise be surplus, in the peck, ,s
OF tie people. That tLis msy be safely done, wi hou'
pre- jrdice TO acy other great interest OF such para
mount Importance, 's to require that The whole people
Of the Union should be taxed leyond the amour. re-
CURED for he support, OF Government, they do not hes.
itats 10 believe.
After The bit shall have been paid, that a reduction
Of the taxes should Re made, and, the Committee be-
lieve. may be safely made, 10 the amount OF the
Sinking Fund, at present applicable to the payment Of
he debt and. la that event, there being no surplus
in The Treasury, the necessity may not occur, for
devisiDg a plan for lis disbursement and di.ribu.
tor. Tha, such reduction OF the taxes, a. shal,
be equivalent 10 the amount now annually ap.
piled to the payment of the debt, may be made with.
out injuriously affecting any Of The great interests of the
country now protected, and to the great relief OF all
those who have heretofore borne the chief burdens Of
the debt, Is not doubted. The annual sinking fund now
applicable TO the payment Of the public debt, is ten
millions of dollars, and such further sum as may at
any time remain unappropriated in the Treasury. This
large amount, beyond the sum required to defray the
ordinary expenses of the Government, has been here
toiore cheerfuNy paid by the people, because, it was
"thought to be necessary to the support of govern
ment, and the payments Of the debts unavoidably in
CURED in the acquisition and maintenance of our ma
tonal rights and liberties" But when the debts are
paid, and the necessity for the continuance Of the tax
es to this amount will no longer exist, will not the PEG.
pie demand, and will they not have a right to demand,
at the hands of their representatives, a reduction of
their taxes TO that amount! The character of the Anne
rican people is greatly mistaken, or they will make
that demand. Not to do il, would be to consent TO be
unnecessarily taxed, for the collection of money into
| the Traasnru tn no scrambled for ht fl,a;r
tivcs, or to be a "bone of contention" distracting our
deliberations and marring the harmony Of The Union.
That this reduction may be made without iniuriousIy
affecting any of the great interests of the country now
protected, the committee believe, may be satisfactorily
demonstrated. IL is stated in the report of the Secre-
tary of the Treasury at the commencement of the last
session of Congress, that the amount of duties paid into
the Treasury for the preceding year, (IS2S1 on articles
not produced or but partially produced in the United
States, was S7,550,S42 l3. A total repeal of these.
should this be deemed advisable, would certainly ope-
rate TO the advantage of all interests, agricultural, COM
mercial, and manufacturing. If this be done, and a re-
duction be made of the taxes which have heretofore
"borne severely upon the laboring and less prosperous
classes of the community, being imposed on the neces-
saries of life" the amount of reduction would be equal
TO the sinking fund, and, as the committee conceive,
could operate no injury 10 any interest, but on the con-
trary, be decidedly advantageous TO all.
If, in the contingency, this should not be the case,
and there should remain a surplus in the Treasury, to
be disposed of, they concur in the opinion that the pre-
sent plan of prosecuting works of internal Improvement
is the "worst that could exist" and If il shall be the
utuE pOhCY VI tnC government 10 EMPLOY aDV portion
of its funds in works OF this character, in any mode, the
plan OF distribution is. In their opinion, decidedly pre-
ierable to it. That plan, tchGteuer IL may be. they have
said, they believe, must be by an amendment of the
Constitution. They do not deem il necessary, however.
thus far in advance of the period when the national
debt, by the observance OF the most rigid economy, can
be paid, to recommend to the House any plan of A.
m%endment. As, by the Constitution, the power TO pro-
pose amendments is possessed by the States, as well as
by Congress, they have thought it preferable simply to
present their views on the whole subject, and submit IL
TO the consideration OF the States, Gf, in their opinion.
proper to do SOL to propose such amendments 10 the
Constitution, consistently with their respective soye.
reignties, vesting in the Government of the United
States such additional powers as they may deem il
wise and safe to confer upon il. As any such amend
ment would divest the States of a portion of their
present power, and confer it upon the Government
of the Union, there would seem to be a peculiar
fitness that the proposition should originate with
the parties who are about TO surrender I'D a part
oil their powers. Doubtless, If any plan can be de-
v sed, which shall preserve the balance of power be-
tween the respective State and Federal Governments.
and which shall promise to operate for the general adj
vantage OF the whole Union, a constitutional majority of
the States VIII adopt it as a part Of the constitution
The committee are Of opinion, that, in a Government
like ours, ii is at all times safe, and certainly wise. In
all cases of a questionable or doubtful power, to apply
TO the people, the only true source of DO wer. TO explain.
enlarge, or restrict IL. And they are willing TO believe
that there is no State in the Union that would not pre.
fer such a resort to the opinion of her sister States, upon
a great question OF constitutional doubt, TO an assunp.
hon oil The contested power on the part Of the FEEDER
al Government, however much such assumption MIGHT
be calculated to promote her immediate and local in.
terests.
With these views the committee submit the subject
referred to them 10 the further consideration OF the
Rouse, ana NJ the States, not doubling that il will eli