Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1851-07-23

1ople more than their taxes. Luxuries, or un-
necessaries. may cost them far more than the sup
port of the government under which they live, but
the pocket nerve winces more at the touch OF the
tax-gatherer than of all other creditors. In dete-
renee to this popular idiosyncracy, we hasten to
lay before our readers the provisions which the
Convention has finally determined to insert IN the
new constitution of the State The leading pnn-
cioles of these provisions are the following
/. Taxation shall De, generally. ad uatorem.
2. But slaves not twelve years old are exemp-
ted;
8. Slaves twelve years old and over shall be
taxed per capita, and not than the tax on land
worth $780,
A. White males twenty-one years old and over
snail be taxed per capita with twice the tax on land
worth 5000.
5. The Legislature may tax at its pleasure, IN
comes. salaries and licenses, but, in that case, the
property or capital producing the income or saa-
ryor to which the license relates, is to be exempt.
In regard 10 the present and future public debts
of the State, the sections agreed upon provide
/. That fund of seven per cent. OF the pre-
sent debt, shall be set apart for the payment OF
its interest and the gradual redemption ofthe prin-
cpal;
2 That fund of eight per cent. of every debt
hereafter created shall likewise be set apart for
the payment of its interest and principal
g. That the Legislature shall authorize no loans
for longer period than thirty-four years;
A. That the Legislature shall not release to
any incorporated company the interest or principal
of any debt due from it to the State.
The restrictions, which it is proposed to place
upon the Legislature with respect to taxes upon
slave property, are generally regarded as satsfac-
tory, and we are not aware that, with these re-
strctions, any serious objection is raised to the
peneral principle of ad ralorem taxation The
triple arrangement, of an ad uatorem tax on land
and other property except slaves, of capitatlon
tax on white males equal to the tax on land worth
ss4OO, and of a capitalion tax on slaves over IL
wears not exceeding the tax on land worth $500,
is, we believe, quite generally approved. But the
express authority given to the Legislature to tax
licenses, according to its pleasure. is considered
by many dangerous discrimination against the
mercantile interests tax OIL licenses is, gen.
erally say they tax in proportion to sales, where
as ad valorem tax would be in proportion to
stocks; and it is better for the merchant to be
taxed on his stock at any one time, than on his
yearly sales. This would undoubtedly be true if
the tax bore, in each case, the same proportion to
the stock or the sales. But it can hardly be sup
posed that the Legislature would tail to perceive
the distinction, and to do justice to the merchant.
Still, while constitutional protection is thrown
oil o,bo tharo he GOOD |
reason for withholding it from him.
The provisions which the Convention has
adopted concerning the present and future debts
of the State must at least, have the effect of as
surfing the public abroad of the firm determine
ton of Virginia faithfully to redeem all her OBJ
legations. Florida, if we mistake not, enjoys the
unenviable distinction of having made it uncon-
stitutonal to pay her public debt; Virginia is
about to make it unconstitutional not to pay hers.
A financial error may have been. and we think
has been, committed by the Convention in re-
curing the setting apart of so large an annual
contribution as eight per cent. of the amount of
every future debt, TO pay its interest and
principals but we confess we do not entertain
very serious apprehensions that the requirement
will injarionsly affect the cause of internal i'm
provement Public sentiment is rapidly coming
to the point, from which it should have started
that the great lines must be completed, and we
do not despair that the Legislature will have the
frmness and good sense to carry out the popular
Judgment despite the odum of increased taxa
ton.
The Mcdonald men of Georgia, ike the Quit
man men of Mississippi, sorely troubled lest
their candidate shall be convicted of the sin of
disunonism Mr.. r. Barnwell Rhett, of South
Carolina, has recently thrown bombshel into
their camp by identifying Gov. Mcdonald with his
own party of Secessionists. The following article
from the Macon Messenger will show the use to
which Mr. Rhett's impolitic declarations are very
properly put in Georgia:
Mr. RHETT's BUeLE SPEEcH.-The friends OF Judge
Mcdonald, we understand, deny that Mr. Rhett's
sneech at Fort Mourie affords any evidence OF the dis
union sentiments Of their candidate Certainly those