Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1846-05-14

real accufacy. what the amount y uis cu@lSe
win be, bun il viii very cOnslaereoY se1uSS VI
L.lsnce IN die Treasury, and u val probably De
necessary 10 borrow money in order TO pay the
debentuTe and contingent expenses OF the pres
an, f1enernl Assembly. These, win other GU
cumstances will put it out OF your power 70 neeI
Inc public demands upon your leglsiallon, IN as
fnIl and ample q manner as you might otherwise
have done. n least without expanding the per
manent funds of the State, involving u IN ueot'
or ineFensing the State fax--elther OF winch sat
ter measures you will be little inclined to ADOPT.
While it has been the policy OF this State TO
practice an enlightened economy, to estaollsn
permanent fund for the support oil It's govern
ment, and a permanent fund Tor the suPPort OF
its schools, and TO embark neither its money nor
its credit in any projects of canals or railraods,
leaving them to private enterprise, with view
TO relieve the citizen Of all unnecessary burdens,
we have perhaps for this very reason been too
inattentive to the just principle OF taxation
All taxation is founded on the idea Of protecting
person and propetty-@the poll tax or its equiv
alent being for the person-all other taxes lot
property. The present system IS unequal. IL
presses too lightly on the rich, too heavily on
the poor and middling classes; especially when
all classes are subject to the present unequal
federal tax on consumption. The system is un-
reasonable and unjust. The true principle is to
tax men in proportion to their ability 1t has
been carried out elsewhere, it can be carried
out here. And when carried out, much capital
now driven out of the State, would flow back IN
TO it. The whole subject is one OF too great I'M
portance and too great difficulty to be disposed
of hastily, at a single session. AT the same
time, it ought not to be lost sight Of With
great Difference to conflicting opinions, it Is
most respectfully submitted, that just system
adarted TO our wants, should be matured and
presented in the form of an act, and continued to
| the next session of the General Assembly, with
view to attract public attention and discussion
| that the whole subject may then be disposed OF,
SO as to secure the interests Of the State anc the
equal rights ofall.
There is another si1bject which ought not to
be overlooked. The militia of tie State, en-
bracing now about fifty thousand men, deserves
| the earnest care and most favorable conslde[a'
ton Of the Legislature. 1t is the militia, by
which we are relieved of the most formidable
| evil Of standing armies. 1t is the army ofclti'
zen soldiers, BY which the country must be de-
| Tended in war, by which in peace the security
of person and property, the supremacy Of law
and order, are to be maintained. The fact oil
the existence of this Organized body, ready to
act, upon legal call, at moments warning, 10
quell outbreaks of violence, and to put down all
resistance tc the execution of the laws, operates
quietly, secretly, unheeded by most. exerting a
powerful and all-pervading influence in preser-
wing the peace of society mot the less valuable
because not often seen in the exercise of physi-
cal force! For such an object, in an enlighten-
ed community, it is needless to bespeak iegisla'
tive favor. The state Of Connecticut has just
reason to be proud of her militia, which is sus-
tanned more by the power of public sentiment,
than by favor ofthe laws. Ifthere be any reas-
enable provision, by which the soldier may be
relieved of an unnecessary burden, by which
the officer can be more thoroughly drilled and
instructed, or by which the organization ofths
enrolled army can be rendered more complete
and perfect, you may rest ASSURED OF my most
hearty concurrence, in the adoption and execu-
tion ofthe measure.
The banks of this State are Believed TO. be
in sound condition. They were relieved IN
| 1914 of no considerable share of that stern and
rigid supervision which the State had exeT-
cised over them since the year 1887. In my
view, no circumstances, however prosperous,
can Justify the relaxation of that supervision.
| The very existence of it prevents the mischief
in advance, and nips the evil in the bud. As
| long as these banks exercise the high sovereign
power of furnishing the practical currency Of
the people, the Government cannot be justified
| in languid or careless oversight of them.
| pass from our domestic affairs, TO others
| equally interesting to us in our relations with
the federal government 1t is not improbable
that the tariff act of 1912 will be modified BE-
fore the close of the present session Of Con
| gress. The viii necessarily present 10 your
consideration, subject of great magnitude
upon which the voice Of his commonwealth
as one of the sovereign States of the Union ant
possessing large interest in the question; i:
entitled to be heard through the action of hel
Legislature:
| have loo great confidence in the wisdom
! and justice Of Congress to believe, that an,
great change in the rate of duties, affecting
large investments of capital. induced by the
existing law, will be hastily made, without Civ.
| ing fair and reasonable opportunity to capital
| and labor. by a gradual operation, to adjust
| themselves quietly TO fhe new state of things
This would both hazard the permanent success
of the measure, and do exceedingly unjust to.
wards great national interests, which ought moi
to be subjected to changes great and sudden
without urgent necessity.
On the other hand. it is highly important tc
the people of this State, and especially to the
class of manufacturers, that we should not lis.
ten to blind clamof, or shut our eyes to the &C.
knowledged facts, which must control this sub.
iect, lest we should lose what is fairly within
our reach, by grasplng at what is beyond it.
1t is vain to suppose, that the people of this
country will not discern and believe that tariff
Of duties is but list of taxes, as much so as
if they were paid to legal officer at the head Of
tax warrant; or that the policy Of high
taxes can ever be a favorite or popular policy
with the great body of the people; or that they
should be willing that taxes shouldbe levied up.
on them which do not go into the public treas
ury, but into the pockets of particular class for
the purpose of sustaining the business of tina,
class. These propositions il is believed areitoo
clear and manifest to.be brought into doubt OF
question by any person Of ordinary intelligence
whatever his wishes may be. On the other
hand also, there are propositions equally clear
and the policy Of protecting our home interests
to just and reasonable extent, reviewed in its
true light, may be placed upon solid permanent
grounds, which may safely defy the utmost
power of reason and argument to overthrow
them. - . .... ..
The people ofthis country must pay taxes, to
the amount Of twenty-five millions Of dollars an.
nually for the support of Government. THAI
amount must be paid into the National Treasu.
ry and it must be paid, in some form, by the
people. tits not question Of policy or political
science, whether these taxes shall be paid, but a
matter Of una voidabie necessity and if they are
wanted. as doubtless they are, for the economi-
cal administration Of the Government, the peO-
pie are willing, and ever will be willing, TO
a IL