The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-12-30
BALTIMORE.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 80, 1853.

recent missionary historian of the Fiji (com-
monty and most disrespectfully called the Feeiee)
Islands, gives the following curious account of a
custom prevailing among their interesting inhab-
itants. ''The happiest day of the year for the
'Fijians," he says, lis that on which they pay
heir taxes. Then they put on their richest attire;
''then they paint their faces black scarlet-wear
Colossal hair-pins of tortoise-shel-poli their
'clubs, and become delirious with qualification"
Decidedly as the civilization of our beloved city
has assimiIated ITSELF in some particulars within
the last few years, to that which has made the
FIJI Islands so desirable residence it is much to
be doubted whether any missionary, who has been
laboring among us, could conscientiously attribute
to any portion of our population the slightest ten
dency to initiate the Fijians in the popularity
ferred TO. We have never heard of any large
class of our citizens who have put on their best
clothes and painted their noses to visit the Cry
COLLECTOR, nor do we know of any exaggerated
hair-pins that have been gotten up for the benefit
of the AUDITOR. Now and then, it is
true that the name of the exemplary Off
cial last mentioned, has been known to
to suggest illusions to clubs and the expediency of
using them, but the qualification accompanying
such observations has not partaken, in any degree,
that we could observe, of deirious character.
On the contrary, to the best of our knowledge and
belief should say, that the inclination has been
to beat the tax-collectng faces black and blue
rather than to bedeck the tax paying countenance
with black and scarlet There is, however, a
principle of compensation in all human affairs,
and while the fiscal agents of our FCity Govern
ment' may be mortified, the one side, at the
absence of enthusiasm and tortoise-shell in re-
Spouse to their notices of distrant for taxes-due
perhaps, and paid, twenty years ago-they must
be consoed on the other hand, to know that
baked COLLECTOR or a fricasseed REGISTER or AUDI
TOR is not regarded as decacy here, even at the
hungrest table. In FIJI, they would make
Thanksgiving dinner for large party out of an
entire branch of the City Council-reserving his
Honor the MAYOR, bonnie bouche for a cold col
lation, garnished with his own laurels. Happily |
we live under a more humane gastric dispensation
We may be devoured by taxes, but we have no
appetite for the tax-gatherers in return. The Getty
Government is safe from the teeth, whatever at
tentons it may receive from the tongues of its con-
sttuents.
'NNAi
important comparison and contrast aforegoing by |
the highly ferocious, though perhaps not entirely
Fijan state of the public temper at present, touch
ing the matter of the assessment in Baltimore.
Singular to say, large number of our fellow
citizens have become intensely excited at finding
themselves so much richer than they had for
merly been considered, and there seems to be a
general determination, on the part of the nd-
yidualS so aggrieved, to enlighten the official |
mind as to the Nervousness of believing them so |
well to do in the world. 'NIiss FANNY" says the |
redoubtabe CESAR WHARTON, in CooPER's Spa, |
Glove three shilling when she give, and four shil-
cling when she lakeland the fair FRANCES did |
no more than represent a general principle of
private and political economy, which is illustrated |
in the tax-department, by an abiding desire to |
pay little, for what we estimate at much. But in !
the present instance and under existing circum- |
stances, our complaining felow-citizens ought |
really to be ashamed of themselves. They have
the most admirable getty Government in the |
world, which they have either put in place
themselves, or permitted to put itself there They |
surely ought to be willing to pay for it. They
ought not to chatter about the price of
tent for them to do so. Have they not enjoyed,
for the past two years, all the blessings of free
institutions and regulated liberty? Have they
not been protected in person and property
fenced around in the exercise of their individual
rights and political franchises? Certainly then,
they should not be unwilling to water the vine
and the fg-tree, under which they have sat so
long, with no man to make them afraid They
are ungrateful-painfully so. They should set
nober eXampie-and we trust they will think
better of it. If they are assessed at higher rate
than their neighbour-upon property of the same
or lower value-let them rejoice in the privilege
of doing more than that neighbour for their coun-
try. Do they not know that their contribution
will make the MAYORS Office blossom like the
it will gladden. the Poce-stations-
comfort the holders of railroad stock far away,
in the geography-and rejoice the
heart of many worthy man who lives on city
Jobs? They must be obdurate indeed, if they
can know all this, and forget what is in store for
the Cheerful giver" Let them then initiate our FIJI
brethren Let them apparel themselves for the high
festival of paying their dues. Our excellent neigh
bour The American-which prizes so highly the
blessings under which we live-will, no doubt,
paint its pleasant countenance, of as many colors
as JosEPH's coat, in order to go down TO the City
Hall as becomes Taxpayer, of its opinions. In
deed, as cur neighbor generally has two faces, it
will have an opportunity of being doubly gor-
geous on the OCCASION Let it then polish its club
and arrange its hair-pins We will endeavor to
be there to see!