Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1865-02-21


Londoa and Liverpool on the lst OF J4nuraJ
1865, was not more than one third Of the amour
On hand and unsold the year before. 10 sho'
how firmly established this new article OF com
mercs abroad has already become, | will CIV
some extracts from recent circular OF iar-'
rlsrcinti house in Liverpool. They Say
" The home consumption has steadily increased
and is even now considered far short OF "has /
will utIma,ey become, the more so As genuine
| petroleum has been found to be but most aigLtll
effected by tue various coal oils Ihtt have ottl
daiiy introduced, but has main aimed It's superior
| ny 10 all particulars 10 a most marked degree
Ihe fluctuations In price, as compared win las
year, have bern unImpOrtsnt. Sli!l specdlallol
has been carried on TO an even greater txten
than hitherto, and as the article Is daily nndlnt
Increased isvor operations Of still larger magnl
t1de may yet he expected; the market ts-dSN
(Jahu,Fy |, 1859 10 very firm"
The home consumption Of crude oil has not in
creased 10 proportoa to that OF refined, the man
teti advantages enjoyed by this Americans N re-
fninR enabling them 10 produce fine OIL at
prce quite dispFeporlionats TO that tor which i
can be manufactured here, and consequently tht
BRUSH retnsrs have ior the most part cssed then
works. the SmAllness Of present stocks however
causes tifmness on the part Of tolders."
havs no doubt these statements are truly
made, aud il 30, the American reflaers will have
no apprehension Of any ermanently uniavoIabls
effect on their trade by the bill nov before the
committee. II 10 plain that cosl oil, and nothing
else, compstes with refined petroleum, and that
British redners give up the contest as against The
superior advantages Of the Americans.
te .aA to uta1
10 the section embracing manufactures, one fifth
so that where the rate Is now five per cent, dd va
loren, It will hereafter be six per cent, making
exceptions OF such articles as might not be able
TO bear the tax. II any suca articles, 10 order to
sustain this burden, shall require an increase OF
the tariff IN proportion such increase will hersaf
isr be proposed but it 10 not believed that so
small an increase will render this needful in many
cases.
II Is to be horne in mind that taxes OF this kind
on manufactures etn only DO defended by the
necessities Of the DAY, each addition lessons the
power on the part = the people for consumption,
aud DO not, like duties on imports, give any com
pensation by an impetus to the Industry Of the
country. As legislators at this critical period 10
our history, think it indispensable to our ,uc-
cess 10 the great contest now going on, that we
taould see TO II with the most earnest solieltude,
mat every man, every machine, every engine, aud
every mill is kept constantly and prof ably en-
pioysd. The capital expended in war is gone
forever, and unless the productive energies OF the
coustry are 'kifully and properly directed TO q
daily repair Of this waste, we shall at the close
lind the people irretrievsbly impoverished. To-
day the universal employment of our people is 8
leverage that would give US the preponderance,
though the rebels were our equals 10 numbers.
Our people know how to work, are willing to
wok, and we should give them fair chance 10
work. In oil these respects we possess great ad-
antsges over our foes. Let US maintain this as
at once our staff and rod.
The inceme tax, intrinsically the most just Of
slLlaIes, is yet one extremely difficult Of adjust
meat and collection. The fault found with our
present law is that too many large incomes par
TALLY e.espe which ought TO contribute more
fully. Every man would be content, provided his
neighbor paid his Just proportion. This we have
attempted % remedy by providing that in all
cases returns shall be made under oath, and that
even then this shall not be final unless the asses.
sor shall be satisfied Of their correctness. We
also propose that all incomes over 50 QUO shall
be assessed at ten per cent. Some other mod-
fcaisns will oso appear
Notwithstanding the recent snsetmeHt Of our
law and the sudden reptltion OF the tax last year,
less complaint, it is believed, has been maze about
II than is constantly made about lhe income tax
in Great Britain, though they have had long years
OF experience, and their law has received number
less mod hcatlons. An able British writer upon
the subject Of taxation, Sir Morton Peto, as late
as 1868, asserts of the income tax, that d" the
tax his carried with it every sort Of grievance,
trouble, veIation, annoyance, hsart-burnIng, aud
strife Our income tax is doubtless regarded as
heavy burden, but q, such sweeping charges
have been made sgsinst it. There will always be
difficulty ia ascsftsnlrg the actual Income Of
reluctant taxpayers, anu these will be sufficient
in number TO form a respectable company OF
GROWERS do not argue that our law is perfect
by any means. II il we're to remain permanent
feature among our statutes, should urge. as the
basis Of the aseetlsnment Of every persons in.
come, the adoption Of plan by which TO get al
The actual amount oi property held by such person
over and above all Indebtedness. This vas the
principle arrived at by Mr.. Hume, in 1851. as the
CHAIRMAN OF parliamentary committee OF tiftesL,
after very elaborate investigation Of the su, leo.
Nvne other sppears 10 me si hsr theoretically or
practically more Just. BY such plan We should
not tax sccuuulatious until they were made. A
person may hold vast amount Of property Yield
ing no present income, but which il may be very
profitable TO hold, Whatever il may be proita.
bic to hold, or a privilege 10 hold, whether it b.
merchandise or stocks, lands or houses, mines or
ships, horses or plate, cattle or an, thing else,
should be subject to the same rule. Tns would
be essentially properly tax, and the cts could
be Obtained with more sbsolute certainty. Il this
were the rule, the msn with large fortune bu'
who lives drone, without making hi, property
productive, would not escape with paying a less
tax than bis more active neghbor, who, with littls
capital, and borrowing more, bes,irs himself to
lsavs the world tetter than he found il, and does
not bury bis talent 10 A napkin.
But it will be time enough when the rebellion
shall be ended TO speculate upon a system Of tax
alton by which our public deb, shall be gradually
ex,ingushed, and by which the more rigid fern,
OF equity shall be carried out.
Upon the subject Of taxing leaf tobacco the
Committee Of Ways and Means have spent much
time In hearing the views Of those engaged 10 It's
production and manufacture and Of exports from
various pats Of the county, aud becime satisfied
that Il would be better TO rely upon our present
laws, with some important changes, than TO try a
new experiment at great cost, aud with no result
so certain as that it would prove great annoyance
and hindennce TO the producer. The collection
Of duties on m,nutsctvr. ID obacco, snuff, and cigars
is even now far more ss,isactOry than Il was a
few months ago. With more rigid enforce.
mont Of the penalties, and with the amendments
nov offered, il is not seen why the duties on these
articles may not be collected as well as upon any
others, save that the temp alton Of high duties
always induces more or less fraud. The different
rates heretofore enacted upon cigars have been
the source Of systematic evasoos, and now q
moderate duty, intended to be about ten dollars