The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-01-12
TEE REPORT OF THE REVENUE COM
MISSIONER

MISSIONER.
Outside of the settlement of the affairs of~tbe
South, there is no measure which SO urgently
at Washington as the adjustment on fair and
equitable basis, of the system of taxation which
ls to be enforced for the payment Of the ma
tlonal debt and the support of the governmental
establishment. As. the passions arising from
the war subside, the tariff and internal revenue
systems will exact moro earnest thought, and
require higher statesmanship than the pre-
sent Congress appears to possess,-which will
be only noted in the future for its promotion
of sectional strife and partizau bitterness
onocr any system of revenue, the payment of
the interests, and provision for the gradual
extinction of debt Of $2,5OO, ,90O, 600 will
seriously enSaFrass many branches OF national
industry; but when marked, as are some fea-
lures OF the present system, by great inequality
and untairness, it will be wonder if many
pursuits do not decline and die under it's
withering operation. The people Of the North
are already giving their attention to the
diminished prosperity which at present attend
the pursuit Of great branches of trade which
were formerly very successful and growing, but
which have since, and during the war, ceased
to be the collaborating machines which thew
were previously. The Commissioner Of the
revenue, Mr. WELLS, has lately made q report
on the financial system Of the Government
which is attracting considerable attention. and
Its views and opinions are being noticed at
length in many Of the public Journals. He
STATES that, While the cost of subsistence has
advanced ninety per cent, the wages Of labor
nave only increased sixty. This fact EXHIBITS
most strikingly the impoverishing effect which
heavy system Of taxation has in diminishing
Inc limited means Of the lsboring classes.
massachusetts, has suffered-the decrease in
Inc number Of hands employed in manv
branches OF the cotton manufacture in that
; state having reached thirty-one per cent, and
N Inc consumption Of raw cotton tifty-six per
cent one Of the most striking features Of the
aeeilne mas been in the shipping interest,
"n'cn' before the war, was the pride and boast
.! .ne country-the registered tonnage engae-
60 N the foreign trade having, in i've years
la1Aen on over fifty per cent, and formerly a..
'eeded that Of Great Britain, but is now thirty
&
was but q single vessel in course Of constr,c-
10 q at the ship-yards of New York, and only
'ne or two at Boston; and the report SAYS that.
n the opinion Of experienced New York shin.
'wners, that no voyage with an American
'essei can be planned at the present time from
ne United States to any foreign port with
'easonee.s expectation Of. profit y In many
branches Of manufacture" the report lstates)
the internal rates Of taxation, superadded to
ne high prices paid for raw materials and for
abor, sweep nearly all the profits into the
'offers of the Government"
The New Jerk zs;ase., in noticing the report
ays:
The condition Of our currency is dwalt mon ~
~. Wells as one OF the most prolific ssourcaa ~
ne evils from which We suffer- Gold and e;1ves ~.
re properly measure Of value, because thev ara
ne l, product Of labor and, as such, the supply Of
aam ls regulated BY NATURAL laws. But the suppiy
: our !egnl-tender paper none has dopan.3aS ey.
t1s1valy On the wants Of the Government and the i
chv1ty OF the printing press. Hence, under the
Peraton OF our present currency, commerc;aI
al1es are arbitrary and caprcious and prices varv
onttnually, In defiance Of known laws or nrncs,