North Carolina Newspapers

bit 7T3 mm v AND N OB.TH-C A3R0EINA (SASETTE Out tare the plan of fali delightful Peace, CirwarpVi by party ,iT UJte Bwhtw." Vol, XVIII. FRIDAY, MAY 30. !817. No. 923 CONGRESSIONAL. IN THE II. OF REPRESENTATIVES. V-f Kemaiks nfMr. JVilliam ofMCarolirm: in &u:f; orf of his motion to nieal the Internal Tajcrs. . :r ' ;V CONCLUDED. V :;v . But gentlemen contend that the taxes may be required some three, four, or half a. dozen years hence ; and profess an un willingness to pull down that which; it ma v possibly be necessary Jto build up hereafter. . If, according to the estimates, j the taxes may be necessary alter the lapse cf three, four, or six years, I would, for the purpose of combating that idea, reply that the estimates are too low ; that they fill far short of the amount which will be received, and conserrr.eji tly that no defi ciency can be" apprehended at the end of -that tunc The estimates for the last year fetl short of 13,000.000 cf the amount if vhich accrued. I lave we net theii good ' .reason to suppose that it will lie the case again ? that the revenue hereafter to ac crue will as much exceed the estimates, as the revenue of 1216 exceeded the esti- jnHtes of that year ? If the late Secreta- ry of the Treasury could not tell with any ! sortcf accuracy the revenue for 1816, I lo not know how the present Secretary -should determine with precision the reve nue which will accrue in any subsequent rear I mean no disparagement to the I , memory oi the late Secretary, when 1 say i that he completely failed in his estimates of the revenue for 1816.' Fcr the present Secretary, no one m this House, I am per &uaded,has a greater regard than myself; V 'x roy acquaintance with liim -convinces me j ; tnat itc is an nuenigeni, maepenaent, ana ; honorable man. But, as the late Secrer 1 tary fell short in his estimates, I contend j that the gentleman now at the head eft; f that department, must also be incorrect, : .. and that he cannot determine witli preci- I sion the ie enue whicli will hereafter ac- crue. ; Take tor example the following 5 i ; The receivable from the customs in thtf 7cur x1 Vr UiC secretary; wm ioe revenue arising iroci customs m the year j ibio, amountea to o,oys aoii;irs,aaa t ! 20,000,000. Now, sir, by what rule cf j arithmetic, or series of deterioration is it, xnat tuc- ijccreiiiry ueiermines.tnatUM xeveimc ttrian.trom the ship rT y 2818, will be only twe. .. - vm nc.T ti-.e country increase m weaita ana -...latinn dtirine that time ? dl not f the consumption, and of course the de J in and, be progressively augmented ? I admit that our mercliantv may have o vertraded themselves, and from this cir I -..nature that the importation of eods I will not be so great in 1818, as it was dur- ing the vears 1815 and 1816. But " that J. the defalcation will be so great as to re ' duce the revenue in ISIS, to twelve mil I lions, 1 can never admit. The gentleman -fniai Maryland (Mr; Smith) has just siid. tliat the estimate ot the treasury 1 r loia I too i0w. The experience of that gen I tleman, particularly in all subjects rdat 1 - ipfr to commerce and finance, is such , as. J to justify the House in relying on his, state-1 t rnents and cpinious ; and, iKtwithitand-! 1 ing his anxiety to continue the taxes, ae f crild not but say that the Secretary's es- l ttinate fell short at least by two millions ; t of what would probably be received. Tak-ing all diese things into viewI should, ? as to rcy own individual opinion, be ra- i i ther inclined to suppose tliat it wuld set- j 1' tip at some intermediate p-int between rfi .:598 dollars. the reveuue or liIo, ? 1 .t..iv TrV;!lin. th. estimate of the Secretary fur 1818,' that is, that between uon pt ivtr. Adams was QisiinguiMJcu iui twetitvand twenty-five millions will pro-t a number of taxes. Mr. Jefferson suc babi v be the revenue for 1818. i I ceeded him and abolished those taes, No one who looks at the accumulating ! I To which of these administrations did the arealth. increasing numbers, rising im - portance, and growing grand&ur ot this country, can, I tliink, be authorised to w . . Tl l ctnclude that the revenue in laio win oe "teduced to the inconsiderable sum of twelve millions of dollars. The Secreta ry himself tells you that it is extremely difneak to make any estimate on which reliance can be placed ; that in the three 5rst quarters of 1816 the revenue from the customs averaged ' nine millions a quarter ; but that in the last quarter of that rear it fell to a third of that average. Upon this minimum of three millions ari sing tn the last quarter ot laid, 1 presume hefounds his calculations f)r the year 1818, and say s the revenue will be twtue millions. I perceive no ether data for uie calculation, and V submit it to gentlemen whether it would uothaveappeared more reascirable, if he had taken, as the basis of it, a medium of the w hole amount of tlie customs fur leiltv- I thinlr' we have as areata rieht to presume. upin a'medi- um for the basis cf otif calculaticns as the Secretan- had to presume upon a nnni- s T3um lor Uie-uasiS vi uisvaauiauyiis, , -Taking then for the basis, about sbfmil ; Luns as the quarter yearly revenue aris- iag freni the customs, it will be found that I ve sTialitiot, at any future periodwant tiie money arisir-g from the internal du- ties. If we take four millions for the ba ll sisv sull the same result follows, tliat the nternal taxes will be unnecessary. V hen we see that in one year the esti l Xitts cf uie tieasuxy have fallen short by thirteen millions have we