Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-03-20
WARRINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

House Of Delegates. The first 10 abill ssmakfno
regulations concerning lceues." The second "a
the tax Dill. The first requires the Commi ssioner
OF the Revenue, in fixing the amount of taxabl.
sales Of to deduct the sales OF all good,
imported direct into the State by the selle, q;
bought from the manufacturer in the state or
from any licensed merchant in the State Tins
all goods, except imports from foreign countries
ana nome manufactures, will be taxed in the
nands OF the first licensed merchant who sell.
'nem, and taxed ne more. This bill, which exc
CUES the principle Of non-intercourse was passed
ny unanimous vote, and 10 not objected to in any
quarter The tax bill directs the tax to be levied
on the sales ascertained In the mode prescribed by
the Dill making regulations concerning licenses
IL reforms and equalzes the tax on mere hants.
This equalization Is just and right, whether the
license law be on the noni intercourse princi pe or
not. The old mode Of taxation now about to be
abolished levies class taxation OF merchant
All who sell under 81 900 per annum paw not less
Than per cent. All who sell under 81 500 paw 6
per cent All who sell under 81 500 paw 2 Der
cent All who sell under 81 800 pay per cent
All who sell under SIS 600 pay "a per cent, and
so on, decreasing the tax the business increases
until those who sell more than $50, 900 only pay
l-lO OF i per cent. on their excess over $50 OOO
This is obvious and gross injustice The new tax
bill proposes to abolish this class taxation and to
substitute uniform rate of taxation on all mer-
chants, great and small Three hundred and
thirteen thousand dollars Of revenue are now
| raised by the tax on merchants licenses The
new bill aims to raise the same amount from this
source-but 1t seeks to equalize It among the mer-
chants, and make each one pay in proportion to
his business. All nations tax their merchants by
uniform rate. Virginia, heretofore, has adopted
the strange policy of inverting the true order of
justice, and increasing the rate Of taxation as the
business Of the merchant decreases; until, at the
two extremes, we find the largest dealers paving
LILO Of per cent, and the smallest dealers from
to per cent.
This equalization Of the tax reduces the present
tax on 5:i1S merchants in the Commonwealth,
VINO now pay more than per cent, and raises it
on 'o3 merchants who pay less than per cent at
present. 1t is this latter class Of merchants who
are raising all the clamor against the new mode
Of taxation. The tax proposed will be very popu-
lar because it is just, and because it reduces the
taxes on seven-eighths Of the Virginia merchants
and raises them on one-eighth only, who have
heretofore enjoyed an unfair immunity from taxa
ton. This small class make themselves ridicu-
lous by pretending to denounce the new bill in
the name Of all the merchants. The seven-eighths
| upon whom the bill reduces the tax will hardly
themselves In Alexandria, for instance, there
are 222 merchants. According to the official
statement of the Auditor of Public Accounts, only
80 Of these now pay less than per cent Out of
DID merchants in Alexandria, the new tax bill
only increases the tax 80 merchants Yet
these 80 are actually sending out remonstrance
IN the name OF the whole 222 against the law
which reduces the tax on slx-sevenths Of all the
mere hants in that city. Ninety-eight of the AL.
exandria merchants, Ito wit, the small dealers
selling $1,000 and under, and paying $40 tax
now pay per cent. The new tax bill reduces
the tax on these 9S exactly one-half On all
the others, except 80, it either reduces the tax or
retains it at what they now pay OF the 80 whose
taxes are increased, pay 6i per cent; 10 pay So
Per cent; pay 81 per cent; and the remaining
pay less than 81 per cent. There are only 80
merchants who are injuriously effected by the
new tax, and the injury done to them is the
simple requirement to bear taxation in rropor.
ton to their wealth and the extent of their bust
ness. The few large merchants who have here
tofore enjoyed the singular immunity of the
Virginia tax law may clamor at the loss of their
peculiar privilege, but the principle Of equaliza
ton in proportion to means, is too just 10 be re.
sisted with any appearance of reason or hope of
success. The few can be heard now The MANY
will be felt, when they move
The OPERA.-PATTI AS LUCIA Patti came
Patti sang, Patti conquered. For rainy night
the opera-goers turned out amazingly We can
hardly call to mind who ,casn't there Miss Ju-
| lian- May was in stage box; Senator Douglas
and his beautiful wife were In the next one; Baron
Stoec KEEL formed the centre Of formidable dipIo-
matte representation; Mr.. Secretary Thorn pson
was there; Senator Slidell was there; Mr. Houston,
~ la1 49,
quorum of both Houses.
Mr.. Maurice Strakosch, Napoleon of managers.
was at the conductors stand, baton in hand ID
goes his white gloved hand; up goes the curtain;
chorus voted good-better ard more of it than
opera managers usually vouc hsafe us in Washing
ington; out comes stout Amodo as the wicked
% Sir Henry and pours out that astounding vol
ume OF voice which overtops chorus and orchestra.
Now Tor Patti-Patti comes-Patti CLOCKS sweet
- has good figure 60 is dressed so TASTEFUL,
raul Is applauded, then she sings a little and is
applSuded ever SO much more Eduardo fS,i.
gelli) comes in with his big boots on and SINGS
and acts the lover acceptably. Patti, warming
up to her work, sings divinely, throws out lavish
stores Of pearly notes, runs up to the EXTREMIST
height OF the soprano register without effort or
ccntortion Of face, and ends the first act In blaze
of glory. Patti twill do" Patti is called ont:
oou4ue'S are ldiHeo upon the sage stout AmOGiO
gets red in the face picking them up, and finally
with a comical griInace Of perplexity, abandons
the job in despair, and sends on supe, to do
the porterage
The second act goes on swimmingly, as does
the third, (bringing out the fine capabilities Ct
Signor Muller as Raymond, ;" and of Sipnor
Quinto as "Arthur,') and by the time of the fall
of the green curtain every person in the house,
We presume, has arrived at the conviction that
when Adelina Patti shall acquire that fullness Of
voice which is to be her inheritance at flo distant
day-that when somewhat Of volume is added to
its wonderful compass brilliancy, purity and
fexibility, she will be the marvel of the world.
Tonight we are to have "Ernani,n with the
brilliant Madame Colson Is p,ima donna. Public
curiosity is all agog to hear this artist heretofore
great favorite in Washington, and who now
returns with greatly increased fame. She is to be
supported by such artists as Stigelli Ferri, and
SIsini.
PRESIDENTS RECEPTIoN.-There will be re
ception at the Executive Mansion this evening
from to 10 o'clock.