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TERMS OF THE PAPER,
Vol. I II.
Statesville, N. O., Friday, June 29, 1860.
No. 301
$2 a Year, in Advance.
it,-
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111
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3 ' .
MTV, I El I
S. ry ill n n
RESOLUTIONS AND ADDRESS
OF; THE ' '
WAKE COUNTY
WDRKING-MEITS ASSOCIATION.
RESOLUTIONS:
At" a meeting held in the Court
House, oa the 10th of October, 1859,
the following Resolutions were offered
and adopted :
Resolved, That it is the pinion of the Me-
,1 j ir i hj
l'l MIIII'N Mil 1 I III K III KT .IIHn II 1'IH SI NNf lllllll'll. I . .. .
. t t . r.i.:,. j.. lour intentions, until at least, more
people will never permit the agitation
of the question to rest until the end
sought for is attained.
To prevent the misrepresentation
that this movement of ours may give
rise to, and to correct in the beginning
tne erroneous opinions entertained
and the groundless fears indulged in
by some as to the ultimate objects of
our association, it may be well enough
to declare a few things, which none of
us ever desired, or intended should re
sult from the union we have, for hon
est purposes, entered into. And in
ordinary charity jwe ask you to defer
any judgment of condemnation as to
framed i -accordance with the principles of
justiee and equably; that said laws discrimi-jjthe fears of a .few, whose prophetic
those who are" least able to bear the burthens
of the State ; anc1 whilst we are ready and
willing,, as faithful and loyal citizens, to meet
$snd defray, at all tiiiiies, our due projor(io?i of
the public charge and expenditure, we nev
erthelei8 have a right to insist, and we dore
fjjectfully insist, that these laws shall be so
altered as to tax every citizen according to
what he is worth.
llrwlccd, That we "reject any and every
dnetrine which favors claps legislation, and
that we ank nothing for ourselves which we
would not be disponed to grant to others, if
our relative circumstances were changed
Jlf.tolved, That it becomes the Mechanics
and Working-Men of North Carolina, while
reHpecting the rights and interests of others,
to look alfiO to their own rights and interests,
:ind to insist upon that political equality and
that participation inj public a flairs to which
they are entitled as freemen.
Jlcaocal, That a Cbnunittee of Ten be ap
Convincing evidence is given you, than
visions discover dangers that never ex
ist, and whose absence, when real dan
gers and difficulties present themselves,
is never satisfactorily accounted for.
It is, then, not our object to start
any new political party or organiza
tion, either upon this or any other
platform; or to raise any issues as tests
in the selection of our representatives,
or public officers. The political par
ties now existing amongst us, we be
lieve to be enough and sufficient for
the ends sought to be accomplished by
their several organizations, and it is
not our desire or intention to disturb
them in any respect. If we can, how
ever, succeed in impressing the mind
of all parties with the fact that other
jointed to prepare and publish an Address to 1 subjects besides federal politics, local
the people of the StaU netting forth more fully j to us, are'of great and lasting impor
the objects of. the Association; and lest by tance, and as such should claim at
tossibihtv ourobject8 and motives should be J,- , .. rP ,i i tL' .vi.
Liscoreeived or ndontrued, we empha'ti- 1(;ast a portion of the time andjhoughts
cally announce that this Association has no of those whom the people lookrup to
connection with parly )olitics, and that its for guidance, and which should be
members are left perl'ectly free as heretofore tWmirrhl-tf Wocttod and dianas-
h parties as they may choose, 5 . .9 ? v, n i,;lr
to vote with sucl
and for the men of their choice.
JZcsolv&l, That we invite the cordial co-o-.
iteration in this movement of our fellow Me
chanics, and Working-Men of the State, and
that we will take pleasure in corresponding
and acting with them in carrying out theob
jeetrf this Associntion : and with this view
we respectfully suggest to them the impor
tance of forming Associations of a similar
character in their respective localities.
) JZfWmThat all1 the newspapers in this
t.'itv and State friend v to Aie interests and
prosperity of the Working-Mon. of North Car-i
: olinaare requested to copy these KesoluEionsj
and the Proceedings of this Meeting.
At a subsequent meeting the l'resident,
'.Tno. It. Harrison, Esq.. appointed Quent.
V. Benton, 11. (Tormari, D. A.
W. B.
rifbee. B.
Wifeken F
X.
I In n t mir
T HT'l T
Kfkeh . l. nson, .)
Heid, Ti It. Fentress; W. J. Lougee, and II .
