The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-03-21

tion. all shoot wide Of the mark, and will end il
| disappointment and disaster-that Virginia vii
| never see the day OF her commercial regeneration
until she plaees her merchants upon an esna
footing with her other citizens, and adopts TN
now universally recs,yel doctrines Of free trade.
"If we look at the past legislative and apparent
ly settled policy Of the State, who can he other
wise than surprised that but very limited amour
| Of capital is invested in commerce at home anu II
| distant enterprises to and from our ports! And
| We listen to the repeated and apparently hopeless
appeals Of our merchants against the ruinous ~ 3
TEN Of discrimination, who can expect to see thei
numbers increase, or their wealth and energies
multiplied, while such system continues:
| "In the very constitution Of the Commonwealth
| AZ interpreted by legislation, may be heard thu
death knell of all our hopes Of commercial lnde
| pendence. Every individual and every class il
| protected, and rests securely under the CLAUSE
| providing for I" equal and uniform TAXATION" OK
| cept the merchant. Under the indefinite provision
| authorizing taxation by license. the merchant il
| left at the mercy of every tleorist expert
| menter, and is ignorant one year what his invest
ment may cost him the next Without the secu
| rity Of any limitation on the taxing power, he il
! startled from time to time by propositions which
| disturb all his enterprises, and which promise
result so disastrous to drive him from his home
| as we'll as from his livelihood
The Dispatch in its issue of the same date
| with the Enquirer from which we make this
extract commented also upon the injurious
effect of this system of taxation in disturbing
the con fdemcs of trade which is it's life-blood-
The merchant being detached from the balance
| Of society and subjected to a system of taxa.
ton peculiar to him, the measure and amount
of which are to be settled by the overwhelm-
ing majority representing the other classes
and avocations in the State-a majority hay.
ing little practical knowledge Of commerce.
and either unable to discern or unwilling to
acknowledge the unjust and odius nature OF
the distinction drawn between him and other
citiZens--how is it possible that he can put
faith in the Legislaturel How can he rely
one year with another upon that body for the
fairness and business Of its measures towards
himself! The discrimination which discovers
him from the balance of his lloW-ciiZens,
and sets him apart for burthens different
from theirs and impositions not regulated
by a standard applied to them, at once induces
the most serious fears. As long AS he shares
the lot of all, he is content-the common lot
and the common burthens of all he could not
complain Of But when he is deliberately led
out from them and held for a separate judg
ment, he may we'll infer that judgment will
not be impartial II IL vsre to be impartial,
there sro1M hare bsen necessity for the sepa-
ration. His security was in his association
with the balance of his fello w. citizens, who,
having the power, would not be unjust to
themselves. Led out from among them, his
security is gone and Confidence is greatly dis
turbed.
Therefore, the merchants have, as the En-
qmirsr justly says, demanded no more than
mil finar nd no la Of vil
in asking that they should be taxed forty cents
IN the hundred dollars on their capital, AS all
other property in the Commonw wealth except
theirs is taxed, and that they should be no
longer the subject of a distinct tax levied in a
different mode, and subject to no de.fnne limits.
In vain have they appealed.
They have also sought "to be relieved from
the odious idea that their position is such
among the component parts of the State as to
make them fit subjects for LICENSE" license,
it is understood is to permit something which
might be prohibited, and would be strangely
if issued to the ordinary pursuits
of life. What would the farmer think if he
was forbidden to turn furrow until he had
obtained his license from the proper officer
Is there anything in the pursuit of the mer-
chant to make it a more fit subject of the
license than that of the farmer We license
billiards and drinking houses, and circus
shows, etc, because they are peculiar objects
of police, and are considered also fit subjects
of special taxation. The license, therefore, is
odious. The merchant feels impatient under
it, and, therefore, justly complains Of the form
in which he is taxed, as well as the dispropor.
ton of the amount of that tax to that levied
on the balance Of his fellow-citzens.
1t has been most reasonably conjectured that
the license which the Legislature was author
lied to issue by the Constitution, was intended
IS sort Of police measure. to apply to games,
tiplling shops. &c, and that.
its application to merchants is a |
violent construction of the clause and re- |
sorted to in order to wiring out of commerce |
In amount of revenue that could not be OBJ |
aimed under that just principle of the Con- |
titution which declares that TAXATION !
SHALL BE EQUAL AND UNIFORM |
H r OUGHOUT THE COMMON
WEALTH." But is that the way to encour.
ge commerce! to build up cities To multi.
'ly revenue by increased population-in.
reased wealth-increased commerce.
No NO! NO! And when the economists
+ the Legislature eagerly catch at the one p.y
,nt. tar on merchants sales as the solution of
ur dlfllcultles-the way to impart new life
nto the commerce they have enfeebled and re-
arded by past legislation-to invite back the
EN- millions Of capital their iliberal meas
res have driven away-to achieve the great
evolution of building great foreign trade
1here none exists now-they make the great
listake of the disciple of DIR. SANGRADo. who
you'd lift up his pallid and helpless patient
rom his weary bed by taking A LITTLE
lore BLOOD! That little more blood is the
aking away little more of the life and
ringing the poor victim Of malpractice nearer
} the ebb-tide OF existence, from which there
no medicament or mnistration in the
nowledge of the Doctors that can effect his
.storation!