Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-07-07
Tine Tax Bill, and the Numerous Of
fees IL

The tax bill has at length passed both Houses
of Congress, and only awaits the signature of
the President to become a law. 1t is to take eff
feet on the LIST OF August. The people will,
therefore, soon see the national tax-gatherer ap-
preaching their doors for the first time i'm the his
tory OF the nation. Public attention thus far has
only been directed to the long list of articles to
be taxed and the schedule OF rates, the manner
and mode of collecting the tax has attracted but
little notice. Our readers will see by those sec
tions of the law which provide for putting it into
operation. which we published the other day in
the Herald, that it provides for a small Amy of
office holders, with good salaries-a feature that
will create no little among the office
seekers.
In the first place, there is to be a Commissioners
of Internal Revenue at Washington, surrounded
by his necessary assistants and clerks, to be the
centre of all operations. The President has the
power to divide the different States into districts
the number in each State not ~ exceed the
number of representatives in both Houses of
Congress. For each district there are to he APP
pointed an assessor and collector, with assistants.
These districts are to be subdivided into convent
ent districts, with deputy assessors, collectors
and assistants. This will create several thousand
new offices. at the disposal of the National Ad-
ministration, with salaries ranging from one to
four thousand dollars per annum. a new scramble
for Office will Immediately take place; the party
idlers and party runners will be on the qui uiue for
the spOlls, and will soon be on their march TO
Washington, b~eSieging the President for an APP
pOintment. There will be plenty of those Eho
will be full of patriotism, under this incentive,
ready TO serve the Government under this law,
however much they may have detested shoulder
ing the musket in their country's defense; and
We NAV expect soon to see those scenes that
were enacted in Washington upon President Lin
coins taking the helm OF government re-enacted
in every particular. The squabbles between the
different factions will be renewed with all their
former rigor. This will no doubt be the absorb
ing subject at Washington until the appoint
ments are disposed of, even to the exclusion of
the army at Richmond.
In view of the large number Of offices created
by this bill, the scramble that will take place 10
obtain them, with the spoils attached, and the
importance that they should be filled with a bet
ter class than usual, the President should forth
with establish some national principle as a basis
or guide for their selection. He should mark Out
such course for his action as will prevent these
important positions from falling into the hands
of another set of inefficient officials like those
in possession of our custom houses and post OIL
ces throughout the country. The public will
Judge of the law "A great deal by the character Of
the men who execute it in their midst. Let US,
then, have men in every particular competent and
conservative, and not of that class which will
furnish work for a Congressional investigating
committee in every tax district, like our Custom
House in this city-N. Y Herald.