Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1861-07-22
sLsIllhs -. y lhe Co..s


The Chicago Tribune presents the follow
ing bil for the consideration Of Congress the
design being to raise sufRcisnt fund nom
the rebels to pay the interest upon the ex.
pUusss Of the war:
An act to reimburse the expenses incurred
by the Federal Government in suppressiLg
the Shareholders instruction.
SIC. !. Be Il enacted, ETC.: That every per-
son held as a slave by the laws or customs Of
any State, and being over the age Of twelve
years, shall be subject and liable to an annu
Al tax Of twenty dollars to be paid BY the
individual or corporation claiming TO own
the services Of said person; and al persons
held to labor as slaves under the AGE of
twelve years shall be assessed and taxed the
the sum of ten dollars per annum. The said
taxes shall be collected by the United States
District Aarshals and their deputies and the
proceeds less Eve per cent. to be retained for
cost Of collection, shall be paid to such treas
urss as shall be designated by law. The said
tax shall be lien on ali persons held as
slaves for twenty years after the passage Of
this act, and such persons shall be liable TO
be hired therefor, at public vendue to whom
soever viii pay said tax and the costs accru-
ing for the shortest period OF service of the
person 80 offered for hire; and the taker
shall have peaceable and undisturhed pesses-
sion OF said person during said time, at the
expiration Of which he or she shall revert to
the former possessor OF claimant.
SEc. 2. That any citizen claiming posses-
sion of persons as aforesaid, held as slaves by
the laws or customs CT any State, who shall
make oath, and furnish other satisfactory
proof before the District Court by the testi.
mony of loyal and ereditable witnesses that
be was loyal to the Union and oSedieut n
the Constitution and the laws ana that he
gave aid and comfort to the Federal Govern
ment, and actively opposed It's enemies dur-
ing the continuance Of the secession rebellion
the Court shall decree that the tax mentioned
in the preceding section Of this act, shall be
remitted 10 him, and shall not thereafter be
assessed upon any of the persons in his pos
session, and claimed by him to be his slaves:
provided that the slaves of citizens who have
been in In rebellion against the United States
shall not be exempt from sail tax BY their
sale or transfer 10 acitizeu who remained 10y
al during said rebellion.
TINS aetto take effect and be in force from
- -17oESs
The Tribune says; tl4ZlEs
About three million of slaves would fall
under the provlsionsoi this act, and fifteendoI-
lars head would be the average taxation.
making the gross sum Of forty millions per an.
nGm. This amount would pay the interest
on debt Of three hundred millions which
may accrue from the re bellion, and create a
sinking fund for the liquidation of the prin
cipal within twenty years.
The enactment Of such law would give
unbounded satisfaction to loyal citizens in
the South as well as North Only the guilty
rebels and their Northern sympathizers,
would object And they are the last per-
sons 70 be consulted in the premises. The
whole matter resolves itself into this plain
and simple question; Shallfthe guilty or limo
eent.b made to pay the cost to the Govern.
ment of quelling the rebellion2 Shall the
traitors foot the bill Of costs which they have
created, or shall the lOyalists have to detray
it?