Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-02-21
and need great deal Of law, and very good law


imposed upon them, aud when the act to which
the present bill ls an amendment passed they we're
So jtded and overtesked that several new and un.
pTac'iced hands were employed in sngrosSlng II,
and hence the reason of the rather numerous YER
bal mistakes in the act, which We now propose to
have reonhed.
That any law OF ths kind can be made abso-
lutely perfect, so as to give satisfactory results al
ell times and in all seasons, 10 an imposibility
The English excise laws are the tubeci Of con-
slant complaint and constant revision. It's likely
that each year will show TO US the need Of some
change. When the war ia over, and that 10 moi
very distant, feel toleraby sure, il will then come
in the form Of some dlminution OF TAXATION, aud
Congress will be called upon to sdjudge what sub
iaots shall be first released. Then Il depend.
greatly on those who immediately execute the
law whether it proves good or bad, ust or unjust,
efficient or sbortivs. In the hands oil one man
coca OH Systematically and with little or no com
plant, while in the hands Of aRalhsF il sgs along
painfully, producing disoIrdsut lamentations from
whomsoevef il touches.
The law is getting 10 be more thoroughly un.
derstood by the various officers throughout the
country who ore called upon TO administer H.,
living ii more equal Interpretation, and the
revenue is steadily increasing and yet il s be-
lieved that il the law could be uniformly and
strictly enforced in every part Of the country ther.
would row be no urgent necessity for q large in
oreaae Of taxation. 10 remedy this, in part al
least, It has been thought advisable to somewhat
increase penalties 10 certain cases, 10 change the
mode Of taxation on cigars, fixing all at one rate,
to require ell tobacco, snuff, and cigars to be in-
spscted, to give small commission on all sums
collected, however large, 80 that the collectors
shall have an interest 10 collecting all that may
be properly due 10 their districts, besides various
other additions deemed important TO accomplish
similar ends.
Wherever any inequality appeared to exist in
the law the Committee Of Ways and Means have
tndeavored as it will be tho duty Of this commit
tee TO endeavor, to remove 1t, as We may expect,
whenever we may have reached the close Of the
present war, and public attention ,hall not be alb
sorbed by matters Of far higher import that small
matters will produce irritation and call forth very
potent critic sm.
Tie Committee Of Ways and Means propose
to increase the duty on wine made OF grapes from
five to ten cents per gallon. The tariff upon for
egn wines is bigb enough to give Amsricau wines
great advantages, and their Increased production
has been and will be largely stimulated thereby.
The same remark applies to brady made Of
grapes. This is pure brandy, but may as well
bs taxed fifty cents as twenty-five, though the
amount produced IS small.
Brandy made o. apples and peaches has not
been subjected heretofore 10 any uniform tax, and
81 so per gallon is nov proposed.
Having al the last session OF Congress imposed
a duty upon spirits Of 81 per gallon, aud all that
we can possibly collect, and perhaps more than
We can collect unless we can effectually close the
door against smugglers, it is now barely proposed
t suses upon malt liquors 10 relative
proportion, or 81 so per barrel. This will be
Jslher under than over.Isxed, as the relative COM
Petition between beer and whiskey will be still in
lavor Of the former article The general license
No. 10 has been found 10 include altogether tso
much, aud il has been proposed 10 strike that out
aud to include provision Tor license Tor miners,
expressmen, insurance brokers, and substitute
brokers. The last, at least, will not BE- objected TO.
Ii IA also proposed to tax cotton sit csnts per
pound, in coin. This s q new feature, believed
TO be emlnently proper al the present time and
# on trial II shsuld prove otherwise il can be read
lily changed. Nor s any drawback proposed for
cotton exported, thouga on manufactured cotton
an amount is to be allowed equal to that paid on
the raw cotton according 10 the present existing
law. This tax may strike the manufacturer al
fist as q great hardship. think il will turn out
otherwise. The outlets for cotton are nci easing,
and even with this duty levied upon il the price
cannot be kept up. The losses already entAiled
upon manufacturers and the owners Of cotton
goods by the recent decline in the price Of cotton
nave oeen large, and the duty will st least check
slIl further too rapid decline in price, while the
amount manulac ured for expectation, though not
large, viii IN no degree be checked. When We
re dscl that tits Amtrcin raw matsriafsustaips a
much lager population by Its manuiscture abroad
tnan 1t uoss heIe ST home, no ono will feel dis.
posed to cripple the comparatively small amount
Of foreign usde it now enjoys
But, II viii be asked, viii raw cotton bear this
du y and sull be exported The cotton famine
mas increased the pnce four oil five times It's cur
+, ut rate, and yet, notwlthsiandI this enormous
stimulus 10 all the cotton lands OF the world, the
price is sull exusvagsnsly high Tae crop Of
lnd Tor 1865 Is expected TO be less than that oil
1864, aud 'ha, from Egypt, always more or less
uncertain, will be no greater. There is no Cot
ton, With the single exception Of that o. Egypt,
wheh completes st oil wlth even the New Or.
leans mlddhng,h and nons whsteyer which CON-
petes with the Sea ls'bd cotton. do not think
the duty would come out Of the Ansr can planter
Il exacted, and not returned when exported, and
| am the more convinced that this wi prove so
As The rebel Congress have imposed 40 export
duty on cotton of twenty cents per pound-no
much to be sure, If paid Ia their currency (which
they would not do II they did not suppose thsI
we're making the foreign purchaser pay The duty.
Then 1t is to be pad IN coin. There is no ar
IlcIe at its value so readily e1ehangeabs for coin
as cotton, and 1t will always be 50. The duty is
bot so high ss 10 prevent traffic. II will sul cir
culats as an article OF commerce and il is not
improvdent 10 provide in time for an accession OF
means TO pay the interest on such bonds, now
bearing interest in currency, as may be within
three years converted into specie paying bonds.
This will serve to Orily these securities, and place
them hey nd the reaol Of any peril arising from
any possible fluctuations ol the tariff our main
reliance for continuing specie paymsnts Of interest.
The amount OF cotton In the southern States is
now al least thres million bales, and probably
more. Very lutte OF this can new be expected
10 run the blockade. The British, aecordlAs to
some estimates have seen, expect 10 obtain only
sixty thousand bales Of this. We eau probably
furnish them With more. Mos; OF il, early OF
late, can be made to pay tribute to our tax col
leetors, aud no article deserves their hug more
cordially. Ii We could realss the tax on the
whole il would amount TO over S75,00O00O. 10
quiet times Of peace, on the ordinary annual pro.
auction, we might safely count upon revenue
irom this source Of not less than ihtri, -h1s to
forty millions, whatever it may be now. But the
amount Of the duty we shall realize now will Ger.
lainly be considerable.
Without reducing the duty on refined petfo.
leum, the Committee Of Ways and Means propose
to place duty on petroleum, and do no. propose
any drawbaoN whatever when exported. IL Is be.