The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-02-10
The Internal Revenue--t;ratilying Re-
suits.

1t was hardly likely that we Amer.
leans should learn either theoretical
ly or practically that taxation is a
science, so long as the fiscal require
ments of the national government
were met by trille of some sixty OIL
seventy millions annually. We arc
just beginning to learn, at the close
of the fourth year of the war, that
there is science, and great deal OF
science in the business of taking q
large community-if we do il on a
moderately large scale, and do it with
Il fair consideration for the various
industrial interests of the nation.
Already great progress has been
made by those who have had the bust
ness in hand but, it is no reflection
on their honesty or earnestness of
purpose, to say that it has been n
progress looking more toward imme-
diate results-that is, actual money
returns--than toward q nice and
equitable distribution and adjustment
of the public burdens. However,
actual returns in money are precisely
what is wanted at this particular
juncture, and in this view we think
the Commissioner Of Internal Reve-
nue. may fairly and honestly be con
graduated on his financial exhibit,
covering the whole transactions OF
his branch of the service for the ls.
cal year ending in June, 1864.
We have great pleasure in calling
especial attention to the fact, that the
receipts of the past year from differ.
ent sources Of internal revenue were
as far as comparison could be drawn,
only little less than three times the
amount of those OF 1868. In the last
named year, the returns for ten
months--which embraced the whole
period within which the act was in
operation--amounted to S34, 100 ,257,
while that Of the past year reached
the net sum of Sl02;2l4, 165. OF
this vast amount, the State of New
York contributed nearly twenty five
millions--something less than one.
fourth Of tue whole amount, and con-
siderably more than Massachusetts
and Pennsylvania put together.
The income tax tor the last fiscal
year brought Sl4.9l9,219, and one
third of this was collected in the
State of New York, or fully one mill
ion dollars more than was contrib
uted by Massachusetts and Pennsyl-
vania together. Illinois and Califor-
MIA produced about an equal amount,
or something over S5S0,000 apiece.
Ohio ranks third in the gross returns,
and fourth in returns of income-the
former beng Sll, ,S02,S72, and the
latter 81, ,1lT,j9l.
The taxes on manufactures and
productions yielded $75, ,403, 1856; Neg
York contributing ne.tifth of the
whole, Pennsylvania and Ohio each
about one-eighth, and Illinois and
Massachusetts each about one-ninth.
In the returns from distilled spirits,
Illinois ranks highest, paying about
one. fourth of the gross amount,
which is S2S,431,707. Ohio, New
York and Pennsylvania stand next in
order.
AS an indication, not simply of
internal taxation has produced, but
of what a system perfected by eXpe-
rience and adjusted under official su.
pervision, which each succeeding
year must render Ii ore effective, will
yet produce, the Commissioner re-
port is of the highest practical inter-
est to us all. 1t ought, moreover, to
be circulated in digested form, as
widely as possible, throughout Eu-
rope 1t is a plain, Ineligible test
by which the national credit may be
and it forms, as well,
prompt and practicable answer to
those who affect to believe that the
people of this country will see the
national cause fail, rather than sub
init to the burdens which the susie
nance Of that cause imposes.-N. T.
Times.
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