Hahy, JtVjmmittee to ft e port an Address tol
the citizens of the State.'
The Committee re ported the Address which
follows, at an aljoitried meeting held in tlieji
Court House on the (ft li i ecemuer. ami
which was unanimously adojticd : Whereiip !
on. it was
Ofikred, That 5,000 copies of the flame be
printed for the use of the members of thej
Association: and. that the newspapers in the
State be requested to pulilish the same. I
.TNO. 11. HAK-niSiON, President j
S. M. Parish, Sczmtani.
Address.
To our fellow-citizem of N. Carolina:
I . I
The Wake County Association oe
AVorkixo Men, having embodied the
objects of their organization in an ad
dress, submit the same with becoming"
deference to the serious attention of
their fellow-citizens throughout the
.State. A free interchange of thought
and opinions,, especially upon subject
of general concerrJment, is one of those
inalienable rights; secured to every
free people, and Invaluable to every
elector in a popular, government like
our own, who desires to perform con
scientiously the duties devolving oii
each' citizen. To deny this "to deny
freedom of opinion, and conformity of
conduct to convictions honestly enterj
tained," in the language of an emif
nent son of our State, " is tyranny in
its most odious form. In the honest
exercbe then of this privilege, secured
to us, and every one, by the constitut
ion under .which1; v;e live, we have
thought proper to address you on a
subject, in our opinion of great and
lasting moment to. us all, begging you
at the same time, to investigate it with
that calmness and; seriousvdeliberatio
its importance essentially demands, j
Being ourselves satisfactorily con
vinced that a thorough and radical ref
form in the revenue system ef the State
is loudly and urgently called for at
this particular time, as well by the in
dividual interest of every, tax-payer,
as by thatfuture progress and pros
perity we hope to see our State make
And enjoy, we hate voluntarily asso
ciated ourselves together, in the e
jjectation of being able to accomplisn
more to advance that reform, by uni
ted effort,Jthan we could possibly hopse
to do by any individual exertion. An
S sionately considered, we shall, wethink,
nave aone mucn tor tne puonc interest,
.if is not our object, EMPHATICALLY
xot, while advocating a just equaliza
tion of taxation so far as the same can
be effected, to array one portion of
pur fellow citizens against anothr por
tion one class against anothef" class
Dr, one section against another sec
tion. .The most careless observer of
what has passed into history, and of
the events now passing in othernrrjm
munities the merest beginner m the
study of political economy, knows full
well, or ought to know, that the antag
onism between labor and capital ex
isting elsewhere, can never ( affect the
social condition to any extent, of an
agricultural community like our own ;
especially when that community has
engrafted upon itself the conservative
element of domestic slavery. With
obily 17 persons, in 1850,' to the square
mile, no large cities with a small
amount of capital, and that generally
diffused, the most industrious and un
scrupulous demagogue can never, with
us, succeed in bringing about any es
trancrcment between the rich and the
The determination of our legislators
in the recent -sessions of the General
Assembly, to preserre ihe faith and
credit of the State under all circtrm
stances and at all hazards, we cannot
too much admire ; however widely we
may differ as to the sources and the
manner from and in which the neces
sary revenue for that object cam be
best and most easily raised; r.
It is not our object to adyance any
one man, or set of men ; nor will pur
ajppreciation of the patriotism and in
tegrity of any man be affected or dis
turbed, should he honestly entertain
opinions contrary to our own. We do
not wish to see, this reform in the fi
nancial, policy of the State, -absolutely
necessary we believe to. the State's
prosperity and advancement mixed'
up in any way witn party pontics or
discussed with the excitement and feel
ing thatpartizah measures usually are.
Our sole aim is, and our constant ef
fort shall be, until the end is accom
plisheddisconnected with all other
considerations a Reform i$r the Re
venue System of our State. The) de
tails of this reform we leave to tnose
whose wisdom and experience will no
doubt give satisfaction to all, as soon
as the people, in their sovereignty
shall determine that a reform shal,l be
made. And in this effort, we beg the
honest co-operatiori of every one we
care not to what party or sectior he
belongs, who entertains in regard to
the necessity of the change, the same
views with ourselves. We ask the! ad
vocates of the existing system to think
seriously of its principles, to. disjeuss
its merits, and above all, to treat it in
their investigations as a subject of par
amount importance. And in the gen
eral discussion of the merits of this
subject, which we hope will be had a-
mong our people, it that which we be-
ieve to be practicable, and just, ;and
urgently called for by , our present
state of affairs, should be shown to us
to be either impracticable, or unjust,
or insufficient, and other remedies for
existing evils are offered the better to
attain wha(t we so earnestly desire, we
cheerfully promise to adopt the jsug-
e
poor.
