The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-02-21

aunt, or their decenlanls, five per cenl;
10 great uncles; or great aunls, or their
| descendants, SIX per cent: and 10 any
other collateral or stranger in blood, lC
per cent.
| hold the doctrine that Govern
meot in exacting from its people the
necessary means TO sustain The expenses
ot lis administration, or TO meet any
obligations which it may have incurred,
mas not only The right, but is in du'y
bound 10 consult lhe moral wefIre Of
ts subj cts. and that these exactons
should be made with reference firsl, TO
'quty and individual rights, and next
o the general welfare of all At what
period then can you make an exaction
rom an estate that will ,cluse less
complaint, do less injury or less in.
fringe upon personal rights, than at q
time when by virtue Of the same Gov
srnmeRt under whose fostering care it
was acquired, il passes into The posses-
4lon aud enjoy menl of subject of that
Government, free Of cost. 1t is a gra.
Unity; the products of the lsbJr of an.
other, and descends 10 the inherior by
virtue of The laws OF his Government,
md he should not complain, fbe be cal
ed upon to contribute small item o
he donation, thus acquired towards
sustaining that government. B sides,
he debt of iorly millions which we
now owe is lien upon all the wealth
Of the state, all laat is TO be exacted un-
Ier the proposed law, is TO be applied
toward The payment Of this lien. Hence
you will perceive that this 'fesrtuI prin-
ciple' is noning more or less than pay
ing debt, from which there is no es-
cape. You say per cent. upon estates
Of one hundred thousand dollars Is to
much. Perhaps it may be SO, but |
will leave you TO decide whether the
individual who receives graluity of
niueiy FIVE thousand dollals, is not as
good a man for all earthly purpose, as
he would be If he were 10 receive one
hundred thousand. As a general rule,
is not he who receives bounty Of ten
thousand dollars, as happy and as use
ful and successful business men!-A-
mongs, those who have been left large
fortunes by their ancestors, or in ranks
Of those who have commenced. the
world withou, any Of The advantages Of
wealth? | need not answer these ques.
tions; they admit Of bu, one reply. II
do not present these ideas as constituting
any right in the Government 10 make
exactions as proposed in The bill, bu'
they ought TO have some influence in al
laying complaints agains, The proposed
tax,
Calculating from the best data that
can obtain, am led 10 believe that the
law would produce from three
to four hundred Thousand dollars annu.
ally, and the Sinking fund.- thus created
20 long as Slate stocks remain below
par, would cancel still larger amount
,f the debt. This amount will gradual
" enlarge with the increasing wealth Of
he State, and as the amount Of the an
nual interest becomes smaller, we will
be able TO briog other revenues 10 the
lid Of this fund. believe 'ha, if the inter
eSt upon our funded debt DO punctually
paid for three or four years with small
annual reduction Of the principal, that
our Slate credit will 60 up 10 par,
and that when it is so restored, she
can 60 into the market, and borrow
money at a much less rate Of inleresl
than she is now paying; say a, 81 or 4
per cent bonds, and thus greatly reduce
The amount Of her annual liabilities, |
incline TO The opinion that if The propos-
ed measure be adopted and kept in eff
c;ent operation for ten years that it will
bring the annual interest OF Our deb
within the recep pts from the canals and
other sources, and thus relieve The real
estate of''he Commonwealth, from the
present three mill tax. The only bur
hen then remaining upon the people
will bs The proposed tax for the lola
exinguished Of the DEBT.
If other and better means for The re.
1emption of the credit of he State
can be discovered, they shall receive
my hearty support.
l am very truly your friend.
NNIIIIA DINJJSD