Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-10-17

Lr. Worthington and Mr.. West follows:
lin. who was sent to London to en-
deavor to prevent the passage OF the
Stamp act, caused these letters to be
reprinted in London. and they were
translated into French and published
N Paris.
Dickinson was a member OF the
member Of the Constitutional con-
vention of 1887. The tenor of these
celebrated epistles is sufficiently in
dicated by what he said In his Letter
VII.
If they (parliament) have any RICH,
to tax US. then whether our own mon
ey shall continue in our pockets, or
them. - Those who are tax ed
without their own consent given by
themselves or their representative
are slaves
"In March, 1874. when the Difficult.
ties between the British ministry and
the American colonies We're fragrant
Lord Camden Chen chief justice OF
the common pleas) in speech in the
house of lords said:
My position is this-I repeat it
will maintain it to my last hour-tax-
alton and representation are INSOFAR
able. This position is founded on the
laws Of nature; it is in itself an ex-
tcTHdl law OE IOT WHATEVER 10 d
mans own is absolutely his own; -
man has a right to take 1t from him
without his consent either expressed by
himself or representative. Whoever
attempts it attempts. an injury; who
ever commits it commits a robbery
he throws down and destroys the dis
tinction between freedom and slavery
. The forefathers of the Amer
leans did not: leave their native coun-
try and subject themselves to every
danger and distress to be reduced to a
state of slavery. In the words
of Mr.. Locke what property have: they
in that which another may by right
take when he pleases himself9'
This speech Of Lord Camden.s was
No. VIII It will be found in full in
History of Debates and Proceedings
of Parliament from 1913 to 1774., Vol
Lord Chatham m the house of lords
in December. 1775. in a speech relating
to-the rebellion in the American col.
onies. said:
Property is in it's nature single as
an atom. 1t is indivisible. can belong
to one only and cannot be touched
but by his consent. The law that at
tempted to alter this disposed of it, an.
initiates 1t. The spirit which now re,
sists your taxation in America is the
same which formerly opposed. ane
with success opposed, loans. benev.
olences and ship money in England
The same spirit which estab.
fishes the great fundamental and es-
sential maxim of your liberties thai
no subject shall be taxed but by his
own consent
."(This and other speeches by Pitt
on the same subject are quoted By
Bancroft in his history of the United
States. vol. S. pages 1884 to 3s5, edition
of 1852 Little, Brown & Coz
ut cannot be disputed that whel
the colonies established their indie
pendence # was recognized by aI1> O.
them that not only is taxation with
out representation tyranny. but tina
can be taxed is fundamental RICH
the deprivation Of which reduces tn,
injured person or community to {
state of slavery. 1t was deemed to b.
as important and fundamental as tn,
right Of trial by jury. 1t was, in sub
stance. the same as the right tina
private property should not be takel
for public use without just compen
atfon.
These have been the rights of Eng
lishmen for thousand years. TIL
Declaration of Independents dis
closes that these are among the right
to maintain which our forefather
drew the sword. They are today TIL
rights Of the inha bitants Of this Dis
trict, unless they have been volun
tarily surrendered. -.
And these rights existed to thei
fullest extent in the residents %
Montgomery and Prince, George
counties when a part of each of fhos
| counties was transferred to the fed
erai District of the Constitution
1T is next to be considered to fwha
extent. if at all, the inhabitants O
sd .la,, Il
their rights as to taxation when the,
became citizens of the District o
Columbia. '~5. r. -
Rights In Federal District, 2
"The rights of the Inhabitants o
the FEDERAL District ~ to taxation 10
local purposes were In mo degree i'm
paired when they ceased to he CHI
xeas OF Maryland or Virginia. and. be
came subject only to the sovereign,
Of the United States. ~ - -
insofar as the cession itself is con
cerned, there is no room for argu
ment: The act Of cession passed b.
the MARYLAND legislature expressl
That nothing herein containe,
snail be SO construed to vest in tn
United States any right of propert
in the soil or to affect the rights q
individuals therein. otherwise tina,
the same shall or may be transferre
by SUCH individuals to the Unite
| 31.167 '"i" 'o'
"A similar provision was embodie,
! in the Virginia act of cession (TInda
80. These acts and the other ACT
Of Virginia and Maryland and tn
proceedings under which the trans
| der or the Jurisdiction to the Unite,
states was completed. are set fort
\ in Morris vs. United States. Potoma
Flat Cases. ia u. S.. p. 1876.
| IF the residenty of the coded ter
! ritory lost their/right to be renre
scented in any. body that impose
! taxes on them. they lost it by virtu
| of some express provision of tn
/ Constitution. In the creation of tina
| instrument they were represented b
| the Virginia and Maryland delegat e
! in the convention of 1897. and the
were repre- sented in the convention
| of their, respective states when vir
! ginia and Maryland ratified the Con
| stitution.
The express provisions of tn
. Constitution as to taxation are a
I follows:
! THE Congress shall have powe
to lay and. collect taxes. duties. in,
posts and excuses. to pay the debt
end provide for the common defens
and general welfare of the Unite
States; but all duties. imposts an
excuses shall be uniform throughor
the United States.
"'No capitation. or other direc
tax shall be laid. unless in proportio
to the census or enumeration herein
| directed to be taken
cart. I, secs. 8 and 81
I'VE make no question that tn
/ people of this District are subject {
taxation by Congress under these Pre-
visions of the Constitution, as we
4 as under the amendment giving Cor
tgress the power to impose an incom
tax. AS to the direct tax provision