Middletown transcript., 1870-06-11
REMARKS OF HON. b. IT. BIGGs,

REMARKS OF HON. b. II. BIGGS,
OF Delaware, in the House of Repre-
sentatives, June 2, 1870, on the bill (H
r. No. 2045) to reduce internal taxes,
and for other purposes. Mr.. Biggs. Mr.
Speaker, the tax on incomes is in my
judgement, uncalled for and in direct con-
fict with the spirit of our free institutions.
| honestly believe the constituency l have
the honor to represent on this floor are
opposed to the continuation of the law.
Congress in its enactment gave solemn
pledge to the country that it should not
flonger continue than the year 1870. The
people then bore it patiently and answered
its demands with the full expectation that
it should cease to exist during the present
year. Look a moment at the swarm of
oficeholders you create by this law The
honorable gentleman from Pennsylvania,
Mr.. Kelley told us yesterday they a
mounted to twenty-seven hundred and
sixty -one, nearly three regiments of men,
scattered broadcast over the land, sucking
the very life blood out of an already bur
dened and over-taxed people.
The amount of income collected is re-
ported to be about thirty million dollars
annually. How much the Government
received after the twenty-seven hundred
and sixty-one oHiceholders engaged in its
collection we are left to conjecture. Our
population is now estimated at forty mill
ions. The number paying income a
mounts to some two hundred and seventy
thousand. Can it be possible that so
small a number in the United States only
have an income exceeding 81, 900? Mr.
Speaker, this law encourages fraud, holds
an inducement to men to be dishonest, is
not only oppressive upon the industry of
the country, but inquisitorial, even to the
searching every mans safe, and making
known to the public his prosperity or ad-
versity. This tax was imposed upon the
people as war measure, and now the
war has ceased it should die. There is
no people on the globe to-day taxed as are
the Americans.
This bill proposes to exempt 81 800
instead of 81 900, as in the present law
, Now, let us for a moment look at the in
justice of this. A has $25 900 in Gov
ernment, securities, for which he receives
, 81, 500 interest annually. b has a farm
worth $25 900. On that farm he pays
county, road, State, school, and poor tax
and by frugality, encomy and close at
tention to business, if he makes more than
81 800 per annum, you tax him five dol
| lars upon every 500 he makes, while
the bondholder pays you nothing, and all
the labor he performs is to cut off his cou-
9 pons twice year and collect his interest
$ Here, then, we see the farmer taxed be-
, yond indurance, and the bondholder free
{ Mr.. Speaker, this is unwise legislation
t it is unfair, unjust and oppressive.
would tax all property, wherever found
and by whomsoever possessed, whether il
: be in Government bonds or in realty.
But, sir, this income tax is unfair, be.
q cause it taxes the enterprise aud industry
: of those who accumulate more than
# specified sum. The man of energy, of ac
. tivity, of industry, of perseverance, who
rises early, who tolls day and night, and
thereby is successful, all he makes for hi
: family over $1,000 you send the tax.
gatherer after him and demand he shal
pay the Government fifty dollars on every
81 900, or five dollars on every 800 ht
i, accumulates, thereby crushing every mo.
, tive he has to industry, while your legis
idtlou IcWdIuS IHc iuuOicuJ. iuy uOuoTd
: bic friend from Indiana, Mr.. Kerr
whose clear head and sound judgemen
y seem to grasp almost every subject as b,
d intuition, told US yesterday that if this tal
was burdcnsome, $50 are all taxes.
$ Sir, with all due respect, differ with him
, Lay your taxes upon the people equally
y single out no particular class; let ever,
> man pay tax according to his ability, ant
). permit no more taxes to be levied on th
II people than will economically administe
the Government, and every true man will
: pay his taxes cheerfully and not conside
e it burdensome. But the principle invol
a we'd in this bill is clearly wrong, as
IS seeks to establish class legislation
: : But affirm that this Government ca
dispense with this tax, and it's credit b
no means be impaired The Secretary g
n the Treasury estimates the expenditure
n for the present fiscal year to be $3l 900,
n 900, and the receipts $393. 900, 900. TIL
honorable gentleman from Pennsylvani
) Mr.. Kelley estimates from customs an
. all other sources over four hundred mil
d lion dollars, leaving surplus of som
eighty or ninety million dollars. Now