Southern telegraph., 1836-12-20

dcrusiiC bank, ur amy indiyidwl icmpnRn.
y chWgCd wuh ihe sale-kCeping or apple
cationvf lhe public money, wuuld have Cor
converting the same % iheir private use,
without the consenian against jhe viii of
the Government. But, independently Of
he yioialiun Of public lauh aul moral oLIi-
gaIiun, which are involved in this suggcs-
lion, when examined IN reference to the
terms Of iho preScul act, 1t is believed thai
the ccusidera.ens which slpaIld govern ths
lularelogIslalion OF -CLngrCsS on this sub
jeci, will he equally conc,iisics against the
adoption Of any measure Fccdennstg the
principles on which the sngsrs.iun has beeIi
m1de.
Considering the infinite connection Of
the subject wirh The financial interests ui
the country, aud its great impurtanre ia
whatever aspect ltcan be viewed, have
Bestowed npm it The most anxiuus reilcc-
ton, and feel it to be my duty to state To
Congress such thoughts as have occurred to
me, to aid their delibealitn IN treating It
ia the manner hes. calculated 10 conduct to
the common good.
The ccxperiencc Of other nations admOn-
I>h ns 10 hasten the cxtingulshment of the
public debt. But will he in vain that we
have congratulated each other upon The di:-
appearance If this evil, if we do not guard
agains. the cqlally great one Of promo'ins
the unnecessary accumulation If public re-
venue. No opOiificul maxim is better cs-
tablishcd than that which tells us that an
nnpnvideut expenditure of money is hc
parent Of proltgicy, and lhat no people can
hope 10 perpctua'e their liberties Who long
.acquIoSce in poliCy which taxes them for
objects not necessary Ia the legi;imnle and
real wants Of their Government. Flauur-
ng as i the CONDITION of onr count at pre-
sent, because Of lis mcyampled advance III
all the steps Of social and poical improve
ment, it cannot lie disguised Ihnl there is d
lurking danger already apparent in the nc.-
ect Of this warning truth, aud That the time
has arrived when The representatives OF ;hC
pcup'c should be cmpIoycdin dcvising some
more appropriate remedy than now exists,
10 avert it..
Under our present revenue system, there
is every probability that there will continue
To be II surplus beyond The wants of the go-
vcrnmcnt, and it has become our duty to de-
eide whc,hcr such result lie consistcn!
with the true otj"c,Sof our government
Should a surplus he permitted to acclm-
nhto beyond The appropriations, il must he
retained in the Treasury, as il now is, or
distributed among tho people Of the States.
10 retain il in The Treasury, unemployed
IN any way,s impracticalie. Il is besides
against hc gcniIS of our free institutions to
lock up in vaults the treasure Of the nation.
10 take from the people The right Of bear
mT arms, and putting Lcir weapons of de-
fence IN the hands Of II standing arn;,
would LIE scarcely more dangerous to their
liberties, Than To permit The government to
accumulate immense amounts OF treasure
beyond the supplies necessary to its legill-
mate wants Such treasure would bc
doubtless employed at some time, as il has
teen III other countries, When opportunity
tempted ambirol. ''
To collect it merely for distribution tn the
States, would seem 10 lie highly impolitic.,
if not as dangerous as the proposition To re-
tain it in the Trcaslry. ThelShortcst re-
fection must satisfy every one, that to re-
qulrc the people to pay taxes to the Cavern
mcnt merely that they might be paid back
again, is sporting with Inc substantial utter
ests Of the country, and no system which
produces such results can expect to, receive
the public conntcnance. Nothing could be
gained by il, even il each individual who
contributed a portion Of the tax could re-
cclye back promptly the same portion =
Butitis apparent thai no system of the kind
can be enforced, which will not absorb IL
considerable portion Of the money, to be
distributed as salaries and commissions to
the agents employed in the process, and in
the various losses and depmciaiions which
arise from other Causes; and the practical
effect Of such attempt must ever he 10 bur
den the poope with taxes, not for purposes
bentG,ial to Them, but to swell The profits o.
deposite banks, and support band Of use
less public officers. - 'ii%
A distributions To the people i Impractical
bic and unjust in other respects. 1t woulC
be taking ono mans property and giving j
toanother. Such would be the unavoidable
result Of a rule of equality, and none otheI
is spoken Of, or would be likely to be adop
ted, nasmuch as there is no mode by which
the amount Of the individual contribution
Mour citizens to the public revenue can b.
asceltaineGs. We know that they contribut,
uuequaIiy, and rule therefore that wou!'
distrI ute equally wouid be liable TO all -
objections which apply to the principle o
an.edual division Of property. To max,
the general government the instrument q
Carrying this udious principle into effect
would he at once TO destroy the means q
its uSeinlness,'and clahge the charc or de
signed for it by the trainers 6fthe constitu
tion. m
But the more extended and injurious cor
sequences likely TO result from polio.
which would collect surplus revenue fc
the purpose of distributing it, may be fore
bly, illustrated by an examination Of the G
fccts already produced by the present dt
posite act. This act, although certainl