It is not our object to depreciate by
anything we do, the value of any par
ticular kind of property; not do weder
sire any discrimination to be madeor
or aqainst any species ot property
On the contrary, the cardinal point of
pur belief is, that an unjust and op
riiressive discrimination now exists in
the principles of our tax system, and
for its removal we address you. We
hold that property of every discription,
rpp.riivin.w enual nrotection trom our
government, should contribute, with
the persons protected, its equal pro
portion in the support of that govern
ment. That, as dollars arid cents meas
ure the value of every species of pro
perty, any privilege or exemption be
stowed upon the same amount of dol
lars and cents in one kind, and not up
on the others, is unjust, and granting
immunities at war with one of those
fundamental principles upon which is
based our whole organiq law.
It is not pufvobject to repudiate any
of the obligations heretofore entered
into by the State, or hereafter to be
contracted ; nor do we in any manner
desire to be exempted from the pay
ment of our proper share of the pub
he revenue, necessary to preserve sa
credly the public faith and credit
the exigencies of the, treasury require
us to pay the sums we now pay aye,
should it become necessary to increase
the amount in a ratio greater than it
has been increased since the year 1847,
we will pay the same cheerfully, and1
gladly, if we can but be satished that
we are only paying our proper propor
tion, and that all other citizens of the
State are required to do the same.
gestions proposed for that end. ! W
are not so wedded to any particular
policy in reforming.our present I sys-
tem as to hazard the reiorm useu Dy
adhering pertinaciously to any one
measure or plan, nowever mucn we
may be convinced at this time of the
ustness ot our own views m relation
thereto.
A history of our revenue system,
bare as it is in its details of interest,
until the year 1847, conclusively to
our minds proves this tact... lhat the
aggregate amount of taxes collected
each year, and which were amply sut-
ficient for the administration of our
government, was so small that but lit
tle interest was felt in the subject of
taxation by those who had the taxes
to pay, and but little attention be-
gate amount of revenue paid to the
State ; and that increase is accounted
for by the natural increase in the num
ber of taxable polls, and chiefly from
the increased value Of lands under the
various assessments made after the
year 1836.
In the few material changes that
have been introduced in our revenue
system since the year 1784, it is a
fact worthy of notice, that all such
alterations have been made so far as
possible to conform to an ad valorem
principle. And we have been unable
to find any evidence that the restric
tion incorporated in the amended Con
stitution of 1835, so materially alter
ing that of 1776, (which has been
styled by some as "incomparably ex
cellent," and in this particular at least,
we think'justly so,) elicited any dis
cussion or comment prior to its pas
sage. This circumstance, and the pas
sage of this restriction on the General
Assembly in regard to capitation tax,
through the Convention of 1835, in
silence, precludes any idea of its be
ing considered a matter of even se
condary importance, or of its having
been one of those changes in our or
ganic law demanded by the people at
tnat particular time ; even n tne smau
amounts of revenue annually collect
ed as above shown did not satisfacto-
rilv do so. And, further, if that par
ticular species of property owned by
our citizens, needed, in 1835, or be
fore, the peculiar protection given it,
it is unaccountably strange that the
amended Constitution should have
been voted against by every County
in the State largely interested in slave
property. The truth is, the Conven
tion of 1835 met for other purposes ;
and those purposes had almost inces
santly occupied public attention for
years before the Convention assem
bled, the changes in our organic law.
