Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1863-04-29
The Confederate. Tax Law.

featsd by artillery. Its other news Items afe un-
..-s The Confederate. Tax Law.
We publish to day from the Richmond Sentinel,
synopsis Of the law recently passed by Congress-
and which has no doubt been approved by the
President 80
This law will bear very heavily on all classes of
our people. The income tax, for example is to be
ascertained in this way that is if we can form any
defaite idea from the synopsis before Us: Ths Soas
income is to be aseertained by estimating "the an
nual value of property of every description, occu
pied, or not hired by the owner" and to this is to
be added the gross income or profits Of the owner.
From this is to be deducted "an the actual costs,
expenses in carrying the business the repairs of
houses. machinery and the like and this will leave
the nett annual income and on this is to be levied
the amounts set out in the law. If the income is
five thousand dollars, the tax is six hundred and
twenty five dollars; if ten thousand twelve hun
dred and fifty dollars; if twelve thousand, eighteen
hundred dollars, and so on in proportion. But no
such tax is imposed on those who pay tax in kind
This Income tax will not therefore, full on the
planters and farmers; but, alter reservng certain
quantity of articles produced, they are required to
render to the government one tenth of what re-
mains. For example, small farmer who makes
forty barrels of corn, will he entitled to reserve
twenty and then of the other twenty he will render
two barrels to the government which, at fifteen
dollars per barrel would be thirty dollars tax
And the same as to everything else he produces
with some reservations; and besides, one-tenth Of
III l. =, nf
small farmers occupy and work rented land, and
pay to the owner oneieurth of the whole crop; and
after paying this fourth, they are required-re-
serving the quantities mentioned in the law-to
render one. tenth to the government.
The synopsis from the Sentinel is not clear as to
the income tax Section 9th it seems, provides for
settling disputes as to annual income. When We
see that, We will know more about it.
1t is noticeable fact that specific tax is levied
on slave property by this law and thst tax at all
is levied on slaves or land owned and occupied by
planters and farmers 1t is true "the annual value
of property of eoery description, occupied or not
hired by the owner, is to be counted as part of
his income;" but this. if intended to include the
value of slaves and land does not apply to plant
in produce. White labor on the farms, and capital
invested in slaves on the farms, are thus placed on
the same tooting The owner Of fifty slaves, after
reserving the Quantities of produce mentioned, will
render his one tenth on the remainder to the gov
ernment; and so will the small farmer along side of
him who works no slaves, but relies on his own
labor to support his family. 1t is true the owner
of the fifty slaves will render his just proportion Of
tithes to the government we'll as the small farm
err but it will be, not of his own manual labor, but
of the capital he has invested in his slaves.
This law provides Cor estimating the crops and
delivering and receiving the governments one-tenth
at some depot not more than eight miles from the
place Of productions" This, for example, will re-
qure at least five depots in the County of Wake
and it will require the services Of at least two per-
sons at each depot to receive, store, and keep an
account of these crops. Thus we shall have ten
Confederate ofice-h in this County alone, to
receive and take care Of produce. The number in
this State will not be less than one thousand
Judging the future by the past they will nearly all
be the parzans a9d creatures Of the administration
at Richmond The old Union men or Conserya
tves very we'll suited to fight battles and raise
produce, but they not fit, it seems. to hold Office
These office holders will swarm through the country
like the locusts of Egypt gathering the tithes. As
many teams will be required, when the crops are
gathered, to haul the government produce to the
various depots as will be needed by our planters
and farmers to haul their share to their cribs and
barns. The administration at Richmond will not
only pervade with its tithe gatherers every neigh
borhood in the Confederate States, but it will be-
come mammoth engrosser and monopolizer Of
produce. Holding the purse and the sword, as it
does now, and holding hereafter onetenth Of nearly
all the produce of the counry,it it will indeed be
power in whose shadow the State governments will
repose as little things We fear it will be the re-
pose of DEATH
Every good citizen is NOT only ready but anxious
to contribute his full share to support the govern
mcnt and sustain our armies. Money is abundant
and We had thought it was tae policy of the gov
ernent to collect all the taxes in money, and thus
diminish the volume in circulation tax in kind,
it is called orof tenth of all the produce is
new thing in this country. The system is of for
eign origin, and is as old as the Jewish government
1t is the favorite system oy which the kingly gov
erhment Of England wrings from portion Of her
subjects the means Of supporting her splendid
Church establishment. 1t belongs to an era when
there wasn currency but gold and silver, and that
in small quantities, and when barter or swapping
prevailed instead of enlightened commerce. based on
currency representing property. Such system is
odious to our people. 1t was agreed upon IN secret
session, and the people, therefore. had no opportl-
nifty to instruct their representatives against it Not
in ten thousand Of the people of this State ex-
pected such law would oe passed, or even knew
it was under discussion. They looked for law,
and were anxious for law which would tax them.
and tax them even heavily if necessary, to sustain
the government; and they were ready to pay their
taxes in such currency as the government had pro-
vided; but they were not prepared for the tithsng
system, with the inconveniences and evils which,
in all countries Mhera it nreGas necessarily Attend