The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1864-04-27
The Internal Revenue Bill The duty on
Tobacco.

The Internal Revenue Bill--The duty on
Tobacco.
The necessity for a thorough, heavy
and comprehensive system of taxation is
admitted by every friend to the country.
The bill reported by the Ways and Means
Committee is not deficient in compre-
hensiveness, but the necessity for exten-
ding the list of the articles should not
set aside wise discrimination. Aud if
by such dissemination the same revenue
can be realized with less burden to the
people, every reduction that can be made
in the number of articles subjected to di-
rect duties, is gain. The progress of
craftsmanship in Great Britain in revenue
measures has been increasing the rate,
and reducing the number of articles sub
ject to duties. In our present need,
which is aggravated by previous neglect
of revenue means adequate to the emer-
gency, we are not prepared to say that
the reported list should be reduced
Yet that discrimination which raises
most revenue with least burden should
be exercised.
Manufactured tobacco in every form
is an article capable of being made a
source of large revenue without any in
jury to the trade, or any burden to the
payer. 1t is successfully made so in
several European countries. In France
and England it is one Of the greatest rev.
enue resources. The bill proposes a
duty as follows: ..On tobacco-cav-
endish, plug. twist and manufactured to
bacco not otherwise provided for mot
including snuff, cigars, fine cut, smoking
tobacco made exclusively of stems and
not sweetened or otherwise prepared, nor
shorts or other refuse separated from fine
cut tobacco in the process of manufac-
turing, and on stemmel tobacco-twen-
ty five cents per pound
This includes the bulk of that con-
sumed by chewing. 1t includes tobacco
now worth a dollar and upward a pound.
On all of the fine qualities this will be
less than the duties imposed on many of
the necessaries of life. This duty might
be doubled to the great advantage Of the
country, and without any injury or hard
ship to any class. We do not suppose
it would diminish the consumption; and
if it would, it would be an additional rea-
son in favor of the duty. Bat in fact the
rate of fifty cents a pound will amount
to very small sum to each consumer,
and it had better be put on amere indul-
gence, than to be collected from the me-
cessities or harmless luxuries of living.
The duty on cut smoking tobacco, is
ten cents a pound. How much OF a tax
would it be to each smoker, if it were
put at twenty-five cents? We suspect
that the consumption even of the most
inveterate smoker, is small in weight.
On snuff and fine cut tobacco, the Propos-
aJ ,lptx iS thirty five cnptc ,,o,tnI The
rate is low, whether computed on the
wholesale price or on the consumer. On
cigars, the proposed duty is on those val
ned at not over so thousand s.; at
over $40, and not over $40, 81 a thou
sand; at over $40 and not over $40. S12
a thousand; at over $40 and not over
Sl3, $ 10 a thousand
The greater part of the cigars will be
valued for duty at not over $40; and it is
not probable that any domestic cigar
will be valued for duty at over $50 a
thousand Yet on any but the meanest
kind of cigars, the duty of s. a thousand
is low, whether it be computed upon
their market value or upon the consumer.
These duties might be largely increased.
That annoyance to the people which
makes taxation odious, will be felt more
from the number of articles subject to
excise, than from the rate. But there is
necessity for putting on articles of mere
indulgence the highest rate they will
bear, even if there can at present be no
reduction in number.
We have before given some statistics
of the sources from which Great Britain
draws the greater part of its revenue,
and we generalize them now as bearing
on this question. OF the receipts from
customs, ninety per cent is obtained
from six articles: Coffee at q duty of six
cents a pound; spirits 80 q gallon; su-
gar at three cents a pound: tea at 35 cents
tobacco at 80 cents and wines at 50 cents,
gallon. These articles pay hundred
and nine million of dollars All other
articles pay eleven millions Nearly as
large proportion of the revenue from
excise is drawn from three articles. viz:
spirits at 81 % a gallon, fifty millions;
malt and hops, thirty millions. All 9th
er articles pay ten millions.
The stamp duties. land and assessed
taxes are adjusted on the same princi-
pie of raising the required amount by
heavy duties on o limited number Of ar
ticles We do not cite this as rule to
he carried out TO the same degree in this
country. There they have arrived at it
by gradual progress, and we suspect that
viii be the best policy here. The duty
on tobacco of seventy five cents pound
pays TO the British revenue twenty eight
million dollars On cigars there is a
sliding scale of higher duties
We may expect that the Opposition
viii use every means to make all taxes
for the preservation of the nation. obi
ous. But they would waste their breath
in vain in trying TO make the duty on to-
bacco seem oppressive to any class of
community Gin. Gazet.s.
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