which had been fully canvassed before
the people, were again patiently mves
tigated and elaborately discussed , by
delegates remarkably distinguished for
ability, integrity and learning, xet,
with all their learning and experience,
it was beyond their ken to foresee the
many and great changes that were to
take place within the twenty years
immediately to follow. If any one
had announced to that body that the
public debt of North-Carolina in 1858,
if by fair arguments, by discussiofir - It not our object to call in ques
J l. ! ll i i- ' , r I l it sf tncn -fire
ana Dy tne puoncation or sucn lacts
and .figures as are! within our reach,
-the whole subject !of our revenue sys
tem should be laid before the honest
people of North-Carolina in its proper
lights,- and all its important bearings,
we shall, be contented with the result
of our i efforts,, and! amply repaid b
the benefits rendered to the communi
ty at large, for any time or labor we
may have given in so doing., Honest
ly and fairly canvassed, as1 we truj&t
the subject will be, we cheerfully abide
the decision of every conservative vo
ter within our limits, who will give the
matter moment'sunprejudicedveoi
sideration. For we sincerely believe
that the attention of those directly in
terested, being once directed to trje
great importance of a change in our
revenue system al change having'as
uo me jnuicipiesoi iairness, jus
a,,e1uit7l,9 ,cycr one? vour
tion the intentions of those who first
gave to North Carolina her present
revenue system; nor to arraign before
the public those who, adhering. to the
unjust principles upon wmcn max sys
tem is founded, without material mod
ifications in the several tax Dins nere-
tofore passed, "Jaave inconsiderately,
we are willing to allow, grievously op
pressed a large class of their fellow
citizens. The: former, we shall ever
venerate for their patriotism, their
many sacrifices, and their unselfish
devotion to their country's good. Nor
is our respect for their wisdom lessen
ed in the smallest degree by our desire
to reform a financial policy, which, to
say the fathers of our State intended
to be for all time and tits kdm. under
all circumstances ; would detract much
from that foresight and .wisdom we
have been taught to believe peculiarly
; characterized their acts of legislation
stowed by our legislators as to the
source from which the revenue neces
sary to defray the expenses of the
government was to be raised, j The
rates on the $10U worth ot land, to
wit : 6 cents, and 20 cents on the poll,
remained unaltered for over thirty
years,-and was not increased until the
rrear 1S4. r rom the statements
made by the Comptrollers, we se that
in the year 1822 the aggregate; rev
enue paid by the Sheriffs into the treas
ury was (omitting fractions) $63i,811;
of which real estate paid $zo,lU;
polls, 25,411 ; leaving $10,22 to
be paid by all other taxable subjects.
Wake paid into the treasury in 1822,
the sum of $2,293. In 1835, th6 year
the old-aonstitution of 1776 was a
mended in convention, and the restric
tion unknown to that first constitution
was placed upon theGeneral Assem
bly in "regard to poll tax, the aggre
gate of revenue paid by the Sheriffs
into the treasury was 73,980; real
estate paying $24,846 ; polls, ! $28,
016; leaving $21,118 to be paid by
other subjects. Wake in 18351 paid
$2,457. In 1847, from whichime a
new era may be said to have com
menced in our financial history1, con
trolled by a policy totally different
from that governing our legislators
previous thereto, there was paid into
the treasury by tne &nerms, ; unuer
the tax bills of 1846, the sum of $93,-
026: real estate paymgJ37,921 ;
polls, $34,623; leaving $20,482 to be
paid by other subjects. In this year,
VVaKe paid $o,voo into me treasury.
Since 1847. under this new ' order of
things, our legislators at eveify ses
sion have been driven to many expe
diehts. and have spent ho little time
i
and discussion in adjusting the; differ
ent tax bills tp thejnereasing demands
of the treasury. In 1858 the amount
of revenue paid by the Sheriffs into the
trfiosnrv was 8502,612 : real estate
paving $146,150 ; free polls $32,588;
black polls $75,462; leaving $248,-
388 ta be collected trom otner sources
In this year Wake paid $21,652. In
1859 the aggregate revenue 'paid by
the Sheriffs ; under the tax! bill o
1856-'7 wast $607,813.No . details
have as vet been published.-fln 1859
Wake pays $25,004. - In the forego
ing statement the tax paid oif bank
d. these derived from a few
www) wj . f
other sourises amounting to little have
not been included.- Frota thfe forego
ing figures it is seen that from 1822
to 1847, a period of 25 years, there
was hut ltitfe increase in teagerer
nenrred in develoniner a nartof the
State's wealth, and in enabling us to
keep pace with the progress of those
around us, would be over seven mil
lions of dollars, and that in 1859,
$650,000 would be required to uphold
the credit of the State to men of
those days, and to us we hope, "in
comparably' dear, the speaker would
have been considered by every one,
in artd out of that body, as crazy be
yond redemption. Such announce
ment would have been true, however ;
and the debt must still increase, if
the plighted faith of the State is to
be reverenced as it ever should be, and
as it always has heretofore been.
The taxes of Wake County have in
creased over 1,000 per cent, since
1835, and over 700 per cent, since
1847. The amounts paid in 1847 were
literally nominal, and but little, con
cern was given to the sources frOm
which they were required. Since that
time the amounts paid have become
an object to each and every citizen of
the county, attracting, year after year,
our serious attention and earnest so
licitude. The last tax bill has fully convinc
ed us of the great and increasing im
portance ot this subject, and tne urr
gent necessity ot so reforming tne sys
tem that the burden should be equally
borne- Of its importance we are sat
isfied that vou are also convinced.
