Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-03-10
THE STATE TAX BILL

country will be left without tx bib Try
again.
THE STATE TAX BILL
| Oar rem.rks upon this Oil and our ctjec-
lions to the vote Of the Richmond Delegates,
has called out tho following lstte' frnln Mr..
| obertsna--pro,catlng that there Tss not the
| grossrst injustice" donu him, but that uur re-
marks Furnished: Hun Tho opportunity tor ex-
planning what cp cared al extraordinary p"-
sit0n, We publish the !"t;sr.
| To the Editors III tie enquirer
Ceatle,neu-Y0ur observations on nay
course in respect to tho tax bill do me- aEtl ]
| have no doubt my colleagues also, ths gross
est Injustice. My s,','ls inject e Ell to reform
| it by re-asassys,uent ur otherwise, and was w
ayo wed at the Li.ns, :nt 10 defeat the tax bill.
| To reform il, not in reierrnce % tho burdens
rs Inequality ard injustice < cat az .huy are:
affecting ail tbs interests OF trade and business
AZ cuu.rs -di,tlusu lshni from p:orn;ty, (-nt!
which were hH. "a .ra': III IN tav leIuaf Iii, }
| but in releFemcc To ti.u s:"rihons disparity
| Of its PRESSURE On personal property ~ cOI-
pared with landcd property, introduced by It
for tho first time, and to r. iosin IL further by
greatly increasing the amount proposed Ia
| DO raised by iSas bsing utterly inadequate to
| the present excr GET clog uf The c6urtry. I!s
defe1t would have been only to require a
new bill to DO brought in on the haala lndi-
ca;ed. The opportunity by the delay D! =
single day to etiar the Gnggeat6d chat ges was
asked before the bill wenI to cngrosNnent,
| which tho House, at the instance of the chsir
mqu Of tho Finance CoulHlttee refused mo-
! These changes are necessary nor, IN order to
correct an inequality Of the bufdo"h Of
taxation guch as never before eXistod, ard
| TO protect the State from tho terrible ellcc;s
! which It will entail on II III future II tie
amount os revenue be restricted 10 thh utteI
Insufficient sum provided by tho bin. The
| inequality CT ths bill results froin n'suming
specie az the basis o: Ito land tax, whereby
it is actually lrssenel and nat increased, and
the present Currency az that If personal
property, worry largely increasing Il. I wish
ed the lsndho!dcr, who c., well ''tnr y, to
share lai IL :hY public burden. Ia ;n.ulli
cheney /, such ~ 10 r,Inieo lnsns c: H;G4u'
| OF treasury 1i"l..s tho preseG: year, tn the
amount of lnany Mullins nf dollars, probably
| from four to Riy, nf une-inurth only tho vaiu'
now Of ths spoGin in Which, # wu keep faith
with our creditors, it will have IL be redeem
| ch. You cei tainly have Eat examined the
1 bill, O. you " ouiI Aid Ine ~ requiring it to DC
ruilrmaG in cTde: that { ,tns aplrGa h to 1H-
t,co u,i;hi hc sscnrrd t0;hs people, ard lst-
ier guards, by largsr tayes nor, against Inc
bankruptcy with which, III ,,.cScn: form,
It threatens the State.
| may ask room for the ro,son on which |
4 ~ e ~
| can prepare them.
| You have allowed yudraelf also to sag that
the Richmond delegates yu;od against tho
/ Bill III order to protect the enormous profits
| OF spectators snd insnufac;nraTs.' The R,tt
| IN question does not tnnrh ttca. Tina Rru
tho su! ject Of :. distinct Bill not yr! sc:r! Oh.
! And yet ,ou have pern'i.tod y,u,yni IL path
! icly ARA On and hen",Ince y'mr nWa repre-
tativaa, whn might r"asonnbly expect, at
least, the simpr justice at your hsn'iR tha.
ever citizen ~ cnt!:lG:i t., frtIn the P:oaa,
for thsr course On a measure hat has rot
| yet been considered by The House
That you will repair Al lar az you Can the
injustice done ma (&nd my colleagues equally
as balirva).by inserting this note, d" nns
! doubi, a..
Respectfully, &r.,
WYNDH.M RoBERrsos,
IInIse Of Delegates. March =. 1868.
| We did not implgn the motives, but qrss-
ton the policy Of TIA votes Of tho Richmond
delegates.
|. GpprsrS that Mr.. K ws3 auxGus for q
70 nsl=fa,nent Of lsnds. On this we have al
rssdy expressed an opinion, deciisdly III favor
of an Increased assessment Of the value of
lands. Whether provided for OF not in tho
tax bill, Is unimportant, if thu Legislature
will OILY SCI that tia re>sssssslnent Is rnsrtsd.
VIZ tsroe that thu land owner should boar
his just proportion of ,hr public burdens,
and 80 far ~ our information goes, no class
of men in the State arc more willing to moot
their just liabilities in tsxstion than the land
owners.
In the several illusions made by the En-
quirer" to the Crsnshaw Wooden Mills and
tho Bel'iders Manufacturing Company in
regasd to their recently published profits, no
intimation was made, or even entertained
tia! these profits werS tie result Of any en-
torton or improper speculation. We know
tks Contrary to he the fact. These profits
are tao result Of Legitimate trate-and in the
case Of tho Wonlen Hill, the published stale
men. Of the agent befaro the comIaittec, showa
that tho Company were aud ere prepared to
sn.repiur thor profits, whenever the Gov
ern.ncnt thinks proper to take tho Mill at
valuation. We meant TO show that tho pro
fits were large, snd that they ought to be
heavily taxed. 10 taxation equ.hty is not
always justice. Thuse mon and companies
whose facilities have enabled them, by ls-
giti,nate trade, to reap enormous profits,
must oxpsct to pay moro taxes than the same
amount Of capital productively invested
by their fsl!oT-citizens vino are fighting the
battles CT the country.
Mr.. Robertson and bis colleagues vote mot
our condemnation, because, as explained by
the report Of his remarks, his objection to