Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-25

stead If thar assessed value, much opposed, no
new feature. Il introduced 10 the year l7ol
sixty-wa years aGo-neatly long period have
been ,.Gtton-and has been continued every tax bill
since II originated with The fathers and pariarchs Of
Eonsti;utonai Liberty, who have long since fallen
asleep, and the reasons upon WHICH II was founded
i,ave likewise departed with them II may lave been
that every portion of improved lot yields income by
renting, and pat : unpToduc,i?e, whilst large
proportion of theiiui a; the county unProductise
and uncultvaed, though The valae OF the whole tract
is assessed and taxed II sufficient to say, IT IS sane
toned by repeated Legislatures aud continued usage,
for sSty-two years, and no sufficient cause has been
presented Tor changing the mode.
lie also objects To the heavy State tax on auction
GERS though he tells Us The City tax on that same
class ,i79 the last year The State tax is only
81 7 less Than onesixth the sum paid 10 The c!ty
The State could not have the effect of de pressing
this class Of citizens, driving them from their occu-
patons the Corporation tax is SIX times as great
At least let the gentleman do justice and say that the
Corporation is six times as oppressive as the State
tax
The argument Of. the gentleman, that this city pays
fourteenth OF The whole taxes of tie Stle is, OF
itself no evidence that is too highly taxed. Under
The tariff laws, the city OF New York pays more reve-
nue. to the Federal Government than the whole slave
holding States IT rs conclusive proof OF the eminent
prosperity Of tina, cy not that the tax is
unjust oppressive upon them tier orting mer-
chants pay upon their impottsOns an average OF -
per cent. of tax by tho means OF the tariff Our tax
on merchants sales 1t is rather lower. by this bill,
If merchant sells S2o 600 value OF goods he pays
tax OF fortyhve dollars. under The arh (oi - per
cent? importing merchant on purchase OF S23,ooo
of goods would pay tax of 5000 to the General
Government In other words, the tartt imposes ABOUT
one hradred G2d f3rtg times high tax as our State
tax on merchants The tariff law receives The gen.
,lemans highest appreciation, the tax ball his iondesi
denunca.icn tariff not oppressive upon the ner-
chant or counrytGe tax bill IS most unjust and ~
ma ~ A.
% per cent on merchants purchases with great he
net 10 all classes oil society," but the State OF sirgi-
niu cannot ly tax of one !oah Of one per cent on
their sales wi,hou, committing great 'Dlus!'cc-lo
such extreme conclusions VIII gentlemens political
prejudices and pnr,lahtes ms!ead them.
MIR Speaker: the city Of Richmond was highly ia
vored BY tie last tx b The average increase oil
taxes in the State over twenty per cent Inc IN
crease on Richmond vas eighteen per cent. Ii mas
tce has ever been not under the last
tax bill but the bill of lei2-a t passed by that gen
tleman political friends through this House 1t odi-
um is 10 fall upon any party, his own political party
mnsi take their full share. They cannot complain OF
the augmented taxes, however much they may COM
plain of the old Of taxation; for they pad less
proportion Of the additional! taxes than the average
throughout the county, aud but little more than hall
of some OF the counties Let the gentleman and ms
constituents turn ,her Indignation 10, and heap their
denupcia:ions upon former Legislatures and extend
grateful tribute Of thanks the last Legislature, for the
their butthens and equa!.zed inequalities It they had
heretofore existed.
In examining the true operation of the tax bill The
scale Of t,xa;ion should not alone be regarded Inc
benefits derived from the disbursements should have
some weight The objects Tor which the taxes are
raised should be recounied and the bera!ty of legs
laon to Richmond should not he forgotten. The be-
ne.s she receives from the disbursements, ought to De
remembered wi! repeat what have Formerly s1'd
regarding them Il is 10 this point nearly The whole
a.. e, icirp rod ~ .bA han he
free OF interest aordns 10 The merchants increased
banking facilities and accommodations II IS here the
Legislature meets, and the pay OF the members is DIS
bursed Here the Court Of Appeals and General Court
SIT and dis5urse portions OF the- salaries Here the
offices Of the government are located, the pubic guard
md peuitenary are established, and the expo ndlutes
for those object; are n,@de Here the great James H.