For the oppressive inequality and un
ustness of the system we myite your
attention to the following illustrations
rom the last published report trom
- . m .
the Comptroller of public accounts:
By reference to Mr. Brogden's re
port to the last General Assembly, it
will be seen that the aggregate valua
ion of 26,133,063 acres of land list
ed under 4he revenue bill of 1856-'7
for taxation, was $86,075,771 or a
bout $3 29 per acre. This, added to
the valuation ef town property, gives
a total of $97,842,481, which paid in
to the State Treasury, "as taxes there
on, the sum of $146,150, (omitting
fractions.) The aggregate of taxes
paid by the polls listed at 4he same
time was 8108,074, ot whicn DiacK
polls paid $75,462, and free polls
$32,588. The tiumDer ot blacfc poll
given in was 150,925 -a number by
the way, greatly below tnat returned
in the Census of 1850 ; according to
which, there were in the Qtate, m
June, -1850, about 164,000 taxable
black polls. The black polls return
ed in 1858, at a low valuation, were
worth, in round numbers, $136,000,
000. And if our slave population has
increased in the same ratio since 1850
that it did during the ten years pre
vious thereto, (arid there is every rea
son to believe the increase, from ma
ny causes, has! been much1 greater,)
the total number of slaves in the State
at this time would btf 338548. This
would leave 187,613 slaTesnntaxed,
worth, at a low estimate, $112,567i
800 making the aggregate valuation
of the slave ; property in the State
$248,567,800. ;Tnra amount of pro
iMirtv naid into the State Treasury, in
Ll858, tfor - tbo : protection it - enjoys
which, in our opinion, in; its duplicate
capacity of property and persons, far;
exceeds that thrown around any oth
er species of property by our laws, the
sum of $75,462, a little more than half
the amount paid by $97,842,481 worth
of real estate. Is there any reason
why such a discrimination should be
made between these two species of
property? Why is it that $1,000
worth of land should pay, as it did un
der the tax bill of 1856-7, $1 50,
while$l,000 worth of slave property
paid only 50 cents ? In our opinion
there is no just and good reason for
such -inequality ; if there is, we have
yet to hear it advanced!
Again : The tax on interest receiv
ed, amounted to $76,774. This sum
is paid on about $31,989,000 of mo
ney loaned. Thus it is seen that our
system requires $31,989,000- loaned
or otherwise bearing interest, to pay
a larger amount of taxes into the
Treasury than $248,567,800 worth of
slave property. Is there any cause
why $1,000 in money at interest, re
stricted by our law in its productive
ness to G0 per annum, should be made
to pay $2,40 lor the protection it en-
AAA 1
joys, while l,uuu in slave property,
unrestricted in its production, paid ou
cents, and $1,000 in land paid $1 50.'
Under our Bui of llights, no man or
set of men are entitled to exclusive or
separate emoluments or privileges from
their neighbors, except lor good and
just reasons. Why cannot. this just,
fundamental principle be extended in
its application likewise to property,
another important element constitut
ing a State f
Again: The profits of capital in
vested in steam vessels, in stocks of
any kind, in shares of any incorpora
ted or trading company, whether in
or out of the State, bonds of another
State, and bank dividends, paid, in
1858, $11,643. This tax was collect
ed on about 8290.000 of profits. In
1850, according to the last Census,
there was in North-Carolina more than
$9,000,000 of annual production, aris
ing from manufactures, mining and
mechanic arts, at a profit of 34 per
cent, or over 83.000.000. AVre have
7 m ' ' 1 .
no data from which to estimate the in
crease of this annual production since
that time, though we know it has been
considerable. Why our legislators
excepted this very considerable amount
of profit from paying taxes we cannot
tell. If the prohts on the annual pro
duction of capital invested in
I I . . A X 4- Wvtw TTAhinl AO lAOt
ways is to be taxed, anditsurely ought, ages, uuggi u iu
n aL;;J of which are as necessary at this day
J r Ua tliA rtAmfnrJ; find ennvemence ot dur
i (.iLizens. eaucuiauv wuoc uuu ui ;,um
Again : Under our peculiar system, . TOT1Q th.- nn(1 rtefi
and it is, without precedent, peculiar ! , aio wi ftr i nir -ent'iion
in many respects, there was paid into thejr assegseJ value and. a greiUer
the btate lreasury the sum ox iz,- . aid Qn $H 766,7IXof
37Q ii M.4inn rt 4ha ihnr artn in- I .-. rn;ji:
dustry of our citizens. This tax on
he energy, enterprise and brains oi
the community, which should receive
mats development the tostenng care
and protection of our law-makers so est'lmatniy Jhat cost at two huniled
far as possible,, amounts to about ,one- ,j0yarg each !
