Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-03-20
TAXES AGAIH.

of discovering what kinds OF prrhons can
most jo.tiy and BIOS. ccnv:"leo'!r bS re-
quired to pay per csntaGcs On ,hcn profits
and taxes On their luxuties. This IN right.
Spare nobody; favor nothing and fear rothlng'
1t will be proposed to tax dogs. Dogs
are subject Of taxation In Easland'
France and all British colonies. They are
almost Arrays useless; in time like this they
are useless quite; or, in such csses Us :hey
are of real use, Rs shepherds dogs, watch
dogs for exposed property, &c, thrir owners
can we'll shord to pay duty on them. Dogs
consume large quantity of bread and meat ;
they kill more sheep thsn they guard from
wolves, and, therefore destroy much WOOL
Tax them. hy sll means; then lnultitudsa Of
useless ours vii! he destroyed and the rest
will ycid saod revenue to tho govesonmeHt.
ltwi!l ne proposed TO tax ucwapspe.a,--
Why not Would you lay = per ceu.sge On
the profits Of miiers and tanners, ard spare
those ,yha make i: their business 10 issus
printed sheets Of paper Cong ess Will find
tho newspaper interest qfite as willing to
besr its fs;r share as any other, and we shall
evsn take tho liberty ef making some sugses-
lions to that's feet. 1t ia evident That a siugle
uniform and equal tax upon zach newspaper
would not answer tho purpose It would DO
10, smsll Cor the principal journals ei large
ci'es, and too nrge or tas smaller shoots Of
country tnwnS. IL w1ald e!ths' BIZ 90 slight
- :. bo unprcductiys IT Turrnua, ~ SO h.a!Y
q; ~ crush small ~nl st juggling newspapers
Nov, there a:e several ways III which Taxa.
ton p,sy yea the actual profits Of lh'5 huei'
cess. \ per centngo on iha decia'et circGin-
ton. or Old the amount OF pepsr actually used,
(Which IL evidence 0! ci'culGtiocl; j. .tsmp
duty on each printed sheet; sn advertisement
duty. - te accounted for in s public q liIe,
w.,":' :. ,apy &C ea, h number is flied Iii il
spec ion h"d assessment. In The British En-
pire, tia former unif,'ui s,ainH d=ty OF two
csn:., (our penay) has iatsiy hco" repgalo' ca
cspt AZ Lnlews2ap ,rs passing through ,h1 pest
Office. But the advertisement duty IS retair
cd .0d is, perhaps, the fsir-st Of sill. as it
touches tic most protits3ls part Of n'wspa-
per business On this whole question Of
taxing newspapers, hnwever, 1t 'nay t well
tn give the considerations Of Mr.. John Stuart
Mil Principles Of Political .Economv. BOOK
). Chapter s.:
"A tux on advertisements - no. free lrcIE
the same otjec. ion, since in whstever degree
advertisements are useful 10 business, by IA
Ciitating the coming together OF the Ge>ler
o. producer and tie consumer. III that same
degree, If the TAX 90 high enough TO he &C
,i.iis encouragement TO advertiser 6, it pr
l,ogs the period during which goods ,uusin
unsoli ar,i capitsl locked w in illeuess. In
this country [Englnndl the amount .: tha
duty IL Moderate, ard tho abuse u: ad7er-
Using, which ia quite as conspicuous as tho
use, renders tho abolition of the toX though
right in principle 6 matter "f less urgency
than it night otherwise no deemed.
"a tax on newspapers il uhj act,onablc, not
50 much where it does fil, as where it does
not; that is, where it prevents newspapers
from being used. To the generality Of those
who nov bay them, newspapers aro luxu-
ry, which they can 81 we'll ailo:d 10 Pay for
as any other indulgence, and which IL uneX
p,ionab'e ss u source OF revenue. But to
that large part Of the community who have
ossn taught to read, but have received little
ether intellectual education, newspapers are
the s,urcs Of nearly all tho general Informs
ton which they possess, and Of neatly oil
tils;r acquaintance with the IDEAS and topics
cur emit among mankind.
This ia true and theTof,:e tbs duty would
perhaps be best laid on advertisements, be-
cause this would not Increase the cost Of Tho
pspor 70 the general reader, and wcu'd be
fairly graduated tax on propIielo's OF jour
nails. Which way soeyer Congress may tct-
tie il, the newspapers, we feel safe in predict
ing. will maze no protest sgsinss being
tax.d. All that we desire, in counon with
the whole country at this moment, is that al
be taxed, largely, equitsbly ard quickly. The
country will expect that all owners add pro-
ducers Of wealth Of every kind, and sSps.
cialiy the cotton and tobacco planters, shsll
submit chez fully, without murruur, to the
sacrifices demanded by the commcn safety.
The sooner this "secret SESSION debate On
taxation is over, and the larger the burden it
will have imposed, the. better everybody will
DO pleased Be- it observed, ta.t while OUR law
makers are so long and mysteronaiy engaged,
in secret debate with closed doors. god has
been mounting up to 3 fabulous price. If that
Sibylina Cave d. not soon speak. ord to III,
purpose. Te sball nave panic.
POLA: D.
81 absorbed gro We with cuI own grea
WAY of Independence, and so shut cut from the
world abroad, that We have scarce the leisure
or indeed the data and tho means to appse-
cis;e tho transactions now proceeding in The
East oi Europa. Poland, beirg distinct
nationality, and having been for couple oi
generations held in subsection by tho three
partitioning powers, Russia, Prussia Snh
Austria, has mover once given up her iuds-
feasible Claim aid right to distinct national
life. Several tinea she nas 8, strongly
shaken her chains, in 1880 and in 1877, that
Europe has almost been startled with the re-
apparition of the ancient So; lnaian Kingdom,
crowned and eDthroned once mere upon
tho Vistuls.
There is nothing whatever in this move
mon. of revolutionary, radical, OF Red Re-
publican char setter. 1t is the natural, neces
ssry protest and revolt Of not = S1ass or
ordor, but an apcient and glorious nation,
against the crushing, killing union with
ssothsr nationality and form of society. 1t is
not the poverty, and plebeian or proletaire in
terest rising up against superior classes; rather,
it i, the sristocrstic and biS1-bred national
pride of Poland rov0lting against the coarse
brute power of Russian imperialism. 1t is
the whole nation rising up to make an Exodus
in its several ranks and classes as it stands,
from the sitting atmosphere of alien rule
hnttnu, Tho anna of pnland l. tha enmn