Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-04-01
Speech of VIZ. GOOde,
OF MECKLESBURG,
on THE TAX BILL.
c0NCLUDED.

coNCLUDED.
The labour on our farms is usually performed
by slaves, and is either procured on hire or is the
property of the farmer. If procured on hire, the
farmer relies on the products of his farm to pay
the hires. If he be assessed with tax on tho
slave, that is tax. If he be assessed with Il
tax on the hire, that is second and double tax.
But the hire consists of the products of the farm,
and If they be assessed it is Il second and double
tax.
If the farmer own the slave, he relies on the
products of his farm to compensate the wear and
tear of the property, and to yield reasonable in
terest on the capital. If the slave be assessed,
that is tax; if the interest on the capital in
vested be assessed, that is second and double
tax. Butthis interest the capital invested is
derived from the products ofthe farm; if they be
assessed it is a second and double tax.
The assessor leyies a tax the stock of the
farmer; that is one tax. IF the profits of this
stock be assessed that is second and double tax.
But it has been shown that the profits of the
stock consists of the products Of the farm, and by
consequence ifthey be assessed, it is asecond and
double tax.
1t is thus shown, that tax assessed on each
item of the costs of agricultural productions, is
double tax on agriculture SO far as that item ex
tends; and as the whole is made up of the parts it
results that tax assessed on all the items of the
cost of agricultural productions, double tax
agriculture.
But the spirit of the constitution is shown to be-
hostile to the principle and practice of double
taxes. 1t prohibits expressly the double tax Ii
cense, and ad valorem tax mercantile capital.
1t prohibits expressly the double tax income,
and ad vaorem tax on capital invested in public or
private securities, yielding an annual income in
money. 1t cannot be charged with the injustice
of condemning agricultural capital alone, to the
scathing and grinding process of double taxes
from taxes, because they the necessaries of
life. To tax necessaries adds to the cost of all
the products of labour, by increasing the cost of
living to the labourer, which must be compensa-
ted BY Tito Tie cost Of the products
of his labour.
Our adversaries admit the propriety of the ag-
ricultural exemption, by resting the claim of the
live stock exemption the assertion, that live
stock are agricultural productions. This ground
has been distinctly assumed by more than one de-
batter here, though the most experienced among
them endeavor to avoid exposure, by metaphy-
steal distinction between identity and assmila-
tion or resemblance to agricultural productions.
Let US examine the validity of these arguments.
Are cattle an agricultural production! Let us
descend little to particulars and exert somewhat
of the power of analysis. What is agriculture?
In its chronology, it is the tillage, the culture of
the field. 1t is the application Of skill and force
products OF the soil are vegetables useful to the hu-
name family as food; contributing to our pleas
ures by their beauty and their fragrance, their
tlnts and odors; but without the power of locomo-
tion or volition; the simplest form of material or
ganization; the mere individuals of the vegetable
kingdom. If we ascend one step in the scale of
creation, we discover the next stage of organized
matter, or material organization having the power
of locomotion; endowed with instinct, and con-
ctit a,r1ha coft
from being identical with the members of the We
getable kingdom, they exist in relation of actual
antagonsm, having wants, necessities and anne
tltes, which 1mpel them to prey on the vegetable
kingdom; furnishedwith organs and with instincts.
which teach and fit them to draw their subsistence
from the vegetable kingdom, they are the natural
enemies-the deadly foes of agricultural produc-
tions.
Yielding to the force of these obvious truths.
the experienced debaters from the West. seek to
make avail OF the subtle doctrine of assimilation
and assert that the cattle of the West bear to their
agriculture, the relation which is borne to Eastern
agriculture by tobacco and tae cereal grains be-
cause they cannot convert into money the products
of their farms without first feeding them to live
stock. II this were true, it mi ht be shown that
they enjoy an exemption IN that torna equal to the
exemption OF Eastern crops. Our crops are of
annual growth; perishabe in their nature: fall
ing rapidly to decay; consumed in the use, and
generally sold within the year of harvesting:
when sold, they become capital, and assume some
form subject to taxation, thus enjoying an exemp-
ton of one year and no more.
The practical operation of our system secures
to the cattle grower similar exemption for the
term of one year. fla bullock can be regarded
a crop, that crop must be of annual growth. The
crop of 1852 must grow in 1859. The tax is as
sessed In the beginning of the year, the first dav
OF February, on the value of the bullock at thai
time Say that this value is eight dollars: he
pays the tax on eight dollars through 1852. But
before February 1858, the bullock is sold for.
twelve dollars, with the accretion, the cumulative
value, the crop of 1852, without any addi-
tional tax. When the commissioner comes in
1858 the bullock is sold and gone, and the accre.
ton, the cumulative value, the crop OF 1852, has
altogether escaped taxation.
Ii there be not an actual sale. it is because the
cattle grower finds it to his advantage to retain
the bullock as augmented and invested captaL-
1t being more convenient and profitable TO retain
the bullock for another year than to effect sale
and look out for some other investment of tba
purchase money. The retention is equivalent to
constructive sale and reinYestment and the pro-
cess is repeated in 1858. The tax is assessed ON
the value of the animal in February The cumn-
lative value OF 1858 escapes taxation throuohopt
that year, and the bullock is sold before another
assessment Thus the crop of each wear in tba
animal enjoys an exemption for the YEAR lust "a
our crop In cereal grain enjoys an exemption for
the year. IN
Gentlemen complain that in consequence of
their remoteness from market they can only mska