Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-04-26

mas Dcen acaleVeH, we neeu not inquire; the
farther it went, the better for the country
But i'll 80 doing the innocent have been made
to suffer with the guilty; and what may, after
al, be mere sport to those who have suddenly
grown rich, is death to the honest poor
Capital, in the shape of money, is evidently
hesvily taxed to make the accumulated
wealth Of tho speculator bear it's equal share;
but the small capital of tho widow and the
orphan. frequently the sole support of a family,
is taxed in the same proportion, depriying
those, whose income barely suficed before the
war, now, in times of great suffering, not only
OF their income, but of a part of their princi-
pal, which has. to be sold toREfsJhe taxi
That generally most worthy and always more
or less needy class of holders of stocks and
shares may we'll ask if they are thus burdened
because they could not and would not engage
in speculation. Congress will remember, we
hope, that one Of the cardinal principles of
taxation is, that it should be graduated among
tho different classes Of society in a direct
ratio with the means of payment. The remedy
is2sinlple aud easily applied, and even if the
assessment of stocks and shares at their mar
k,t value in February cannot be altogether
abandoned, distinction might we'll be made
under oath, between those purchased with the
peace currency, say before January, 1862,
and those acquired since. Such discrimina.
ton would still reach the obnoxious class, aud
vet not involve the harmless owner.
The vagueness of certain expressions in
the Tax Law, which has given rise to pre-
sent doubt and much uneasiness for the fu-
ture, may not Lhfairly be attributed to tbs
pressure Of time, under which ths bill suf-
fered !. was, in fact, smeoded but never
perfected. Being the su'jert Of a committee
of conference, amendnhrn+s were, ct an ad-
vanced stage, out IF ttd' question, and 1t ia
well known that ts,o Senate never had the
opportunity of discussing it freely and at
leisure. Hence the varied interpretations it
has received from different members, the free
and not always intelligble reading of tho
highest officials, to whom its execution is en-
trusted, and the necessary slowness in even
preparing it's practical application. But
laN9s Ineffective, which is not precise and
distinct; above all, law disposing Of the
property Of nation with such freedom, ought
to be so worded as 10 leave no doubt about its
exact meaning. This evil also is easily
remedied, and We trust will receive all the
earlier attention. as it may ssriously affect
the good will Of tho taxpayer. Even the
FORMER bill has gi ven rise to countless equiVo-
cations and morientous defect in Mr.. Mem
minger's scheme is the disregard of that very
important item in all such measures, haudu-
lent returns. 10 frame wise and efficient
law for the supplrt of the government in r.
crisis like ours, is no doubt great triumph,
but it is, after all, but.half Of the work to be
done. The efficiency and thoroughness of its
execution is, to say the least, equally impor-
tant. Great energy in ascertaining the taxa
BILE property Of every kind, strict honesty,
coupled with inexorable rigor, in assessing
it according to the terms Of the Law, and un-
wesrying diligence in efscting the payment
of dues-these are tho essential qualities Of
Mr.. Meinmingcr's agents, which are indis-
pensable to making the law truly efficient
Mistakes are, of course, unavoidable, and
among such host of agents fraud aud inca
pacity ore hard ly to be avoided but much can
be done by u good example given in the
highest places, q rigid supervision and con-
scientious enforcement of strict responsibility.
We hope, moreover, that when Congress takes
this all-importaut matter in hand, without q
proper adjustment Of which all attempts to
maintain the. national credit or uphold the
national independence, must ere long prove
nusatory, they will listen less to the dreams
of recluse scholars, however brilliant in color
Or authoritative in tone, and give more weight
to the mature conceptions Of really able and
acute minds, conversant with the practical
details Of commerce as we'll az with the prin-
ciples of economic science. They may we'll con
sent to follow the example of the wisest of mod
ern statesmen, the French Emperor, who CON-
stantly consulss his shrewd Jewish banker-min-
lister, Acheild Fould, and never enters upon
new financial measures of Importance with
out calling to his councils the aid of great
fnanciers and enterprising contractors. They
mi sht 90 80 far even as to learn from our ene-
mics, whose msster.spirit, Chase, has built
up and maintained his stupendous financial
scheme, much less by his own genius than by
the aid and advice of the leading commercial
men of the North. We may think what we
choose Of the vast fabric, which is even now
on the point Of vanishing into thin air, like
Aladdin's fairy palace; we may call his mea>
sures tricks, and his management juggling
they have been brilliantly suocossful 80 far,
thanks to his coadjutors; and if the Yank eeB
call Seward the brains they acknowledge
Chase to be tho backbone Of their administra-
tion.
Another point which deserves the special
attention of the new Congress is the princi-
pie. that the ability of nation to support the
strain Of an exhausting war depends not 30
much upon its aggregate riches, which are
quickly used up, as upon its resources, its
procreative wealth. AS in the army we have
lived from hand to mouth, and thus brought
Incredible suffering upon soldiers and citi-
IONS, 80 iu our finances we have constantly
killed the goose that laid the golden eggs. 1t
is all in vain to apeak Of the wealth of the
South as representing four thousand millions,
which may be taxed a. will. Money does not
breed moncJi to do 30 it must be applied to the
production Of new wealth. 80 it is with all
property. The farmer, who resps continually
and returns nothing to his hard-worked
fields, will soon cease to have harvest; the
enterprise that consumes all the income is a
failure, and the property that is taxed to the