American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-01-01

constituents; but will proceed to the consider
alton OF such objections to the principle aud
policy of the measure, as have been in good
faith and with a belief 10 thei, reality, urged
against it.
II toaS said that TIE law was incOnrsnient;
hut the practical operation OF the measure mas
clearly eyinced the error of this assertion.
1t has been urged that the law was unequa
in It's bearing, because the greater portion OF
the revenue derived fIom it was paid by the
mercantile interest. But this argument was
certainly two edged sword; for it was appar-
eHt, that if the fact were as asserted, The mer'
CATTLE infersa: only paid the greater portion OIL
this tax, because of their ownership OF grea'
ter portion of the desCrip ion OF property tared
precisely as the landed interest paid greater
iortion OF the tax upon real estate than the
mercantile interest, because of their ownership
of larger proportion of that particular DIS
cripton of property. And the owner of real
estate might as Justly claim an exemption from
taxation for that description Of property, be-
cause he paid more than the merchant, as
could the merchant from This lac, because he
receieed and owned more promissory notes,
aRd consequently paid more than the land
holder. 1 he supposed unequal bearing OF
muuIty, has constituted the only plausible OBJ
lection which has been urged against the con-
IiEuance If the measure. II, therefore, ! can
demonstrate to the unanswerable satisfaction
of every ore who will consider the argument,
that the inequality which does exist is a prac-
teal iufquaiifu IN tar0r of those lrh0 pay his
'er; shall expect for his measure the sup
port Of all those who now oppose it upon this
ground
The direct tax law Of eighteen hundred and
forty one imposes a tax Of one fourth of one
per cent. upon all the property in the State
and requires the collectors annually 10 asses:
all property which should thereafter CONF
into ,xi,t,ncc, or be found in the State anC
not assessed by the assessors appointed By tina
law The increase of visible personal prop
erty, (such as slaves and the increase of rea
estate, by (the erection of houses) are the p,o
visions of the direct tax law brought at once
into the assessment; and the owners pay tbt
tax of one-fourh Of one pei cent. upon it
BY tue direct tax law, all obligations for The
payment of money are taxed at the amour
expressed in the obligat;en, aud although eve
ry new obligation taken since the act OF l84l
should, under its provisions, be assessed, anC
pay the tax of one quarter of one per cent
yet from the nature of the property, and the
ImpossibiIity of its acertainment, 10y the col
lectors, all this description of properly which
has come into existence since lS4l, has es.
aped the tax imposed by that act, and now
only pays under the Stamp Act the one tcen
tieth of one per cent, instead Of the one fourth
Of one per cent the tar which is paid by the
owners of every other de crptlon of property
which has come into existence since lS4l-
Sincerely trusting that this view of the subject
may change the opinion of some of those who
have hitherto opposed the continuance of this
law upon the ground of its supposed Unequal
ity will now ask your consideration Of such
amendments as experience and the construc-
ton placed upon lis provisions BY the Court OF
Appe ais, have shown to be necessary.
This law went into effect on the tenth OF
May of the present year, and under its provls-
ions quarterly returns were TO be made OF the
receipts under it commencing with the first OF
June. The returns which were made on the
lst of June con equently embraced only TWEEN,
! ty days, the entire period for which the law
had then been in force, and the receipts for
this period Will, in my opinion, furnish the
data from which correct estimate may be
formed of the revenue which would he derl-
we'd from this lew, if made to embrace all the
instruments upon which the law practically
operated prior TO the decision of the Court OF
| Appeals.
| The Treasurer's Report will, | suppose, fur
| nsh you the receipts from this law for the
/ first twenty days ending on the lst of June;
and taking this as the basis of calculation, you
Will see, that the revenue for the entire year
/ from q law embracing the instruments which
were for this period practically included IN
. the operations of the law, would exceed the
sum of 100000,
! cannot, ia any Other way, so succmCty
/ suggest most of the amendments TO this law,
! which, in my judgment, should be adopted, as
/ by referring to the decision of The G urt of
| Appeals, and eN pressing my conviction, that
an amendment which wou d specifically en-.
! brace each and ell Of the instruments which
! are decided by the court to be excluded 10y the
/ pkraaeOtogy OF the existing law, would r. cclye
| the almost universal approval of the people
and would double the revenue which is derI
we'd from this law as it now stands.
/ have received from various sources the
suggestion that lot cry tickets should be sub
ected to the provisions cf this act. If you
can, without danger TO the existing revenue
which is derived by the lottery system, require
that each lottery ticket which shall be hereaf-
ter sold in this State shall be stamped and pay
ten cents, it would certainly add very much
to the revenue which would be derived from
this measure, and would, believe, be appIau-
ded by all classes Of the community. am sa-
tisfed that no constitutional objection exists
to the legistion suggested, unless such an OBJ
lection may be founded upon the present con-
tract entered into by the Lottery Comms
sioners of the State, for the drawings Of the
present year. have not seen the contract,
and have been only informed in referense to
t. that it secures to the State for the present