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


addressed 10 q gentleman in Pbilsdel
phia.
HARRlsDURG, Feb, 6, IS46.
Dear Sir;-Your favor of the 2J inst.
came 10 hand by due course Of mail.
regret ,h,, the principles contained in
the bill which had the honor to pre-.
sent 10 The Senate, some Gays sic ce
should be Objectionable TO genllem IN
of your acknowledged intelligence. Blu
am not disappointed in finding the bill
'objeclo >able. have lorg since come
to The conclusion, that system Of tax
alton, for the gradual payment Of th'
State debt, or for the punclual pay menl
Of the interest, that would be free from
reasonable objection and acceptable to
ALL can never be devised. The man
who undertakes this task will fail to ac.
complsh il. am well aware that ;te
present taxes are onerous, and | regret
IS much as you The necessity for their
continuance, or that it should be the du.
fy Of any one 10 inquire into the ex?e-
dency Of adding new ones. Certainly
ii is no very agreeable task for public
servant 10 propose or advocate taxation
of any kind. 1t makes up more than
full proportion of bi!ters for all the
Saoeet Of legislation.
You say you would like 10 see 'sys-
TEN Of taxation that would bear equally
upon all The wealth Of the country and
at the same tins be efficient and salts
Jactory' l should rejoice with you 10
see a system OF this kind in operation.
These phrases sound harmonious, but
they are mere words Of promise 10 the
ear, TO be btoken 10 The hope.-A sat
iS/actory tax will never be devised.
The regulation of the mere machinery
of tax laws is a most difficult task, and
such equity and nice regard for indvid,
'ual rights, as you desire, is more than
human ingenuity can attain.
But | hope TO convince you that al
least some Of the positions which you
have assumed against tax on lineal de-
cents, are unsound. You say it is 'tax.
ing the dead and wronging the widow
and orphan The same remark will
apply with equal force to ell the estates
now taxable in the commonwealth. The
origi inal owners are now all dead and
yet these estates are taxed. The pres
ent inheritors were at one time looked
upon as widows aud Orpban.,' but yoi
their property is not exempt from taxa
tion; If your position be correct every
estate passing from first hands ought to
be free from taxation, because it had
been taxed in the name Of The original
owner, and having passed into the hands
of his heirs ought not 10 be again taxsd
This principle would, in the space of
thirty years, exempt all the wealth of
the State from taxation, and leave the
Government no means of paying the
expense of protecting this property, or
these defendants in its enjoyment. This
tax is intended, and will apply 10 all
the wealth Of the State, without disturb.
ing The present tax laws; and the whole
product is to be applied toward the pay.
ment Of the principle Of tha State debt,
and would not agree 10 assess il for
any other purpose.
Again, you say II IS taxing the es'
tates twice. This is very true. But
you might say. with the same propriety
that when the Legislature in ls44 rails
ed the tax upon real estate from two to
three mills, that it was taxing The same
property twice. In both cases there is
merely an increase Of taxation. The
sobIect in the one instance being 10 pay
the interest, and in the other the princi.
pal Of the State debt; this tax would
reach all estates, real and personal, lhe
same ss our laws now in force. II may
rbe said ME one estate will pass sooner
'than another. and hence time will BIZ
s~hen such estate will have paid more
'of The public debit than another OF equal
value. But ii 10 estimated lha,in 30 years
all the property of the common wealth
swoald be taxed under The provisions Of
Of this ast, and it will then have borne
an equal proportion of The debt. hold
the right of an individual TO property
which he has acquired by his own Ia
bor to be very sacred, and would not
gree to any enroachment upon such
hat was not demanded by neces
e sily.
AS TO the mere m achinery Of The pro
posed law,I do mol look upon The fes.
f lures OF the bill as being the best thai,