Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-08

The Confederate Tax Bill.
Wepublish to-day synopsis of the tax bill which
has passed the House and is now pending in the
Senate.
This bill, in the first place, levies tax of one per
on all land and negroes and personal property
of whatsoever kind including moneys and debts
which may be- due. The property Of this kind
which will be liable to taxation, with the highevalue
which has been placed on it by our redundant cur
rency will amount to four hundred millions of dol
lars The tax in this State will consequently be
four millions of dollars The other subjects taxed
will probably yield three millions of dollars Added
to this will be our State and County taxes, which |
will be about three millions, making some ten MIL
lions of dollars to be paid by people during the
present year. Can they pay it?
The exemptions in this tax bill seem to be large
and liberal .------
If those who have the management of our affairs
had possessed ordinary financial knowledge and sa
gacity, they would have levied taxes from the be-
gianing, every six months, in such amounts upon
various subjects as would have rendered their pay
ment easy. This would have rendered Confederate
notes and bonds more valuable, would have kept
down the debt, and would have prevented that wild
and ruinous speculation which has resulted from
redundant currency. But the President and Con-
gr.ss seem not to have comprehended the character
and magnitude of the war until too late to adopt
s,:ch measures were absolutely required The
administration, while at Montgomery, borrowed fif
teen millions Of dollars. and made arrangements 20
purchase fifteen thousand stand Of arms and this
a c,r .f ,b. md a
pcnsive wars the world has ever witnessed We
cannot suppose that they were ~fully blind or de-
hberately Indifferent to their duties; and We must,
therefore, conclude that they wanting in those
qualities of wisdom and foresight which are indis
pensabe in the leaders of great revolution. They
were deluded and burnt precious daylight, under
the impression that the disruption Of the old gov
ernment would be comparatively peaceable. A de-
fusion or mistake so marked and dangerous in its
character has taught vast majority of our people,
that whatever may be the measure of sincerity and
zeal which may be justly accorded them, they are
deficient in that comprehenslveness and foresight
without which fortunate results cannot be attained
even with the use of the most varied and abundant
resources.
This tax bill will have the effect to reduce tenn
porarily the value Of property Of all kinds, provs.
ions included by increasing the demand for Con-
federate currency Many surplus articles will he
brought into market and sold to enable the holders
to raise money to pay their taxes Butto what ex-
tent the bill will strengthen the government is a
matter of conjecture. 1t will probably raise one
hundred millions of dollars. This will defray the
expenses Of the army and government for only about
two months. The issue of treasury notes must
therefore, continue restricted only by the means
which will be temporarily raised. Bank notes and
State issues will decline in value, while Confederate
notes and bonds will advance but feel it to be
our duty to suggest to readers that this cond-
ton of things may not continue 1t will not do to
Judge of money securities by looking to the pres
ent only, any more than it will do to expect to
achieve great revolution in government without
looking to the influence Of Iassing events on the
results of the futuye. H
The tax bill passed the House of Representatives
by the following vote:
Yeas.-Messrs. Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Bell,
Boteler, Breckenridge, H. W. Bruce, Chambliss,
Chiffon, Clapp, Clark, Clopton, Conrad, Conrow,
Crockett Currin, Curry, Dargan, Dupre, Ewing,
Freeman, Gardenhier, Garland, Goode, Heiskell
| johnson, Aenan OF Ga, henner,. Lewis, Lyon, NC
Rae, Miles, Miller, Moore, Munnerlyn, Preston,
Rails. Read, Singleton, Tibbs and Trippe-41.
Nays-Messrs. Arlington, Atkins, Ashe, Bridg.
.ers, Chambers, Collier, Davidson Farrow, Foster,
Garnett, Graham, Gray Hanly, Herbert, Jones,
Kenan Of Ga, Lander, Marshall, Mcdowell Mclean,
Mcqueen, Menees, Perkins, Pugh, Simpson, Smith
of N. c., Strickland, Swan, Viere, Welch, Wilcox
and Wright of Texas-32.
1t will be seen that every member from this State
who was in his seat, ooted against it,
1t may be ss well to state that this bill. which
will levy a tax of some seven millions Of dollars on
our people, discussed for the most part in the
House in secret session. The necessity for this
should have been not merely strong but conclusive.
Was there any such Necessity?
SUPERIOR WRITING INK.-The attention of mer-
chants and others in want of good writing ink, is
directed to the advertisement Of W. B. Johnston,
of Columbia, s. G., in our paper today. We have
tried the article, and find it superior. OF course
we cannot speak to the permanency Of its color;
but for purity of body, present color and the
with which it flows from the pen, We have tried no
Southern ink which is equal to it.