Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1836-12-16

. is to regard the absence Of express all
G thoriy TO touch subjcc: so important and
delicate as this il, as equivalent TO opro.
hibi,ion.
c Even If our powers were less doubtful
+ in this respect, as the constitution now
I stands, there are considerations afforded
$ by recent experience, which would seem
: to make it our duty TO avoid q resort to
such system
} All will admit tina, the simplicity and
economy Of the State Governments, main.
0 ly depend on the fact that money has to be
> supplied to support them by the same men,
: or their agents, who vote 1t away in appro
priation. Hence, when there are cXtrav-
agant and wasteful appropriations, there
, must be a corresponding increase of taxes :
and the people, becoming awakened, will
: necessarily scrntinize the character of mea
sures which thus increase their burdens
By the wntchful eye Of selfintcrest, the
agents Of lie people in the State Govern
men,s are repressed, and kept, within the
limits of Just economy. But if the ne
ccsslty of levying the taxes be taken from
those who make the appropriations, and
thrown upon a more distant and less re
sponslble set of public agents, who have
Po"N' " upp''cS' WIG pcop'C ny ub ''O'
rect and steallhy taxation, there is reason
to fear That prodigalty will soon supersedc
those characteristics which have thus far
made us look with so much pride and con
idence TO the state governments, as the
mnlnstay of our union and Liberties. The
state legislatures, instead Of studying to
restrict their state expenditures of the
smallest possible sum. will claim credit for
| thpir pyufi,. iOu md havocv CopopoI
Government FOR increased supplies. P,ac
J tically, there would soon be but one tax
. ing power. and That vested in a body of
men tar removed from The people. in which
the farming and mechanic interests would
scarcely be represented. The states would
gradually lose their purity as well as their
; independence they would not dare to
, murnur at the proceedings of the General
Government, lest they should lose their
supplies; all would be merged in pract
cal consolidation. ccmcned bv wide spread
corruption, which could only be eradcnteG
, by one Of those bloody revolutions which
! occasionally overthrow the despolc sys-
tens of the old world.
In all the other aspects in which have
been able to look at the effect Of such a
principle Of distribution upon the best in
} tercsis Of the country, eau see nothing to
r con,ncnsp,e far Tho i,sodv,n,aocs IN witch
have odvrr,ed IF We con.;dpr Tho n,n
iec,ivc du,ics. which nre ~ n creo, drcrcc
the source of The surpus revcnuc. bencli
ciaI TO one section of the Union. md nre.
ind,ciaI TO ono,ber. there is no connective
i,r thu owl in such n nl,n nj d;s,,;hu, inn
On tho contrary. tbero 10 rc,s,n IN Co,,
that nil the con p,ain,s which hive snruno
Cron, This cousc. wonId no aoo,nvo,od
Every one must be sensible Tint n dis,ri.
bu,iun of the surplus must bepet n disposi
tor to cherish the means which create il ::
and any system the ref,re. into which il on
tiers, must have powerful tendency 10 in.
crease. rather than diminish The ,ariN, If
il were even admitted tina, the advon,aocs
of such n system could he made eouaI IN
all the sections of the Union. tho reasons
already so urgently calling fora reduc, ion
of the rrvenue, would nevertheless. loose
none of their force; for it will always be
Improbable that an intelligent and vIr,uons
community can consent to raise n surplus
for The mere purpose Of dividing it, dimln.
ished as 1t must ably be bv the ex-
penses of the various machinery necessary
to the process.
The safest and simplest mode of olivia
ting all The difficulties which have been
mentioned, is to collect only revenue
enough to meet the wants of The Govern.
mcnt, and let the people keep the balance
of The property in their own hands, to be
used for their own profit. Each S,a,e
will then support its own Government.
and contribute its due share towards the
support of the General Government. -
There would be no surplus to cramp and
lessen the resources of individual wealth
and enterprise, and the banks would be
left to their ordinary means. Whatever
ngi,atons and fluctuations nigh arise from
our unfortunate paper system, they could
never be attributed, Justly or unius,ly, TO the
action ofthe Federal Government. There
would be some guaranty that the spirit of
wild speculation, which seeks to CONVEX,
the surplus revenue into BANKING capital.
would b, eff.c,uolly checked. mud TIM, tho
scenes If decentralization, which are now
en- n,rvale,, ,hrouoh Tho l,,L ,ro,,IJ J,s