yer work. costing the State over thee millions OF dol
lars disembogucs ell its agricultural prcducis It's trade
and travel enhancing the value OF the real estate and
The mercantile profit Of the city Here The rGT0ddS
meet and the trade and travel from them centre IL
was here centre that the large mass OF expenditure
for all these works occurred IL was IN tie city BANKS
that the large State loans depoSed and from this
city dsbu ,sed the most OF the millions Of dollars
borrowed for works of internal improvement Were
these no benefits In all these provisions of law, has
Richmond not been favored by baneicent and liberal
legislation: Let the gentleman lock out from the Ca
piol and see from all portions OF the State. The trade
s aaa lt "a s sweeping uo" 'se
the hiatus IN the railroads AID want of Quite. TO the
canal Let HIN reflect, and tell his constituents, that
the same scale aud proportion OF taxation are now
carried out That adopted and pract sed when these
works were SO pressngiy demanded by them. Let
linn tell them, how large portion OF our putlc debt
contracted at their request and by The vote "i their
representatives. 70 bring trade and travel 10 their doors
how large portion CT The is dlshurset among
his constituents. Let him tell them, when taxes were
augmented that only eighteen par cc,.t Of additional
taxes fell on them, willis thirty per cent. fell on my
constituents, on Cripepsr, AlbemaEle, end seniy
per cent the State st large he, HIM eli hls con
stiuen: they IN the front rank foremost IN urg
ing on tins Immense public dett-votiug Tot almost
every appropriation TO internal improvements hist
my colleague and myself made strenuous, uncomptc
n,sng, thorough unoya,lng opposition TO these ex-
pendures. Tney were the most eloquent and effective
IN carrying the appropriations in eccumratlng The
public debt; but when The pay day comes when 10 mr.
cessary 10 increase taxes 10 pay the interest on this
dcb,-they are no. found foremost in pressing the
cessnry increase of taxes But murmurs loud and long
ring N rspublic meetings are held, denouncng
the tax bll-nEenious objections found against il;
and from this, The centre of legislative iayors
The most uncompromiSing opposition 10 the tax bull =
a tar bill, too shat did not call upon them for
than fair proportion of augmented taxes; that did not
require an advance of twenty per cent ontown and
country-bn. which asked OF Richmond 10 pay egh-
teen per cent, whilst the country paid twenty per
cert increase former taxes This IS the spectacle
here exhibited to u.s. this is the condition Of things 50
loudly condemned in public meetings, in the daily pa
pers of this city, and by The Representative on this
floor Not content with refusing TO share the ediun
of sing taxes after voting 10 create the public debt
they must their strongest efforts TO break down
those who are sustaining The honor and credit OF
the STATE. They must prescribe II US the mode OF as
sessng and lsvy,ng the inxesthey must call nron US
~ remodel and change Tho usages Of sixty-two years
they must aiv, rs condition precedent TO Their vote.
that the land money shall be received before they viii
for any bali. Without hese ch'ngss we mag
go before The couatry with 5ankrnp; credit an lnpo'
vershed Treasur", the honor of tie safe tiTnshed'
and every department Of trade commerce and indns,y
paralyzed oud p;osra,ed Thus we are trammeiied
with conditions innoss be to be performed, md called
on 10 raise taxes which net fourth Of THIS
House sanctions
krSrucKY STATE CoNvESTIoS "A Democratic Stae
Convention assembled at Frankfort, KY, on the 9.h
instant About 200 delegates were in attendance.
hon WIN O. Butler, was nominated Tor Governor, and
VIM 8 Pitcher for Lieut. Governors Elijah Eise and
John NJ. McCalIa are State Electors. Eectnr for The
Isl district. DE- L. Bruneil Pad, Lazarus w Powell;
,l tth tpdrn ~