sixth of the sum paid, as we have shown, Th Dal;abie andtunreasonablHn
by $248,567,800 worth of one species consistencies and unjust ! discrimpft
of property. We are satisfied that tions might be multiplied, until. eyry
this distinctive feature in our revenue source from which our revenue tele
system is so unjustly oppressive, so rived would, in the illustration, ' bx
nttorW anbvArssivft nf ( verv reasonable hausted. The limits of this addjejss
and established principle of political and,your patience forbid any tarr
economy, and so openly at war -with aeians., j.o moroiiuiv sumuuiua.
the best interests of our State, that it Justness of our complaint, Swewi Qe-
?eat Liio rates uo auuvc cawiijiku
t,i A-un k;h -.f i fiJ.7' ' i'
KJ 11UV1 UIA Uill Vi AUtV :
on the inequality then existing ;- Jhe
poll tax on the day laborer .and ' the
capitalist is precisely the same Stcl
it sometimes happens thai the latter,
liKe tne lormer, is suoject to no Citner
sneciea of contribution. In"theine
case it is an . onerous1 fimpositiorf Si in
the other, a tax a thousand fold great
er might occasion no senisjble i con
venience.' , If in 1834 a reason d list
ed, for complaining against the inefial
ity of the "system, how imttch 6fe
have we to complain of np, whe the
poll tax, though much increasef f is
but a drop in the bucket, compared to
that assessed on our labor.
Again : The amount paid by foier-
chants and 'others engaged in soling
poods, wares and merchandize. was
$37,881. This sum was levies on
$11,-365,000 of purchases ; it mdling
no difference under our system wVjeth
er the same was ever1 sold, or evee re
turned to the purchasing dealeriny
profit or not. This amount is yjiore
than half of that paid by $248,p87,
800 worth of slaves, and I nearly .-Jialf
as much as was paid by ftdl,yoiUUU
of money at interest. This tb!j"ty
seven thousand eight hundred tand
eighty-one dollars is paid, not bjythe
merchants themselves, but, .as . e 'ery
one knows, by the consumers a frge
portion f whom are those very 1 hen
who pay 1 per cent, of their pag!4i-
to the State Treasury, ut this mer
chants' tax, dealers - in ready-de
clothing paid 1 per cent, on theirlbaT-
chases-ten dollars tor every one thou
sand dollars worth of gods bought.
Further, $409,000 (in round numbers
employed in tne purcnasei-r-ri not saiei
of liquors, paid twenty thousand,' four
1 1 ' 1 till . A
hundred and iorty-eignt aoiiars . ax,
or 5 per cent, on the amount bought.
Further still, three hundred and eigBty
four thousand dollars employetfjUn
buying and . selling slaves, paid: one
thousand, two hundred and sevJAty
nine plollars ; and eight hundredr(-aiid
ninety-three thousand dollars employ
ed in other trade, paid one .thousjid,
seven hundred and cighty.six dollars.
Upon what principle of adjustignt
these various rates were agreed tj We
are Enable to ascertain. If some jre
intended to operate in the natuii'fof
sumptuary laws, wc are of the buttle
opinion .that our legislators did flot
give that time and attention tot the
consideration of the subjelct, demi'Sd-
ed by its importance and jits ultimate
enects. j
Again : $1,952,400 worth of cfrri
town property. Further! pi
anos, certainly as much an articU jiof
luxury as the buggy of the farmer,
which conveys his wife to church, jid
$3,225, or f of 1 per cent. ion the cst,
reauires no illustration in aeiau to
convince you that a reform at least in
thisi respect is imperatively demand
ed. Still, .that you may more forci
bly comprehend its unjnstness and in
equality, let us tor a moment iook to
its operation. .Every citizen except
ministers of the Gospel and our Judg
es. (and why exempt the latter, when
all other State officers are taxed ?)