not more j than probable- cause to suspect similar j inaccuracie's in future ? And does not this ; fact strengthen the view which has been ' taken in opposition to the Secretaires re-' port ? Evidence which fails in one point, I may justly be supposed to fail in another. And seeing we were told, last year, that i the taxes were- necessary, and now find i that they were not, it should not be ex-: pected that we would concur in opinion, either with the Secretary, or with geutle- I men on this floor, that the taxes ought to be continued. No. sir, the move I reflect on the subject the more I hear it discuss- ed in thil house, the more I am confirm- ed iu the'opiuidn I first had, that the tax jescan be discontinued, and tliat congress j should i m mediately adopt measu res for that purpose. V x v t Another objection against keeping up ! internal taxes in time of peace, may be deduced from the form of our government and the nature of ourneoole The learn- ed expositors of the constitution, in the ! letters signed Fublius, have said that the i' general government should not calculate on any considerable revenues from inter Uial taxation. This source may yield sup ples in cases 01 great 'emergency,; but nev er was intended as a permanent in- conse ...to the general government. I In wtia: does a republican government, ' like ours, materially differ from the rotten institutions of Eurcae. if not in the chenn- ness with wliich it is conducted, ad the ! ! exemption of its citizens from taxation ? f ' ii a ituuiJiio is iu ut. uicscrvcu ijui c dild ; - . - . . . . i uncontannnated in its principles, ltt the people never be taxed beyond whit is absolutely necessary to the management of their affairs in a cheap, plain aad eco- . comical way. Never permit the people ' blr said the other dav. bv the w umwu uuu vaAdnoH, as was iorci from Virginia f Mr. Randolph V If thev should be broken into taxation ; if they become oppressed1 with impositions of this sort, they cannot feel greatly attuch- ed to their government merely on ac- count of its beings called a repub'ic If the time, sir, should ever arrive when the people ot the United States are eallcd the VTjtp nf tavatiiti mhpn tUi lugh - mmded love of freedom shall have been tffectuallv assailed throutrh that means, my word for it. they will be in different to any change which maw be at tempied by the designing. Supp-.se tht:y aiiu population, crav xra,t?c- vrrriy a I subjects ot European governments, vouiu they, Lask, give so unbounded a prefer- ence to their own government over all o 1 thers as tliev now do ? No, sir, thev could j not. And, believe me, when I say, that : if the citizens of our republic were as much loaded with taxes as tlie subjects of ether governments, they would probably, - nsv , perhaps, certainly, entertain as littie regard for, it; as these sui)jects do for the ..rv-i-iinipiiti under which it is laeir inis- , fortune to live. j- But gentlemen ccntend that we ought . not to continue the taxes for the s.ike of : Uie system ; that this system eperates as j a chain to bind the affections of the peo . pie to' the government ; that when the government ceases to lay taxes, the peo- pie cease to feel the power by which they 1 are protected, and, of course, cease toj have reverence and affection for the gov- j ernmentr All of this is repugnant to the plainest dictates cf reason and experience. The best way to attach the citizens to the government is to keep your hands c ut cf their pockets ; to permit them to walk, abroad in their aw n majesty, free from Importunity, solicitation, or demand ; and upon "this point experience speaks with wonted authority. The administra- ; people yield their confidence and supporw- 1 According to the doctrines advanced,lhey ; must have loved Mr. Adams and nis au- ! ministration, more than Mr. Jefferson and i his administration, in proportion as they were taxed by the forniermore than the latter. But the history of those times am -j ply testifies to the contrary. Nothing ap . pears mcre preposterous than the idea 'that we must keep on the taxes for the pur- pose of letting the people know & feci the t power by Which they are pntrcted. The ! people wdl always know you, as w ell, and i respect you much more highly, if you do not teaze them constantly lor a poraon ot their earnings. : . , -. In this system of revenue we were obli- eed to employ a host ol officers, who live ou the vitals cf the coawnunity, who do hot add any thing to the productive labor of the country, but fatten on thesubstance of ethers. The great, leading and sul- stantial interest of this country is that of agriculture. . This interest, described by an author, of no inferior reputation, as the 1 nurse of the human race the. source of health v plenty, and innocent pleasures; the preserver of morals, and the sch ol of the virtues, ought to be encouragedlaiid promoted above all others. - But ttiis host of officers, instead of being thus engaged ; iustead of contributing any thing to tlie real wealtlvtf the country, are spending their time -a .indolence and ease ; are gr oy ing rich upon the hard earnings, and frugal savings ofthe laboreri .Can it be consistent with cur interest as a people ; but more particularly with cur interest as a nation of agriculturalists, that these things should be permitted to exist, whenJ not . maispensaoiy - necessary r r or my part, I never look at the collectors of in ternal duties, without emotions which I shall n,ot undertake to describe. x : The ex pence of collecting the internal duties is another item