Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-08-16

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russinn and dispassionaic consideration OF '@oh-
yress--as Il plan preferable TO any oi 'hoso ''ie-
loio!c attempted 10 he pldcl,seo on. an;
/ The Committee can readily perceive HE dii''-
culiy and indeed i.npossihiiily, OF devislnS any
system of revenue. whether levied in lie shape ol
/ direct or indirect taxes on the people that SHAH
make the receipts into the Treasury, iorany gwen
period OF time, precisely equal 10 The expenditures
/ our revenue is al present collected III The shape
OF indirect taxes on The people. by dunes oi' M
/ ports and by the sales of the pubic iaihiS-lhe
! amount OF either OF which Tor gwen Peliou eau
moi be lorescen or known. The safely OF The Go
yernmcD, and the public credit mas at all times
rcquiie small annual excess oi iccelpS over 'iis
I current expenditures 10 meet cXigcncieS, ptihiic
dcE3lcations. and unforeseen contingencies bu'
,houqh this must I've tie case, il Is believed thil
there is nothing 10 justify the imposition oi an aa-
/ d,ionaI and perhaps oncious tax on inc people,
not wanted for the ordinary and useful of heeeS-
>arv purposes of the Government. III rs ordinary
functions; hui ur the purpose avoWea III inc ''''''
oilc,ying the tax, oi creatil" surplus i''hu ~
I've divided out again among TIC people or 'he
States. Nor olEc committee so understand inc
! executive recommendation.
That no such surplus fund should be collected
from The people. 10 he divided out again among
The peoplc is evident ilom the consideration alone,
that The expenses of collection and disbursement
INNS, lie paid and 10 that extent, the substance oi
the pcople is drawn from them and IN the END,
they receive in the distribution, alter having peei'
derived of the Use OF il for time, nothing more
rhan heir own money, diminished in amount
This would I've the case upon the suppositlon, thai
The taxes were contributed equally ~ the people
of each State asccrtaincd on The basis Of epiesen
,a,ion. which in the very nature oil things, can
not possibly happen III Government IKE QUE,
I'll. -. l,,.t. tt1h lei
maze. population, and productions, and GIVING
rise 10 snch a variety OF pursuits IN lis different
parts. But whether The taxes be levied equally or
uneoually on the people The Committee have no
hesitation in giving it rs their opinion that allcf
the public debt shall have been paid OIL no more
money should BIZ drawn into the Treasury from
the people. than shall he necessary Tor The pro-
pcr and legitimate administration OF The Gcvern-
ment
They fully accord with the President in The SEN
iimcn, expressed in his message OF the 2fh May
las, returning with his reasons tor lis rejection,
the Mavsyille Road Bill loihc House Of Repn>cn-
,;.tives. that however impouanlhe Improvements
az admitted To be- they are not the only "'jcc's
(which demand the fostering care OF the Go'tih-
men; Tie preservation and success oi The Re-
mlhIican principle rest with Us. To elevate us
character and extend il influence. rank anon"
our most important duties and The best means 'o
accomplish these desirable Objects. are those winch
will rive, The attachment of our citizens 10 the
Government Of their choice hy the comparative
ligh.ncss Of their pubic burthcns. and ny The al
traction which the superior success o' us opera
lions Will present ohe admiration and respect al
The world" They arc OF opinion, further, that
The resources of The nation. Eeyond those required
for the immediate and necessary purposes of the
Government. can la where be- well deposited
as in the pockets al the people.
Oars was intended to b. plain ana chcapt'o-
vernmen;, not Il splendid OF expensive one: nol
one impeSn. unnecessary hurihenS on rs cIlI-
zcns Rul il is only in the even; thai; after The
paymen; Of the debt, there shall tie found III the
Treasury an accommodating annual surplus o'er
and above the current expenses. which The G"-
vcrnmen, know hot how otherwise 10 dispose 81.
that the question arises, what Is 10 lr done WIKI
il? The complaint in most Governments i, lhal
The Rulers canno, wiring from their Subjects mo
nev enough and ere compelled Ia resort 10 loans.