whose annual income from their labor
is over 500, paid, as a tax, 1 per
cent: on their respective receipts. 1 he
the mechanic, the
will toot answer for raising $ 650,000 In
S5Q ; and it is worse than folhr to think
its frdniers ever intended it 8hould.;l,T3
Mr.JJrogden's last Report discloses ,
another fac-rvrell worthy of the serious
consideration and attention bf "every
land and slave owner in the State. u,lt
is, that the atr.ount of rovenue raised
for County purposes,) assessed exelu
sively upon land and polls, .exceeded
the suiu paid to the State, from all sour
ces, by the Sheriffs. In 1858, the Coun
ty taxes amounted to ,523,417. The
State taxes, collected" by the. Sheriffs.
amounted to 502,612. Are land and
"polls trie only property and ' subjects
direetly interested in a proper adminu
trafton of (bounty affairs ? If any other
species cf property receives the protec
tion oi our County police, and is bene
fitted) by our County regulations, it
ought, in our opinion, to contribute its
proper proportion to the support ne
cessary to keep up that police.
V e think the foregoing statements,
limited is they necessarily are, clearly
demonstrate that jtihe principles upon
which is based our existing revenue
system, are not such as the progress of
events anu tne spirit oi our people de
mand. The times bve live in, and the
circumstances surrounding us, demand
a change. Is a change practicable?
If we had not the experience of sister
States, similar to our own in every res-
fect, in the affirmative, we should be
oah to believe that the wisdom and
talent of our public officers and legisla
tors could not so reach the $500,000,000
of property within our borders all of
which we think to be legitimate sub-'
jects ot taxation, as to assess on each
dollar thereot us proper contribution
for the support of the government.
One-sixth ot one per cent, of that a
mount would raise 833,333 per annum
a sum; amply . sufficient tor the ad
ministration of the government for
years to come, unless unforeseen con-;
tingencies should arise. The complex
ion of our federal relations at this time
is of sjuch a character as to seriously .
admonish us that those contingencies
may at. any time arise. Within tho
next eighteen months it may become
necessary to - increase the revenue ;. a- '
hundred fold and more, to support otrrA
beloved State as a free, and sovereign, j
and independent nation. Equalize tW
burden among those who have it to !
bear by just and equal laws, and what-1
ever amount may be necessary to pre
serve the good credit of North Card- :
Una in any and every emergency- will
be willingly given by our people. Many
ot tho latuers oi our otate saenncoa
.t heir al 1 in 'the day s of 7 6. We believe
their descendants, actuated by the same
patriotic spirit, would be equally ready 1
to pledge "their lives, thoir fortunes
and their most sacred honor" to pre-T
serve the iflestimablo rights handed'
down to them.
We have thus in an imperfect man
ner endeavored to lay honestly before'
you the reasons that induced us to form" ,
this' Association, and the objects we
have for so doing. To the sober judgij
ment of the people-of our State we ap-
peal, ar-d willingly rest the rectitude of'
our motives 'vith the decision of that
people.. To the same tribunal we awo'-
as wilhnglyvleave tue tears and insinu
ations ot thoso who aflect to believe
this movement of ours; to be fraught
with danger and calanaity; and whose
zeal and interest for the prosperity of.
the masses have heretofore been uni-.
versally measured by the success or
failure ot their own petty plans oi sell
aggrandizement. Time will eventually
and surely disclose the selfish motives'
j ' L 1 i . j t !i -
governing tneir actions; ana to tne vir-
A. Z ,1 nilrt nrkinti . '1 I afAfm-
ure will as surely consign them, wewe
content to leave them ... ' r
0
81,000 worth of land paid $1
1,000 " slaves paid ; - ,;u
1,000 in money loaned paid 2jt0
1.000 of dividend and profit paid 2j0
1,000 in labor and. industry " 10 )0
1.000 in goods purchased. " 5 ;w
1,000 in clothing : , . " U)0
1,000 in liquors " I '" . m
1,000 of capital,in buying slaves
paid V- j
1 ,000 " other trade, paid r$!j)
Xjfff f Villi VI UU6& V J VfiiAi-.j.lj
ages, &c.i nam ( I s 1(h?0
1,000 worth of pianos paid m0
" Such are some of the inequal(8
revenue system. Vie
clerk, the doctor,
lawyer, the overseer, your county of-
. . m . - i . t'
facers, every one, though Dy jun tiring f nnr a vUt.5nr revenue svstem. v
industry and stinting economy they a9k Vou. can it be defended ? Cati CI
may be barely able to support their consideration, except self-interest, u W
famil ea. naid into the Treasury ot tne a soiitarvargument in iavor oi up up
state one dollar upon every one-hun- tinuance ? To everytax payer Jhe
dred dollars received. The foreman State we address ourselves,: and apnoi
in the workshop, if in the receipt of to them for an answer atteratur
.v. jf.il.,.- iA liberation. It is the system that Bp
r-.r " -s , . ' , , . . wnicn we asK your earnest cq-vpeja-
shenff; while his neighbor, -owning ion CommencjDg in 1784' it has ech-
ten slave mecnanics at wyr. m- tinned to the present time essenttaljy
same snop at me yeariy wages ui ?v the Bame. with but tew ot its detects
it i tr r v - i
500 or more, paid to the Sheriff only remedied. In 1335, its distinctive
five dollars and his poll tax. lhe o- ture was, without rea80nindithiw
verseer, with; twenty hands under him, its being demanded by public seh'li
malingfor his employer 100 bags of ment,incorpomtednxar Cn.sUtuti?f .
