Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-01-18

Mr.. GLADSTONE is an advocate of the
income tax as an extraordinary resource
in war; but he regards its workings as
too Objectionable for a permanent re-
source. In a speech before his constitu-
ents he made statements which show that
In England it has the same inequalities,
and results in the same frauds that have
made it odious here. In the course of ex-
tended remarks of the same character he
said:
The general views of her Majesty's
Government with respect to the income
tax are these: That it is an engine of gi-
gantic power for national purposes; but
at the same time there are circumstances
attending its operation which make it diff
ticult, perhaps impossible, at any rate, in
our opinion, not desirable, to maintain it
as portion of the permanent and ordi-
nary revenue of the country. The pub
lie feeling of its inequality is fact most
important in itself. The inquisition it en-
tails is a most serious disadvantage, and
the frauds to which it leads are an evil,
such as it is not possible to characterize in
terms too strong.
As an Illustration of the general system
of fraud that is created by a self-assess-
ment, he related this:
Twill mention no names; will violate
no confidence; but l will state what has
recently happened in a great town, where
a new street was to be built. The per-
sons who lived and carried on business in
the old street, which was pulled down to
make way for the new one, had been
charged at certain amounts to the income
tax. They had also, of course, made re-
turns at certain amounts under the in
come tax. When the new street came to
be built, they very properly claimed COM
pensatiOn for the loss of their business.
Without wesrying the committee with de-
tails, l will state the amount of cOmpen-
satiOn which these persons-in number
twenty-eight - demanded; the amount
awarded them by the jury, which may be
taken as, on the whole, an approximation
to the real value; and the amount at which
they returned their profits under the in
CtlIIJ ltAA. w GlG W uCSCCLu " llIulhiu-
ual cases, it would be almost impossible
adequately to describe the partly ludic-
TOus and partly shameful aspect which
they assume. Some of them may have
been honest and just; but if so, the case
is all the worse for their neighbOrs. l |
will, therefore, deal with the matter gen
orally, and say that twenty eight persons |
in all claimed the sum of G48, 1853 as COM
pensation for the profits for single year.
The amount of compensation awarded by |
the jury was EGG, 993, or a little more |
than half of what was claimed. But |
what was the amount at which they had |
returned their profits for assessment to
the income tax They claimed e4S, 900; |
but the return of profits for assessment to |
the income tax which they had separately |
made, had amounted to only $4,000. |
l deplyregretthat the great body of hon
Orable men who have made British com
MERGE famous throughout the earth should |
be degraded by association with persons
who could perpetrate frauds like these.
But at the same time, frauds like these.
and in many other cases, do exist; they
are inseparable from the character of an
mpost, human nature remaining as it is.