The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-20

One hundred times as much, then, would be paid by
poor men as by the rich il we were 70 lax those
necessaries of life tea and coffee TO carry on tina
war. The burdens of taxation Mr. j. boldly pro
clamedl should be shifted off the shoulders Of the
poor, who had too long borne an undue and oxhor-
bitant proportion Of them, and should be put upon
the wealth of the country
Mr. JONES inquired If the gentleman did not be.
leye that the abOring classes in his portion of the
country would be willing TO have portion Of the
taxes taken off Of cotton, salt, iron, cotton bag
ging, and put upon another necessary of fe--tea
and coffee
Mr., JOHNSON. No; do not imagine any such
ihing
Lea the gentleman from Georgia CONTINUED Mr..
j. imagine that he was before his constituents maxi
ing speech on the finances OF the country--with
hem the good old ladies', well as their husbands
and sons, all around him, and let him ask them,
Shall we put tax on bank paper, gold and silver
plate, &c, upon your and coffee, TO defray the
expenses Of the Mexican war;" and what did the
gentleman believe would be the reply'
Mr.. JONES again interposed, and stated that he
was not opposed TO the gentleman's amendment; but
he said the old ladies and the people of his district
would feel it far otherwise than a burden TO reduce
the heavy duties on sugar, salt, iron, and various
other necessaries of life and have tax on tea
and coffee, because, while they nse portion Of the
latter articles, they do not use onetwentieh Of them
that they do of the others upon which he (Mr.
JONhsD uSCofuulB W bue plONisiohb VI ui1
bill, 10 reduce the duties.
Mr.. JOHNSON repeated that the duty upon tea
and coffee was paid by from 100 TO 500 poor men to
rich man. There were many more Of the poor
than OF the rich who pay it.
Mr.. JONES. And each one Of them has the pa
triotism to pay il when il comes TO war.
Mr.. JOHNSON said the poor mechaaic or aborer
who earns some $500, $500, or 800 year, con.
slmes as much tea and coffee in his family as the
man who is making his So 900, $1,000, or 5000 o
year. The gentleman would not controvert but il
was a tax on the poor 10 defend the property and
wealth Of those who call themselves rich-the aris-
tocracy Of the country.
Mr.. JONES (Mr. J. again yielding) said the other
articles which he had mentioned we're equally neces-
sares Of life as tea and coffee; until then, we could
take the duties off entirely from necessaries we must
select some in the emergency Of war, and the tax
would be more lightly felt on tea and coffee, OF
which much less Quantities were used.
Mr. JOHNSON. If the gentleman will go along
with me- we will not only take them Off Of salt su-
gar, &c, but Of tea and coffee, and place them upon
the capital Of the rich used in shaving, invested in
State stocks, bank stocks, plate, &c.
He might not be entirely correct in all his est
mates Of the amount Of revenue that his amendment
would raises and he should, did opportunity again
offer, present II in more exact form. He could
say however, that its principle would enable the
government to raise sufficient revenue by taxing
the articles of the wealthy which were TO be pro-
tected by this war, and exempting those Of the
poor. The obvious justice and propriety Of this
policy being further warmly enforced, Mr.. J. pro-
ceeded TO make as near an estimate he could ar
rive at of the probable revenue which would be
raised under it, the results of which are embo-
died in the following table or statement