In this we shall have paid OF The deb: and u:
the case supposed. will have drawn from The
people more money Than we have any nsc ior for
constitutional purposes: and The question oil dill
cuv with lis will be- in what manner we shall
dispose of il The obvious answer il seems To
the Committee. is 10 reduce The taxes To tie stand
ard of the demands ut the Government Tor al H.
CONSTITUTIONAL purposes, and leave what would
Otherwise b. surplus III he pockets OF The pco-
plc. Tia, His may he safely done without pre-
lndicc 10 any other great inlcreS, ui such para
moHnt Importance as To require that the whole
people OF The Union should be- taxed beyond the
amour, required, for the support OF Government,
they 10 mol hesitate to believe.
After The debt shall have been paid, n re-
duction Of taxes should II, made and the Com
mittce believe, may be safely made, 10 the amount
OF the sinking fund al prcscn, applicable ID the
payment OF the debt; and in that event, there be-
ing no surplus in the Treasury, the necessity may
moi occur ior dcviSng plan Tor its disbursement
and distribution That such reduction Of the
taxes as shall be equivalent lo the amount now
annually applied to the payment OF III" deli may
I've made " iiuui injuTlouSiy afec'iti" any oi INC
orsa, interests Of he country now protected, and
10 the .,rcat relief of all those who have hereto
fore borne the chic; burdens oi the debt, * noI
doubted.
The annual sinking fund now applicable to
the payment of Tie public debt, is ten millions of
dollars, and such further sum rs may III any Tune
remain unappropracd in the Treasury. ms
large amount beyond the sum required Ia de1ray
the ordinary expenses OF the Government, has
been heretofore chcertuy paid by the people be-
cause il was Though, to be necessary TO the sup
you Of Government and the payments OF the
debts unavolablv incurred in the acquisition and
maintenance Of our national rights and Liberties.
But when the debts are pail and The necessity
for the continuance Of the taxes 10 this amount VIII
no longer exist. will not the people demand, and
will they not have RIGHT 10 demand, nj The hands
of their representatives reduction o. thcir,axcs 10
that amount The character o, the American peo-
pie is greatly mistaken, or they will make that
demand Not 10 do il, would he 10 consent 10 lie
unnecessarily taxed, for The collection OF money
into the Treasury, 10 be scrambled Tor by their
81 atom ,ns.i'
dis,rac;ing our deliberations and marrins the har-
monv Of the Union.
That this reduction NAV he made without in
iuriousv affecting any of the great interests OF
the country now protected the committee believe
NAV be satisfactorily demonstrated: IL is stated in
the Report of the Secretary ofthe Treasury at the
commencement OF the last session Of Congress that
the amount OF duties paid into The Treasury for the
preceding year, (s3S on articles not produced, or
Int partially produced in the l. 5, was SI,3o0,
e42 l3 A total repeal Of these, should this be-
deemed advisable. would certainly operate 10 the
advantage of all interests, agricultural, CONNER
cial and manufacturing. If this ne done, and a
reduction lie made OF the taxes which have here
,otore borne severely upon the laboring and less
prosperous classes of the community, being i'm
posed on the necessaries Of life" the amount OF
reduction would be equal TO The sinking fund, and,
as the committee conceive, could operate no inlu-
~ TO any interest; but, on the contrary bc deci-
dedlv advantageous 10 ALL IT. in he contingency
this should moi be the case, and there should re-
main surplus in the Treasury, 10 be disposed
Of they concur in the opinion that the present
plan Of prosecuting works of internal improve
mon, is the 'worst that could exist" and if il
shall I've The future policy of The Government Ia
employ any portion o, lis funds in works Of this
character, in any mode, the plan Of distribution
is. in their opinion. decidedly preferable 10 it
, That plan whatever il may be, they have said,
ihcv believe, mus. Inc by an amendment of The
/ Constitution.
They 10 not deem it necessary however thus
far in advance of The period when The national
debt. by the observance of the most rigid econo-
my. can I've paid, To recommend 10 the House any
plan of amendment As by The Constitution, the
power 10 propose amendments is possessed by the
States. aS we'll as 10y Congress, they have thought
i, preferable, simply 10 present their views on The