The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-04

lntsrests IN the country so TO adjust sy stem
OF revenue, until remote period az not TO leave
surplus IN the treasury over the current demand
and IN that event. the proposition 10 provide in time
Tor It's distribution by constitutional amendment, (ii
amendment be deemed necessary although admit
ted TO be attended with many difficulties, is submit
ted by him for the discussion and dspassionate
consideration" of Congress, as plan preferable to
any OF those heretofore attempted TO be praetised
on.
The committee can readily perceive the difficulty,
and indeed impossibility, of deyisng any system OF
revenue whether levied in the shape Of direct or in
direct taxes on the people, that shall make the TO-
ceiPts into the treasury for any given period Of time
precisely equal to the expenditures Our revenue
10 at present collected in the shape of indirect taxes
on the people, by duties on imports, and by the
sales OF the public landslide amount Of either OF
| which for given period cannot be foreseen or
known. The safety Of the government, and the
puohe credit, may at all times require a small snnu-
al excess OF receipts over the current expenditures
TO meet exigencies, public defacatons and unfore-
seen contingencies. But though this must be the
case II is believed that there is nothing TO Justify
the imposition Of an additional, and perhaps oner-
Gus tax on the people, not wanted for the ordinary
and useful or necessary purposes Of the government
IN It's ordinary functions but for the purpose ayow-
ed at the time Of leyying the tax Of creating sur
plus fund 10 be divided out again among the peo-
pie or the States. Nor do the COMMITTEES SO under
stand the executive recommendation. That no such
surplus fund should be collected from the peo-
pie, to be divided out again among the people, is
evident from the consideration alone, that the ex-
4 Penses OF collection and disbursement must be
paid and 10 that extent the substance Of the
IL drawn from them, and in the end, they receive,
IN the distribution, after having been deprived OF
the use OF for time, nothing more than their own
money, diminished in amount This would be the
case upon The superstition that the taxes con-
tributed equally by the people Of each State, as
certalned on the basis Of representation, which, in
the very nature OF things, cannot possibly happen
IN government like ours, embracing within lis Inn
It's surh variety of climate, population, and pro-
duetons, and giving rise to such variety Of pur-
suits IN It's different parts. But whether the taxes
be levied equally or unequally on the people, the
committee have no hestaton in giving IL as their
opinion, that, after the public debt shall have been
paid OF, no more money should be drawn into the
treasury from the people than shall be necessary for
the proper and legitimate administration Of the gov.
eminent. They fully accord with the President in
the sentiment expressed in his message Of the 9th
Of May last, returning, with his reasons for ts re-
lection, the Maysyille road bill TO the House OF
Representatives, that, however important improve.
ments admitted TO be, they are not the only OBJ
jects (Which demand the fostering care Of the gov.
eminent. The preservation and success Of the re-
publican principle rest with US. To elevate its
character and extend its influence rank among our
most important duties; and the best TO ac-
complish these desirable objects those which will
ryet the attachment Of our citizens the government
Of their choice, by the comparative Ighinsa Of their
public burdens, and by the attraction which the sape-
ror success Of its operations will present the ad
mlration and respect of the word.n They are oil
opinion, further, THAT the resources Of the ma
lion, beyond those required for the immediate and
Necessary purposes of the government, no where
be so well deposited as in the pockets Of the peo-
ple.n Ours was intended to be plain and a cheap
government, not a splendid or expensive one; not
one imposing unnecessary burdens its citizens.
But II Is only in the that after the payment OF
the debt, there shall be found in the treasury
cumuating annual surplus over and above the cur
rent expenses, which the government know not how
7 otherwise to dispose Of that the question arises
what 10 to be done with III The complaint in most
governments is, that the rulers cannot wiring from
their subjects money enough, and are compelled to
resort to loans. In this, shall have paid off the
debt, and, in the case supposed, will have drawn
from the people more money than we have any use
for. for constitutional purposes; and the question Of
, difficulty with us will be, in what manner we shall
dispose OF ~ The obvious answer, it seems to the
the demands Of the government for all its constitu-
tonal purposes, and leave what would otherwise be
surplus, in the pockets of the people. That this
may be safely done, without prejudice to any other
great interest of such paramount importance as I'd
require that the whole people Of the Union should
be taxed beyond the amount required for the sup.
port of government, they do not hesitate to believe
After the debt shall have been paid, that reduc-
ton Of the taxes should be made, and the commit
tee believe, may be safely made, to the amount Of
the sinking fund at present applicable to the pay
men of the debt; and in that event. there being no
surplus In the treasury, the necessity may not
occur for devsing plan for its disbursement and
distribution. That such a reduction of the taxes
as shall be equivalent to the amount annually
I applied to the payment of the debt, may be made
without inuriously affecting any of the great inter-
ess of the country protected, and to the great
eliaF all t.ybp houa Ia,
chief burdens Of the debt, is doubted. The an
nual sinking fund now applicable to the payment OF
the public debt, is ten millions of dollars and such
further sum as may at any time remain unappro.
priated in the treasury. This large amount be-
yond the required TO defray the ordinary ex.
l penses of the government has been heretofore
cheerully paid by the people, because it was
Thought to be necessary to the support Of govern.
ment, and the payments Of the debts unavoidaby in
Cured In the acquisition and maintenance of ouI
national rights and liberties" But when the debt
are paid, and the necessity for the continuance oil
the taxes to this amount will no longer exist, viii
= not the people demand, and will they not have
right to demand, at the hands of their representa-
tives, a reduction of their taxes to that amount
: The character Of the American people is greatly
. mistaken, or they will make that demand No
to do It, would be to consent to he unnecessarily
taxed, for the collection of money into the treasu
ry, to be scrambled for by their representatives
f or to be "bone of contention" distracting ou
!. deliberations and marring the harmony of tn,
!, Union. That this reduction may be made with
out injuriously affecting any of the great inter
e ests of tho country now protected, the committed
r believe, may be satisfactorily demonstrated. 1t il
stated in the report of the Secretary of the Treasury
0 at the commencement of the last session of Con
gress that the amount of duties paid into the treas
ury for the preceding year, QS28,) or articles no
\ produced or but partially produced in the Unet
States, was 81, 550,S42 49, total repeal of these
, should this be deemed advisable, would certainl,
operate to the advantage of all interests, agrcultu
raj, commercial, and manufacturing. If this be done
C and a reduction be made of the taxes which hav
y, heretofore "borne severely upon the laborng an,
less prosperous classes Of the community, being i'm
posed on the necessaries Of le," the amount Of re
s duction would be equal to the sinking fund, and,
# the committee conceive, could operate injury t.
Q any interest," but the contrary, be decidedly ad
i vantageous to all.
II, in the contingency, this should not be the case
and there should remain surplus in the treasury
i be disposed of, they concur in the opinion that thu
present plan of prosecuting works Of internal i'm
II provement is the "worst that could EXIST and if
shall be the future policy of the government to EN-