The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1852-05-06
6


lCoNTINUED FROM FIRST PAGE
their own local Offices and the citizens oil the
North are entitled to discharge the duties OF
Offices in their section but the Offices at large
should be filed from all sections in proportion
to popuation. If the experience OF the past Is
worth ANYTHING. it certainly affords no ground
for gloomy apprehensions on the part OF South
ern gentlemen and no reason for dissolution
of the Union Bat go further. If the North
should hereafter claim their share OF consider
alton in these matters-and hope they will
have spirit enough to do that-Southern gen.
tlemen cannot complain, unless they can show
that they have a divine right to the first
places Any right founded on any superior
capacity or intelligence | trust they will not
urge upon US at the present day. 1t will be
observed that the distinguished gentleman, to
whom have referred. considers participation
in the Government Of the country, by the Oc-
cupation of high official stations as an impOr-
tant matter So do l. To take the Govern
mcnt from the King of Great Britain and to
give il To our own citizens was one important
design OF our glorious Revolution But the de-
sign was 70 give it 10 the whole country, and
not 10 the South or North exclusively. The
first places in all Governments among all
people civilized and unciyilized have been
deemed objects worthy If the most ardent AS
p.rat,ons and Of the most tremendous struggles
Il NAV be in accordance with human nature
for one section % desire them all but having
obtained nearly ALL 1t Is certainly uo rvPGtS-
bic To pour ont murmuriuy SyS l>,;ioUS Nyh-
out adding more uuou this pc.ct , tsE ihe IN
diligence OF the Hose wbLs SAL a:sSn..oU -
the power
To LAY AND l1LLE.T ysNE> --r-E~ Ng->-S
AND EICISES.
Taxation has ever tesn C-SA-,3%. s,la 's,i->
ousy by the Anglo saxon C.4res Z q 2Ss
been said lost b., head B.. :le .tss K = rs'A
penny tax Of ship-mouey Vryg,~e ~ ss.k
into the manner IN which t1s rcss- q AK
ton has been welded N TIL uz;scC.
First of direct taxStIou AZ i2s E-r q. Jas
formation # the t1usti;z,s'a = s-e@s-~s s-s-.
between the North and the >o-iA g. = ias
basis of representation The No-1h -octezz5 z.5
that the Government should = Joe q FIVE
people exclusively. and that the representa- q
in Congress should De based wholly uVca f-ee
population The South. however. slccea3-5
in obtaining "comprumise by which three
hfths Of the slaves are added 70 the whg.e n1rs-
Der Of free persons in the several slav-ho.1.D-
States as the representative population As
the South consented to prescribe in the Con-
stitut.On. chat direct taxes when laid shOll1 4
be app0rtoned among the States in the same
manner as representatives. The equivalent f.
however, has proved u the North wholly falia- /
cious But four comparatively uncomfortable /.
taxes have been laid since the adoption Of the /
Constitution The slavehOlding States. in
the language of another. have enjoyed the
- - IL
any of its burdens
The slave basis OF representation is equal 70
some twenty-iOur Congressional constituencies, /
and how much has been received by the Gov I.
eminent in direct taxes McGregor. in his /
Progress of America, puts down the whole /
amount at Sl2000,OO0. Not only has there |
been little resort 10 direct taxation, but when |
resorted to the South have had comparatively |
few slaves for which to be taxed In 1898, the !
period of the first direct tax, the slaves emu
merated. for purposes Of taxation. amounted TO
only 1893 2l9. But when the subject comes up
again the South will find the North for direct
taxation, aud itself against it, whatever has
been said upon the subject to the contrary
Notwithstanding
Mr.. CARTIER, I'm his seat That is true.
MIR SMART. 1t is proper that | should al
Jude 10 another fact, Immediately connected
with this subject. In 1896, an net of Congress
was passed depoSting the surplus revenue with
the States; and about $4,000 900 were actu-
ally distributed to the several States in proper
ton to their respective representations in the
Senate and House Of Representatives. This
was money in the Treasury of the United
States, and was distributed according to rep
presentation, while we were collecting revenue.
not according to representation but upon n
basis, in fact, much more favorable TO the South
than to the North. The money was collected
by one rule, and distributed by another The
distribution to the South was undoubtedly
greater than their contributions They re-
celved, by this act Of Government, more money,
in yrtle of their slave basis Of representation.
than they ever paid in direct taxes 1t will be-
seen therefore that under the compromise of
taxation and representation, they have never
sacrificed dollar; that they have obtained the
advantage OF slave representation without any
equivalent For some thirty-fyc years, no
serious effort has been maze by the North
to resort to this constitutional mode of
taxation During all this time the slaves
to he enumerated, for the purpose of taxation,
have numbered from 1000 600 to 5000 600 |
Here, sir il clearly constitutional right |
which might be made to fall heavily upon the |
South, and no resort to it for the last thirty |
ave years Does this look like Northern ag- |
gre9sIon Rhetoric and Oratory may give to |
the winds the complaint of aggression hut |
facts are far more important for thinking |
people. Thus much for direct taxation
word Of indirect taxation. The expense
Of collection of duties upon imports and ton
mage in the North has been exhibited rs an
instance Of Northern oppression This view
Of the subject haS been taken without any re-
gard to the amount Of revenue collected in the |
free States Let us see how the matter stands. |
hold IN my hand statement showing the
total amount of revenue derived from customs.
and the expenses of collection. from 1891 to
1855 a. appears by McGrcgor's Progress of
America. and from statement kindly fur
nished me by the Secretary of the Treasury. |
respectfully ask for it the attention of the
House
Whole amount of revenue 81 100 2gg 2G5
Expense Of collection "a 2J7 800
Amount Of revenue in FREQ States . Q32 2229 81
Amount of revenue ia slave States 23l O1635i
Expense of collection in free States 36 1914 q26
Expense of collection in slave States IL .362 393
1t VIII be seen by these figures that the South
have collected only about one-fourth of the
whole duties ON imports and tonnage In fine,
AR, the expense of collecting one hundred dol
lars IN the South has been nearly double that
OF collecting the same sum in the North. These
facts when thus presented without any sophis-
try, really furnish our Southern friends. they
being Judges, with no just cause of complaint.
But to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts
and excuses, is one Of the most important acts of
sovereignty, II the power of taxation has been
abused, and generally welded against the inter
ests aud wishes of our Southern friends | admit
it may be II just cause of complaint on their part
1t is impossible Mr. Chairman, for me to 60 into
the effects of a the tariff acts upon all sections
of the Union. do not propose to do that. But
there are some facts going to show that in this