The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1841-08-20
IN A PECK OF TROUBLE,

Tine editor of the Watchman begins to shake ir
his Shoes with fear at the effect the tea tax is pro-
ducing on the farmers of this state, and has at as
discovered a fine hole through which he squeeze:
his lcriatfan body. Hear him. hear him!
THE TAN ON TEA AND COFFEE
The ocos are up stump in this matter. The
fact proves TO be that majority Of the Wing mem.
hers were against the tax upon tea and coffee, and
were forced to swallow it by the vancouver of a
locofoco-a northern one, TOO. Rather than ad-
init moasses, sugar and salt''-all articles which
can be produced in the U, Stree of duty, the
NJ ScG. 'en md css ES ss s1a IL
biIity of the tax on tea and coffee,
The Revenue Bill passed the House by a ma
jority of Is. 1t was not free from objections, Blu,
as it was deemed indispensable for the purpose Of
revenue to meet the wants Of the Government, i,
was thought advisable to adopt it, although the pre-
pondemling good was no! unmlxed with evil. A
correspondent of the Richmond Wing explains in
the following letter, very fairly, we believe, the
manner in which tea and coffee were subjected to
duty:
There is one feature in which the bill was par
tculury Objectionable TO most of the Wings, viz
the tax on tea and coffee. The Wing members
held a caucus on this subject, at which large ma
jority determined that tea and coffee should be en-
empt from taxation. Accordingly when the bill
was under consideration in the Committee of the
Whole, Mr. Lawrence, of Pa, n prominent Wing
member, moved to amend the bill by adding tea
and coffee TO the list Of free articles. Before the
question could be taken on the proposition, Mr.
Clifford, of Maine, a leading Loco Foco and II
ready parliamentary actician, (having been Spea-
ker of one branch OF the Legislature Of NIainc,) i'm
mcdiatey moved to amend the amendment of Nh
Lawrence by adding to tea and coffee 60 sugar mo-
Iasscs and salt" The whole Loco Foco party then
united with Mr. C, in voting for the amendment to
the amendment in conjunction with such of the Ill
ira and anti-tariii Wings as wished tea and coffee
to be taxed, carried the amendment. The Wings
were thus placed in verj awkward predicamenl,
from which they, in vain, attempted to eXlricate
themselves. Mr. Winthrop, of Boston, called for
a division of the question on The amendment as IL
mend, so as to present the question separately, but
the chair very promptly decided that the vote of
the committee having joined them together, the
chair could not put them assunder The Wing party
were thus compelled either TO vote for the entire
proposition or TO vote the whole down. Under
these circumstances they could not hesitate to re-
jet it entirely. And thus it comes to pass that by
dexterous mannuyer of the Locos, tea and cof-
fee are to be taxed! And yet with these facts
staring them in the face, should not be surprised
if the I.ocos had the hardhood to attempt to raise
an outcry against The Wings for taxing articles
which entered into the consumption of the poor-
! hope you will keep these facts prominently be-
fore the public, and let the people see the meas
ures which are 10 be resorted to, 10 make political
capital.
We give the whole Of the article from the
Richmond Wing, that our readers may the better
understand the refutaton of it, which follows, from
the Globe.
King James. when persuaded to sit in judgement
in the Court of the Kings Bench, at Westminster,
was correct in the opinion " that, were il not for
the chiefs story on the other side, there would be
no difficulty in hanging the nation" And the wri-
ter in the Wing would have immortalized himself
and saved his party from censure, at the expense
of Mr. Clifford, had not the facts in the case been
such as TO convict him Of gross error.
As this, however, is matter to be decided by
the record, let US appeal to that and how stands
the case
|. The Secretary of the Treasury, in his repor,
to the extra session of Congress- recommended a
tax upon tea and coffee.
z. Tho Committee of Ways and Means. repor- |
led bill 10 tax those articles twenty per cent
3. The Chairman of the Committee of Ways
and Means, Mr. Fillmore. in opening his budget in .
The House, advocated this tax, on the ground that
hey were luxurles, and no, necessaries
4. When the bill was brought under the rule of
silence, and amendments were to be voted upon
without debate, Mr. Lawrence of Pennsylvania.
Wing. and formerly Speaker of the House of Rep
-csenatves of his State, moved to strike out tea
ind coffee, thus leave them free of duty.
5. Mr. Clifford moved to amend Mr. Lawrence's
noiiod, by adding to it, moasses, sugar and salt
Tellers were demanded, and theirs were I IL yeas