The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-05-25

believe in or institn1ipns. asd ds~ee T. pasp>-
fuate then IL their parity, 10 stasd - manfGaiy
against those Who, ~ sohemAs like thoss, ars
seeking The high plaees ip government. Il has
become Absolutely nsosAsasv to sjnpIifv the
functions Of govsrpmsut, else its fupctionaries
will become absolutsly irresponsible. We may
have an exalted government in corruo-
tion-but We shall become degraded and on.
pressed people.
have been charged with being 4 disunonist
but do not care about it in the least assure
YOU Ny constituents understand me thew
sent me here, and am not in any way rssponri.
BILE for my opinions to this House. Bat | tell
you that every element Of destruction lies in
the assumption of power BY this government,
which il not granted 10 the Constitution BY the
complication of its functions, and the consequent
|irresponsibility of its funcsionariss. Can YOU
make your President responsible for moneys ex.
pended, however unnecessarily! 1t seems not
but he ought TO be held responsible aud il seems
to me that such systsm Of ifresponsbty il
insufficient for the public good Can you hold
your fnDctonares responsible? You csnnet
understand their functions. You cannot exam.
Inc, and ascertain, and satisfy YOURSELF ~ TO The
manner in which these duties are performed hv
them One thing, however, ID csrtsin, that the
toiling multitude, the tax paying community.
will understand the tax consumption, which IL
about $4,000 900, or $6OOO0.O0O.
wish to impress upon this House and the
people, the strong, imperative necessity which
exists for curtailing the taxing power, and hand
ing no taxes out of their pockets except for the
authorized purposes Of the government, a. az
certained by the written Consultation. Make
this government board Of ovcrseers of the poor!
Great God! Did not my friend from Virginia.
Mr. BAYLY,J when he was asked the question.
state that the cost of collecting these taxes was
upwards of seven and half pcr cent! You Law
q duty and tax upon everything that man.
women, or children eat, drink, and enioy---upon
everything that comes from abroad--at the rate
of thirty cents in the dollar, md you charga
seven and half for collecting that tax. Let IL
go homo to the people II will tell upon those
who have been broken by their dealings with
merchants in goods. They will understand
your taxing system, although your taxes are
concealed under the hieroglyphic cost-marks Of
merchants Although you make use Of the soft
fingers of your merchants in getting taxes let
it go home to the people, that your taxes are
exacted from the rich and the poor; and boldly
say that your taxes are especially oppressive
upon the poor, because under your system Of
taxation man is not taxed always according to
what he owns, mgr according to his ability to
pay, but very often on quite contrary rule for
your taxpayer pays in proportion to the number
Of children he has to feed and clotbe. Every
man who drives u plowshare, who Yields n
hammer and broad axe, any man who has wife
and children to support, will feel this. see
my friend from Indiana, Mr. DUNHAal Is not
in his seat; but ne argued that ii our people be
settled upon our Western lands, they would be-
come better taxpayers, and that, therefore. the
government would be gamer Well, M. Chair
man, have no wish to increase the gains of the
government. But, sir, humbly conceive that
the gentleman is wrong in fact, az we'll as in
principle. A man or woman in Virginia--in
New York--or anywhere else, in the old States
Yea, sir, even tho inmates of our alms.houses
consume as much Of the goods wares, and mer-
chandise which you tax, as your Western men
and women consume Yes, sir, the pauper in
any Eastern poor-house is taxed as heavily an
would be the benefciaries of this Wanted home
stead bill. The argument of the gentleman
from Indiana. then, falls to the ground.
Mr. HALL, of Missouri. Where do the ex.
ports come from?
Mr. AVERETT They come very largely
from the slnve-helding States; and you, my
friend, and others who are warning against us
upon this and other measures are indebted to
10 toI giving yOu tio ueUeUL Oh slave moor, III
providing your articles of export.
Here the hammer fell.
(NorE) Virginia, in cedng her Western
AMI Northwestern territory, stipulated as fol-
lows: That the said territory should be con-
sdered as common fund for the use and bene-
fit of such Of the United American Sta. es as
have become, or shall become, members of the
confederation or federal alliance Of the said
States, Virginia inclusive, according to their
usual respective proportions in the general
charge and expenditure, and should be faithfully
and bona tide disposed of for that purpose, aud
for no other use or purpose whatsoever" These
stipulations were solicited and ratified by the
federal government. No man will dare say that
the trainers of the Constitution intended to vo-
late them. No, sir; no such bad faith can be
imputed to them. The Constitution means,
what Virginia and other old States meant in
their deeds of cession. The public lands, then,
must be so administered upon as to aid the
treasury in lessening the burdens of taxation,
and as ga common fund " for the benefit Of
all.