Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1863-04-03
The Confederate Tax Bill.

has passed the House and is now pending in the
Senate
This Gill in the first place, evies tax Of one per
cent 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 high value
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 De about three millions, making some ten mil.
lions Of dOLGrS to be paid by our 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
gacity, they would have levied taxes from the be-
ginning, 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 a
redundant currency. But the President and Con-
gress seem not to have comprehended the character
and magnitude of the war until too late to adopt
such 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
provision for one of the greatest and most ex-
pensive wars the world has witnessed. We
cannot suppose that they wilfully blind or de-
hberately indifferent to their duties and we must
therefore, conclude that they are wanting in those
qualities of wisdom and foresight which are indfs-
pensable in the leaders of great revolution. They
were delnded, and burnt precious daylight, under
the impression that the disruption of the old gov
ernment would be comparatively peaceable. A de-
luSion mistake so marked and so dangerous in its
character, has taught vast majority OF people,
that whatever may be the measure of sincerity and
zeal which may be justly accorded them, they
deficient in that cOmpreaenSiyeneS$ 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
porariy the value of property of all kinds provs
ions included, by increasing the demand for Con-
federae currency. Many surplus articles will be
brought into market and sold, to enable the holders
to raise money to pay their taxes. But to 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 we feel it to be
duty to suggest to our readers that this condi-
ton Of things may not continue 1t will not do to
Judge of money or 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 passing events on the
results of the future.
The tax bill passed the House of Representatives
by the following vote
Yed&-Messrs. Baldwin, Barksdale, Batson, Bell,
Boteer, breckenridge, II. w. Bruce, Cham6liSS,
Chiffon, Clapp Clark, ClOpton, Conrad, Conrow,
Crockett Currn, Curry, Dlrgan, Dupre, Ewing,
Freeman, Gardenher,., Garland, GoOde, lleiSkel',
johnson, kenan OF Ga, kenner, Lewis, Lyon, Nc
Rae, Miles, Miller Moore, Munnerlyn, Preston,
Rails, Read, Singleton, IibbS and Trippe-+l.
Nay&-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 \. G., Strickland, Swan, Yltre, Welch, W ilcOx
and Wright of Texas-32.
1t will be seen that every member from this State
who was in his seat roted against it,
1t may be as we'll to state that this bill, which
will levy tax of some seven millions of dollars on
our people, was 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?