The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1868-11-20

sentmg that tribe above $400,O0O was SC
conveyed in that district during the year
1857 The Fourth District was the largest
contributor on per cent SUGGESTIONS, the
receipts showing that upwards of 81 $780,
900 passed into new hands by lineal de-
scent. The entire amount paid by the
thirty two districts in the State during the
year named, on the five separate rates for
legacies, was $329,50 and the sum which
this tax represents as having changed own
ership in the manner indicated is $23.498,-
262. Add $121 1854, pald by the five differs
ent rates on SUGGESTIONS and representing a
capital sum of $10,0S5,571, and we have
$452, 900 as the gross total revenue receiv-
| ed by government from this State from
these two sources for the transferof mon
ey valuation exceeding $33,500,000 during
a single fiscal period. The question is, can
this sum be taken as the true amount of
such taxable transfer occurring during the
twelve months of last year.2. We believe
not, and base our judgment upon data, re-
ferring not only to our own State but also
to all the other States, tending to prove be-
You'd dispute that there has from the founda-
ton of the inland revenue system, been an
unknown but very large number of legacies
and SUGGESTIONS of the kinds made taxable
by the law throughout the country generally,
which have totally escaped payment of the
tax The Treasury Department, upon more
than one occasion, has officially intimated
that the collectors and assessors everywhere
were not 80 careful to reach this tax wher-
ever it might be due as could be wished
for the good of the revenue, and that pre-
meditated fraud in this channel was con-
sequently assisted to success by those very
public officials whose duty it was to pre-
vent such result. If this be true as a gen
eral oposition--and the figures of the Of
fetal publications indicate that it is so-it
certainly becomes the Revenue Bureau at
Washington to take proper and prompt
measures for remedying the evil, and caus-
ing its officers to take more active and in
telligent means for bringing all taxable leg
acies and SUGGESTIONS to tax than they APP
pear to have taken heretofore. Of all the
sources taxed for the public support these
two might reasonably be supposed to be
the least disposed to commit fraud, The
persons receiving the values involved come
easily by their gain, and it is presumable
are entirely willing to pay a moderate 1.-THE
on their good fortune. Any other hy-
pothesis would speak very unfavorably for
the natural instincts ofmankind under such
circumstances. Examining the records for
the whole country for 1857, we have these
facts The total tax paid was in round
figures $780, 900 from legacies, and $685.
900 from SUGGESTIONS. The former sum was
paid by an aggregated valuation of $685.
100000, the latter by $52,oOO,OOO. Or, in
other words, during the twelve fiscal
months of last year the whole valuation of
possessions changing hands through the
medium of legacy and regular succession
in forty-six States and Territories, having
an estimated population of 3s,O00,O0O peo-
pie, did not reach much above $145 ,0O0, 900.
This fact Of itself would be sufficient to
stagger faith in the thorough collection of
the tax.
To say that this is the valuation of mon
ey and other property that 80 passed into
new keeping for such period throughout
the United States, would be to assert what
bears contradiction on its face with any
knowledge of the national wealth, and
what befalls it from year to year.
But it is not 30 much the grand total it
self which reveals the glazing discrepancy
between the presumed actual and the re-
corded figures as the detailed items which
make up that total. We have, for IN
stance, $7s,000,0 900 as the property descend
ing fneally by legacy $8,87O000 as that
from descendant of brother or sister So
100000 from uncle or aunt, or descendant
thereof; 100000 from great uncle or aunt,
or descendant thereof; and $685., 900 from
strangers in blood. Then on the side of
succession we have $45,500, 600 lineal So
100000, brother or sister, or descendant;
$241 900, uncle or aunt, or descendant
$155,000, great uncle or aunt, or descend.
ant and $903,0O0, strangers in blood
figures that common sense must tell us are
far from the ones that the tax records ought
to bear.
We think we have presented enough evil
dence to show that the government is not
getting as much revenue from these sources
as it should. We invite the attention of
Mr.. Rollins to the facts and the figures we
have taken the pains to furnish, and de-
mand, in behalf of the people, that efficient
means be adopted to improve the public
income in this direction.
GIVING IN MARRIAGE IN RUssIA.--When
the promise of marriage has been given, the