Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1860-03-27
Speech OF Col. Thornas =. Raymond, Of
Marion.
Uelirers6 in the House oJ Ueis,-,t.s. gn tLt

! Speech of Col. Thomas =. Raymond. OF
Marion.
Delicersd IN the House eJ' Deis.-t.s. g. tie
18Th inst
Tie amendment OF the one per cent speciai
license, offered by Lanes Barbour to the a%
bill, being under consideration,
! Mr.. HAY4oSD said: Mr. Speakrr-lt Scrlrl,
to Inc, if the members Of this Legislature,
should be again returned As meIhbels Of ;hi>
! BODY that from the exhibition We witness
| here tonight, their first duty should hc
to pass an net to raise revenue To support the
government, so that before they made any ap-
preparations, they should regulate and liz the
subjects and principles Of taxation. Why, Sir,
what sort OF an exhibition do We witness here
tonight Under whose influence and auspices
Was the public debt increased six millions du-
| ring the present session, ~ make railroads
and other improvements, all aenterinc aud
having their terrnni st and about the cities
and towns in this Commonwealth Did not
the members representing the cities anu towns,
here in this House, boast that they had taken
free ticket, and voted literally to appropriate
the peoples money, yea, that they had acted
so liberal that they voted for every bill that
appropriated money for internal improve
ments, and made merit d; the fact that they
had done so? And now. sir what do we ait
ness here tonight? Why, these same gentle
lnen are shrinking from performing the duty
Of providing revenue to meet and ray the
| interest on the debt which they and their
friends have contributed so largely 10 liz upon
the country.
Why, sir these city representatives, TO-
gether with those acting Immediately under
their influence or that OF the cities, say, in cf
feet, that you may tax the small class Of rnsr-
chants in the rural districts, as high as YOU
please; that the merchants who sell but three
or four thousand dollars worth OF goods year
ly, charge twenty-five or thirty per cent. upon
their goods, and can afford to pay high tax
upon their license that the large dealers in
the cities put but O small profit upon their
sales and on this account never have been tax
ed as high as the country merchants; thut.
while it is admitted that the tax upon the small
dealers, in the rural districts, has ranged from
one to four per cent. upon their sales, and that
these large dealers have been taxed only irum!
one-lourth OF one per cent down to onetcntn
Of one per cent, these gentlemen, who have
30 largely contributed to the increase ii the
public debt, by their votes and influence here.
BorR) and those who act with him, propose to
equaise the tax upon merchants thruug ghout
the Commonwealth. by lcvying tax upon tEc
sales of these merchants Of one per cent,
making all pay alike in proportion to the bu
siness they dn-theSe city representative;
tell us that tax OF this character will
be rlnous to city merchants; tha; ii vii!
drive them all ont Of the Commonwealth,
that they will gladly unite i'll raising the
taxes upon other subjects to meet the ,r
rrands upon the public treasury, but 20"
must not touch the pockets Of the millionalreS
in the cities; you must not eqnalizc The tax
upon the merchants; that these gentlemen
merchants who do large business will lcarc
the Commonwealth before they will submit 10
be placed upon an equality with countr: lln'r-
chants, and pay the same per cent upon their
sales. Sir, should be sorry to legislate these
gentleman out OF the Commonwealth, AMI
have no idea that this Legislature will Clo any
act that ought or will have that elect Sir.
whose property has been mortgaged pay this
public debt created by the legislation here this
winter! Not the property Of these merchants;
nor their goods, for they arc perSlIabic a;.h
will soon disappear. No, sir; you know, AMI
they know, that it is the permanent property
OF the country-the landed interest. Our farms
arc mortgaged to pay these debts. And now,
sir, let me enquire somewhat into the charac-
ter and Justice Of the measure we propose
Sir, We propose to levy tax nt one per cent.
on the sale IF goods, aiiG tal inerc shall he no
double tax on goods; that if the wholesa!r mer-
chants buy the goods at Baltimore Or else
where, and bring them here for sale, that they
shall pay one per cent as tax upon their
sales; that the retailers who purchase OF these
wholesale merchants shall pay no license tax;
that those retail merchants who buy their
goods outside Of the State and sell them in Eirgi.
mia shall also pay per cent Is mot this equal just
and proper! Sir, this system Of taxation will not
only be just, simple and proper, but 1t will
enable the people who buy these goods Of the
merchants in all parts Of this Commonwealth
to get them with the tax Of one per cent on
them. If the wholesale dealer brings the goods
here, he is required to pay the tax Of one per
cent and he only. If the retail merchant
brings them here he pays the tax Of one per
cent; so that the goods reach the people all
over the Commonwealth alike, with tax Of
one per cent. on them.
Sir, these gentlemen say that We ought 10
encourage the city merchants. anu thereby
build up our commercial cities. establish
our commercial Independence and encourage
foreign importations. Does not this bill EN-
courage importa,ons from abroad: Does it not
provide that no tax shall he paid upon goods
imported By the importer: Yes sir, ii goes
farther, it provides that the retailer who buys
of the importing merchant shall pay no tax on
his license. Sir, we have been talking about
commercial independence for long time, we
have declared it, over and over, by resolutions
in public meetings, but we have not succeeded
very well in that way: our importatons have
been decreasing annually, until, understand,
out Of the three hundred millions imported
into the United States, Virginia merchants do
not import one million dollars worth Of soois.