The Portland daily press., 1864-12-17

h'oWeyer, thought il wiser to name $500 0OO(
OC0 as all that would probably be realizsd.
1t will be observed that the actual recein
| from ordinary sources for the last fiscal We,
varied materially from the estimates. partic,
larry from customs and internal revenu
This variation Is imputable, In great part.
the legislation OF Congress at its last sessioI
increasing largely the rates OF duty on TO
ejgn and domestic articles. 1t Is apprehende,
however, tnat similar results will not folio,
for the residue OF the present year in bot
these particulars. II
The increase Of duties on imports under tn
act of June 30, 1864, has already had the effsc
to decrease imporiations to considerable ex
tent, and the same effect will be likely to con
tinue. SO that, estimating the receipts of th
three remaining quarters by those of the frs
In the light of former experience, 1t will NO
be safe to calculate upon revenue from Gus
toms much exceeding $4,000 900 for tn
current year. In the Judgment of the Secre
tary this disadvantage in financial point q
view is more than counterbalanced by th
stimulus afforded to domestic industry. an,
the consequent increased revenue from tina
source. s.sl ta age4se adt afga6 et M ,.f
From internal revenue different and ia
more favorable result may be anticipated.
viii be noticed that instead of ST., 500, ,703 SO
past year Sl0Ss s260. .320 81 under the same Law
which In ten months of the preceding wear
yielded only S37 784O,7S7 95. The new lau
which went into oneration a., the Jst of JuJy
last. lareel Y Increasing tbasa duties si,honai
IL will nrobahlv fail to nrodnca tho an,o,,n. !,
revenue honed for NAV 10 not r,,asar;a,ir
changed toGe,her with ti,a srac;oi rao,s,a =
imposed by the joint resolution Of July 3
1854. be safely estimated tn nroJuca tbs 90,
of S25 600 O00 shonld the bnsipass os ,ha o..
trv he ordinar;v nrosnoro,,s M =. sno soun- ul
es which nrder preeadin lows ~ sae caus- -
larga an ;ncro 80 l., ~ % %
likely to have s;n,;lar sfssot - y.
nnder the nos,, IL - ~ evaie eAsent
If Coz 100 non 49, ~ s'as 'no
anntha, vast u;tEn,,t az "a - tol s,ni ~ ~
income tav" - "'--Gs'', 'Ae % '''0 " p"H
D.. p.-..,..-.,
siis auuune 1n IN not, and ought not 70 De,
sasisisctory' 4Aree hundred millions at least
suo9,u s pe reaiizeo rom internal duties 1t Is
tol .o congress 10 seiect tne sources and devise
sae inouss ~ wnicn tnis most desirable result
Sdn no oosaineu, ana Tue report OF the Com
~: " luseInal heVehue - referred 70
III ~ uiS stems ~ lnis lnporlant point as well
as iol lnany vaiuaoie suggestions having REF
Stenso W ''O San'o gensrat su pJeet, I'
The Secretary will venture, with great
~~~N~~-> q
commission, properly constituted Tor the pur-
pose OF inquiring as to profitable sources of
revenue, and devising improvements in the
modes Of its collection, might, In country OF
sucn varied pFoducuon, and among q people
OF sucn diverse industrial pursuits, elicit
mucn information Wnicn Wonld materially as
sist tne deiioeratIons OF Congress and tighten
sc0 apon su'ec. 80 ne" 70 leglslaIiVe
. rssoIn,ion o;r.;ns 80 ~ .i;d a., az: noMeyo!
fhs ~ ~ snis eIu Iau NY lnees
The Sacrots-v ad - s@a, ....b-5J sstG:n'
stit,,ta \ sna;,,rn th-o,, ;.sa....ia ~
~ a,d ~ haa - .LIe ~. 'us.a uu1eli.aA
etIac,;na @ ~. ~ aeops o'ner
m,,cb reaac,;o,, rof.s PaapSse ai.er
on;nions haratofora ~, ~ LIN n,s
TO which u,,,er tha o;ron,,a...aos p.aoo
be nardanad sor snu ~ 10 Say
oblged 10 saw tbst ha ssss Is SSsse.a.y lerS
or rsisny ne sdd;t;onaI ro,,s,,,o - nas".
~ tha no asass -. ~
hv tSa con n,;ss;ou '"d1l n sIo'o ponsou oue
1,yoat ~. ;Ssa,I.;os .ea nc ~ amnre ol lne
a. S,,.;a sno eyttecslon u
the oh,ae,;dp,,s anu .es,s =. - .lo ~ .oice u
W sneir lIuPo-
snLo ls saeioS' oelle es .nae "a y on y
Wv oooaSoo, ~ tnS ieaa ior ulihanuiaSsureu: u ~
eau pe en.orceu, Is tne oniy mooe 3y wnicn
uuIy ~ 1no al can 10 collscteu iai.ly anu
equany' anu through Wnicn an aaequate
4noun. OF revenue can De oDtalned rom 1t.
ne DeAeVes also. tnat although a TAX on sales
would probably fail OF collection to some ex-
tent, yet, by applying toit stringent rules,
iequlriP 3 lrequent perioolcai returns, verlned
py oa!n, coupled VITA tne power 70 compel an
eAnlolt OF DooHs OF account, II mlgnt become
very large ana important item OF revenue.
The Secretary would further suggest
whether the income tax should not be collect
ed upon all, without redemption, as the law as
it is opens the door to innumerable frauds,
and, in young and growing country, the
vast majority Of incomes are small, while all
participate alike in the blessings of good gov
ernment. The adoption of scale augment-
ing the rate of taxation upon incomes as they
rise in amount though unequal iu one sense,
cannot be considered oppressive or unjust.
inasmuch as the ability to pay increases in
much more than arithmetical proportion as
the amount OF increase OF income exceeds the
limit Of reasonable necessity. From the re-
suits OF experience, as well as from all the
information received, the Secretary is well
convinced that much revenue was not col
lected through an imperfect execution OF the
law, and more throngha fraudulent evasion
OF Its provisions. Time and effort VIII, 1t l;
noPeu, remedy tnese evlis IN great degree
ana Inc coandent expectations OF those who
lrameo ~ De reanzed; IN me meantlme .s NO
eloLs suoulu 70 spaieu " periec1 y, as iar ~
any n W incIease i1s
esnc,eno 81 ia u mn1In ~ tnsse % - seasohaoie nope
=. suoee's' s.oe'u 70 ieis IN ns.iea'- aa /,
~ cennectiol Win tne SUBJECT OF increased
taxation ana tne necessity OF providing addi-
sional revenue irom ORDINARY sources, the
Secretary cahnot put call attention oil Con-
gress to our puDiic uomain, ana more especial
y " lnas poruon q " aDounqlng ~ tne pre-
cious arg osher metals, winch, by the policy
OF lne government, mas oeen reserved to the
Nation. he can add little, however, on these
polnts 10 wnat mas been heretofore so ably sci
forth by his predecessor. The agricultural
region mas, through the operation Of the
Homestead law, almost ceased to afford di-
rect revenue. Whatever might be the opinion;
OF the secretary as to the good effects Of this
law, elmer IN state or National point o.
view, IT Is not probable that any expression ol
those opinions would tend to effect any mate.
rial change or modifcationsa Possibly, had
the struggle IN which the nation is now en-
gagged been toreseen or even apprehended
Congress might have deemed 1t prudent no
to ADOPT system which renders so large .
pOreiOn OF the public domain unavailable as q