cottonf worth
hundred dollars
$5,000, if receiving six utner iveis oi vicucim "v.iy
, paid six dollars, and can, at every - rrid
. ... - (4Ulnc-4m hiinif tr Mrnrmalinn "rfc,at
for that which produc- A".v-, v r w-
the employer,
ed him $5,000 paid ten dollars.
i i i lit. ihuou lciuaiu uun.uwui:vu
employees of our different Kailroad nrinP;r,laiino't be rrfecttd eitl
vyompauica m;u aj by the experience 01 our statesmen,c?r
their receipts, if they amount to five altered to suit the exigencies of t ie
hundred dollars ; the individual siock- Treasury. Can it be tor a momst
holders, though they may receive 6 supposed that time has disclosed no.i
or 7 per cent, on their investment, a- fects in our financial eysten? Is itf
mounting in the aggregate, to a. large ineved iDat4l experience w wvc
ing. The clerk, in the receipt of seven m this respect, m relation tonepfge
Llrtlu4annm' ridn'niost necessary and important . f
safe, yielding nun $b,000 perannum,
paid nothing. These illustrations
might be indefinitely multiplied. In
1834, our Executive, in his message
to the General Assembly reviewing
our revenue aystem. remarks thus op-
for which it was adopted ; Jretv noojie
could foreseeVthe Immense enanges tat
were to take " place; and' hay o tafsfm
place, since i i s adoptionj C6mtyn
sense will tell us that a system for t ie
collection of $50,000 of revenue in 1TV4;
- . i' H' .
A Dijlcult Question Aniwejred.
."-Can any reader tell why, when '
Eve was manufactured from one of ,
Adam's ribs, a hired girl wasn't made
at the &me time to wait on her
We can, asy ! Because ' Adam
nesrer came whining to- Eye! witha
ragged stocking to be darned, a collar (
string to be sewed oil, or a glove to b
mended 'right. away quick now!' 'Be
cause he never read tne newspaper nn-
the sun got down behind the palm-
trees, and tnen stretcnea nimseii,
yawning out, 'Am t supper most rea-
dy, my dear ? - lot he. " lie made
the fire, and hung over the tea kettle
himself, we 11 venture, and pulled the ,
tadisbes, and peeled the Danannas,-:
did everytning.eise that he ought xou
tie milked the cows, and ted the chick-
ens, and looked alter the pigs himself.
He never brought home -half-a-dozen '
riends to dinner, when hve hadnt a-
ny fresh pomegranates and the mango ;
season 'was oyer1. lie never stayed
out till eleven oplockio a.'ward?
meeting' hurrahing for the Out-and-
out candidate, and then scolding be
cause - poor Eve was sitting upj&nd
crying inside the gates, loo-be-eure
he acted.rather cowardly about apple
gathering time, but then that don't
depreciate his general helpfulness a-.
bout the garden 1 He-never Splayed
puiiaros . nor arpve utt, norses, nor
choked Eve with cigar smoke, He
never loafed around corner groceriea
while solitary , Eve was rocking Jittle
didn't think she was specially created .
for the purpose of waiting on him, and
wasn't under the impression that jt
disgraced a man to lighten his wife a
care a little. , - . :i ,
That's the reason that Eve di¬ j
need a. hired girl, and we wish, it was .
the reason .that none of . her f&ir-des-
cehdants dd.-7-jytv Yprkljif$ iUut. -
An Irishman's definition of Paradise.
A place where ye'U ate Btrawberriea
wid a big ipoou." - . Y 'i