, 1865-01-11
The D.ty or, x,rrntInr paucr.

[Fro1n Nc New York Evening Post, Jan. IL
The Object of tax laid by the Federal
GoycrnMln int, in the present condition OF the
country, is to bring money into the treasury,
penscs. 4 lex laid for any Other purpose, a
tax which brings nothing Into the, treasury,
md the only effect OF which is to increase til:
public burdens, BY making some important
and necessary article Of general consumption
dear. is simply piece Of ,vanton legislative
potlc power, exercised by thc Government ut
the expense Of the community at large.
The Indirect lax laid by Congress upon
printing paper is Of this character. 1t WAS
qncstionably laid III the honest expectation
that 1t world produce son4e income to the
treasury. It brings In nothing. It Is 8 bar
ren measure, except to the paper-makers. 1t
makes printing paper excessively. aEtiacially,
unnaturally dear, that ia a2l- No importer
can bring printing paper Into the market IN
value Of the commodity, payable in gold,
md accordingly all competition is excluded.
The ownars Of paper mills in this country,
with this advantage over the consumer In
their hands, make their own prices fo7 paper,
md defy the gInmh}ezs.
fc1e in this matter, and protect the people
against the paper makers. The members now
sec that it operates as q prohibition upon i'm
portations, and makes the price Of printing
paper exorbitant. 1t is for them to act with
out delay, annuling measure which has so
disappointed their expectations, and by allow
ing which to remain In force, they make
themselves accessory to an act OF oppression.
1t will not be maintained TINT the e1clu-
sion Of cheap printing paper from our market
is demanded BY the public voice. or desired
by the community In even the faintest de-
growing dearer and dearer, does not ask for
Il. The parent, who finds himself obliged to
purchase school books for his children, and is
made to pay three times as much for them as
formerly, would rejoice to be relieved from
this incony yen1ence. Tie render Of newspapers
and periodicals, who is compelled to diminish
the humber of his subscriptions to these pub
1ications, does not desire that Congress
should refuse to repeal measure which force
him nnwilling1y to this priyatio1. On the
contrary, all those classes, and they comprise
the whole community, the entire nation,
would thank Congress with one voice for SO
reducing the duty as to mako it productive
| them from the unnecessary drain which the
duty on printing paper makes upon their
Il was not long since that the stamp duty
On newspapers in Great Britain was repealed,
in compliance With The public elam1s 41s agans.
was inst; the stamp duty was in fact an OBJ
etruc1ion to the spread Of information, and
the objections to 1t were urged With such
force, zeal and constancy, that the Govern
mept found itself obliged to give waY, and
the duty was repealed. The duty on printing
pauer, under which the community suffers, il
infinitely more unjust epd odions than stamp
| auty on newspapers. II is not only q tax on
knowledge, but tar on ton. It taxes
what In Great Britain Was left free. It taxet
not merely the communication Of news and
the discussion Of public questions. but It e1