Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-03-04
4 COUNTRY READER.
FOrWS LNYENN.
THE MERCHANTS LICENSE TAX.

The Committee of Finance finding The STATE in ~
iisoivent condition, and the slave property Of tho
whole South every day rendered less and !css sccnr"
besides an absolute theft the last year 10 the uKt1U;
of three and hall millions Of dollars, committed
chiefly by Yankee trading vessels entering p"r!-
from the Yankee States, were instructed To "El"lr"
into the eIpedicncy ot reporting bili by when al
Yankee goods and Yankee imp0rtatl"ns were t" b.
taxed five per cent, so n. 10 derry" n fc'"i'"" 3"
about Gt0 from tha: source. and in tho end 20
divert the trade uf the South into direct foreign
channel BY which dlrec. exports hnJ direct import.
would go on il Nir.inia. This committee sHv" To-
ported 10 br the taxes oil reel c6:at" "a We'll n ~:
all PERSONAL property and upon merchant hcr'acs
rrrm pttng from !aEGi0n gOoaS wg"'icd d"t3.g .'tI
V.rgipto. Now, the principle oi the tex hi.l r
ported by The Committee Of Finance. recognizes ~"
princplc Of Discrimination announced IN G"vcr'i""
Foyd's bill, and applies !; by way Of eXemP;"H
upon foreign Importation; but instead q; increasing
the rcvyuue, by cxac;ons on IaEh.c iMpur:a.i"'I
and commerce. II fnstrns upon the lands a,d n'grus
IN. increased hurthens nf Hxation, demanding forty
cents Oh every hundred dolus o; property il !':1
State. We have heard n good deal abou: SUnfh.fa
rights and Southern commercial independence, ~
the bill of the Finance Committee blinks the !s.r3
and goes away from the su':rc! with Il qunsI i:'-
butte TO the importers resident IN NlrSHh, tHne
amounts ~ nothing, "hcn iahKce goods ana lnhN'"
mportations thrown across Their TatE hnd her
attention frrd upon plan that will ncrensr ;!e
venue by {75000O for the first year diminishing with
the gradual restoration vi tne rcsuGTccs Il ~" S!H9
and nursing d!lapdGt-d foreign commerce inp !ui
yigor ami strength. WHY'S thsl VIII ttt- Lc.:'~i,
ture of Virginia dou6le the tax iand GLi negroes
aud refuse 10 tax Yankee productions aud lanA's
importurons1 Will the people of the STATE :o!"'';s
these thngsl Do they demand double taxes Tor
themselves, willis; the Yankees are stealing a'eir
property Insulting them 10 their faces, ai Cura"'ns
their rights in every way! Tic wrlt.r car hardy
think little Of the Intelligence OF Tho masses, ;'t
the Finance Committee seem 20 be going l" That o..
rectlon and unless The representatives rom iho "Ir'
Epy lnrI t',fv
will be done To perfection. Tax the Yankee CO0d:
instead Of the land and negroes Ut the Common c".
This il the wish o.! the country lhe present 'HI on
merchants. licenses frequently taxes the same ar'"i,
twice. and sometimes thrice, and IN noine ins'""'i
four times, every time Il bonus 10 ell merchant -
make Us many operations possible out ot ;Ie STATE"
But over aud above this unconstitutional! !ceitre.
should like very much to know "Ey 10" bill. =
e,npts from taxation every nine thousand nine hHH-
dred and niuety.nine dollars and nlnety-nlE' Hni
0g.lOO of cen, of sales between S200Oo and iH.J",
anu SO on for every $l0000, nd u!Fnngua and tax.
every small merchant, if his capital ls less han tJf
$40, aud if over, $50, jumping then, OH sales ''.
900 10 81 $50, advancing s3oJ III time, uii'' !;
reaches S5D0O and then lcapinc S5OOj each sict o-
iii il ee,s up to 1000! Wha justice cam thors tc
in this thingl The whole arrangement u mm "ntrEra
ON the commerce Of the South. This wiiG.c s!Im,"a
tive action on the part Of the Commonwealth of ~.
yinia i. d.gracefu Either tax every rr"r"a1i;
alike or levy per cen,agc upon all their puI"nHea
ou: Of the State and brought into the Steir H"G "
making the domGstic lmportati0ns taxable 0"ss, D..
cordine to the amount bought out ot The s;Hc' hii
sold in the State; but tho pcayune policy OF gri'%
down upon small country retail merchan', "i''
sells 81 900, and demanding S2J, but, If he can, T."
energy make his sales 81 $50, The State demands -
more, and il by good fortune, he might Grt up -
81 500 then the State must have s. i'll addition =
an outrageous e1actou; when city msn may -"
80 999 &c. and pay not far;ng upon X; ;'r, -
sels 500 OGO, and not S3U,UyO, tue whole bct~a'n
soH0GO and S3O 000 is c1erpp; from taHh"ni "n! -
on with aii the upward. II he sells SJU'U"C -
has the privilege of selling Sl9,99J - without nay
tax II he then sells sjO,OUU. he hnh the right :" st
S24 9o0 80 free al State taxation. Vow, where l. TO
iustice OF taxing the poor, but honest retail c"u,'!
merchant and failing 10 tax the city mtrohAi5 :"f
true policy is 10 tax the !drs, and wealthy cnp,iaf,
who instead Of going out into foreign cVnnir.'s aHR
bringing the necessary supplies b"r lJT ie r"'"ny-
fun OF the State, will rush OH by raj roads H".
STEAMBOATS, into the Of the negro ST. !crs "l 'r
North and employ teen TO bring hoi. hIS pur2ha;'r
and thereby give them an opportunity To carry 'E
some Of bic neighbors' negroes, and take H tn" i'"
Cts arising from the importation oi The good. h'vhta
by the S,n,e from abroad. The battle Il not" bi"-'!
taxing Yankee goods and doubling the tax "h 'T'
lands and negroes Of the commonwealth. Let t""
ayes and noes proclaim who It IS that means on '''
is.ue 10 take lhe phrt Of the Yankees against ~;
lands and ncyrces OF the State. Fac- tho !u-c. = -
,lensn legislators; Floyd will make you res-ter ".|
wo. te,iie you when you sha!! 60 home aiiG h'd
before al outraged constituency.
JuNIlS.
P. S-I may write little more upon tho IIlj=-i'