Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-02-28

truth that no tax Ii so small the pay
ment OF which does not either impose
increased toll upon the tax payer or de-
prive him OF some indulgence or enjoy
ment OF life. But notwithstanding the
unprecedented amount OF our taxes, the
exhibit OF OurlincOme tax which Is after
all but little more than what each indi.
vidual chooses 10 pay on his own eSti-
mate OF his income, leaving out the
earnings OF at least three fourthS of our
people, who by our minimum are exempt
shows that they have not fallen upon
the capital nor even absorbed the annual
income OF the country. The ambition
of the American people Is 10 improve
their condition, and every year to know
more, earn more, and have more. This
prominent characteristic is endangered
by the paper fever and ague which now
atiiicts the country but hitherto our
people have made great exertions not
only TO maintain their capitals undl.
minished in spite OF Increased taxation,
but TO add thereto their usual annual
surplus. We have reached the point
when this cannot be continued. The
income of the country for the present
and coming year will be heavily re.
duced-no sane man can doubt it-and
we must reduce our taxes and our eX-
penses corrcspondiugly.
Although | cannot congratulate the
House upon an entire and persistent
consistency In It's course as to a speedy
return 70 the old limits of our annual
expenditure, yet we have not done alto
eether ill., We may at least not fear
contrast with the position of the finances
of some other countries. France raises
about four hundred and tilCy million
dollars, and yet annually exhibits a
small d,ticit. Italy however untavora.
bic her balanCp-sheet, is too young to be
severely criticised. Austria, where a
deprecated currency has largely contrl-
buted to the degradation aud dlsmem-
berment OF the nation, is an example so
excessively bad that to cite it would not
ba refreshing even to those whose con-
ditiOn was much less folOrn. Prussia is
in far sounder position, and comes out
of a successful war with no increase OF
taxation, but when Prussia wages bat
tie her soldiers are paid siXpenCe per
day, forage upon the enemy, and an in
demnity is demanded of the vanquished.
England is a fairer example She in
creased her national debt by the Crimean
war $3.50, 100000 and her annual eX-
penditure has since been larger by about
one hundred million dollars per year,
and instead of being diminished since
the close Of the war, is now nearly
twenty million dollars more than it was
in 1868, at the close OF the war. Be
sides the annual charge Of S350,000,0 900,
Great Britain raises $40,000,000 in a sim
gle item for poor rates.
Though we were forced to create
large national debt, yet since the close
of the war we have steadily and largely
reduced the sum of our expenses from
the point at which they stood at the
close of the rebellion. Our expenditures
were in 1866, $3.50, 312 982; in 1866,
$500, ,939, and in 1867 (estimated),
1884, 3l7 900. This shows as well the
elasticity OF our government in rising
to the heighth of the emergency as
facility in returning from the track of
war to the inexpensive and more genial
paths of peace. The people have al
ready beaten their swords into plow-
shares. The colossal expenditures of
years of war have not become altogether
chronic, and are not transmitted to sue
ceediug years. Yet l must insiss that
much further retrenchment Is practical
BILE, aud should be vigorously pursued.
Our expenses for next year are estimated
at nearly seventy-hve millions more than
the present year. The cost o. govern
bo ham culV inrrnoCp6 in aypan-
tional departments, and elsewhere it
should not be permitted to go beyond
its accustomed limits. Large expendi-
lures means large taxation, and dimin.
ished expenditures means diminished
taxation.
The important question in relation TO
the rate Of tax on distilled spirits, now
as heretofore, presents all of its usual
points of embarrassment. As an Origi-
nal question, it was my opinion, in view
OF the insuperable difficulties Ia the way
of enforcing the law, that less rate
than two dollars per gallon was adyisa-
Bile, and if whiskey frauds should con-
tinue to be successfully perpetrated, i is
not impossible that a lower rate may be
at some future time accepted but now
| the Committee of Ways aud Means
reached the conclusion to recommend an
| adherence to the present rate, and have
| proposed some very stringent prOvis-
| ions, believed TO he necessary If we ex-
! pect any considerable revenue, and with
out which we may as well retire van
| pushed from the attempt to enforce this
| part of the internal revenue law. AS a
beverage, it may be estimated that the
consumption of the United States is
abOut one and a quarter to one and a
half gallons pe,' capita or a total of
about forty Ave to tifty million gallons.
In 1860 we produced nearly ninety mil
lion gallons of which it was estimated
hat seventy five million gallons were
consumed as beverage,
The large increase Of cost has I'M
questionably somewhat reduced the
| amount consumed, and if it were wholly
to extinguish it there would be few re-,
grets, and we might patiently bear the
loss of all revenue from this source but
in community tolerably prosperous an
increase of duty has been found not to
diminish consumption so much as to ia
|