which ought not to escape notice. From the returns which have been made, it appears that the ex pence of collecting is, to the amount re ceived, as one to, ten ; that the expence of collecting the customs is,ti the amount received as.cn to a hundred. J?ow, sir, would it not bo better to drkf our reve nue entirely from the. customs which are so much mere easy and cheap in the col lection than the. internal duties If, for this purpose, it be necessary tn modify the tarifF, let us do so. Let ux raise the duty on some articles and' lower it on oth ers, so as to produce a greater revenue than we now receive, and equal jo any deficiency which may result ... frcm the abolition of the internal taxes. ; Sir, we were called upon the o he day to appropriate three thousand dollars as a sallar' to the commissioner of tic re- j venue. He received. only this sum Mien I he supervised the collection of sevtn or eight millions internal revenue. Hi now also receives that sum fi r supervishV the l collection of only two or three ml lions. i iiis feature in the system of intercLtl tax- is perhaps quite as odious as any other. Mr. tjm th, no doubt, is a very faittful and mjih. , nt :iitv uc its UI CU i . i . . J . . .. ULled to receive three thousand dollars. as aiiy other man would )e, under similar circumstances : but sir, no man who de serves only three thousand doHars, for I supervising- the collection of sfcveh '.or eight millions, can be entitled tothe same salarj- when he supervises the Collection of only two or three millions. The same fact, I imagine, obtains throughout the wh(ile system. You may reduce the amount of tax on the people, but you cannot make a correspondent reduction of ralary to the officers ; all of them must live. - : Some of tfie taxes I know 0 be op pressive on the people, and fof Uiat rea son I should endeavor to repml them The gentleman from South -Carolina, (Mr. Calhoun) said the taxes were not oppressive ; that we had received no pe titions respecting a modification or repeal tlenigq u rgy the tronv tnc pcfpte wm? a I'Z. representatives. If instructions would nor be'cbligutory on gentlemen, I should sup pose the people would have a very poor prospect of success, when they presented themselves to "this house in the character of humble supplicants. But, sir, it is not necessary tnat we snoiua receive peti tions before we can knhw that a particu lar law, or a general svstem of laws. verates agrievance pn tne communrj. VV hy Has the constitoti n of the United States declared that the representatives ia Congtess shall b0 inhabitants' of the states from which thy come ? and why is it a L'.w cither statatoi-y or common in the states, that each member shall have his residence in the dtstrfcthe represents ? It is for the purpose of enabling each re presentative to have an intimate know ledge of the interests, feelings and wish es of his constituents- By visitiug them when he returns hnme, and by talking with them, he finds out the bearing which any measure may have on their welfare. It is from knowledge thus acquired, that a true and faithful representative must act. much more than .from petitions. t Suppose I were to receive a petition from I my oistnt, complaining ot the excise, 1 would I be. better able to act from the j information thus furnished, than from ! personal conversation with my neighbors aud acquaintances, during the recess r Sir, I tnink information acquired in the latter way more entitled to credit, and I saculd certainly give it tne prierciicc, were jt to come in donffict with a petition. But 1 make these remarks merely to j shew the gentleman from South-Carolina and others, who may think with him, that ! I do not consider it necessary to tie bur- ! deued with petitious before ! should feel ' it a duty to interpose for the relief of those whom I represent in this House. ( The excise I know to be oppressive, both : as to the amount of duty imposed on stills, and as tx the 'inconvenience to which the jieople are subjected iu obtaining a license. In the first place, the tendency of the la w ' is to throw the whole business into the hinds of capitalists. The owners of small i I estriblishinents cannot compv j with these. who carry on great distilleries : a tax on the gallon would, there toie, be " much mere equitable ..than the one which exists on the capacity. It likewise : appears to be an extracrdinary nrovisu n in ', the law, that after a- distiller has paid for a license he shall not be at liberty to ; . retail a legs quantity of spirits than ' one ; gdilcn. You may rightfully impose a du-) ty,on the "manufacturing of commotUties ; . but it is extremely rigid" to prohibit the citizen from- retailing' his commodities when mauufactured, in whatever quanti-1 ties he may choose. By this la w the pw- J ners of small establishments are irequem- ly ' prevented from raising tlie: money 1 tviui vvxiicn.to pay tnevtaxoa suus. i-mc j o wnsr t a cloth tactory may dc cauea upon to pay a duty on his machinery; bet j I imagine it would be thought a strange - f provision in the law, if he were restrain- ed from selling one, t v.-o, or three yards at a time. ' . ', -The law, as to its object, is unfair nr.d oppressive upon many portions of our J country. Distilled spirits is the staple commodity; in many parts of the United States ; and it does appear -Jto me, tliat C.gress have jt:st the same riglit to tax the tsbacco of Virginia ; the cotton of S. Carolina and Georgia ; or the sugar qf Louisiana, as the whiskey of any ther quarter of the country. The taxloperates with peculiar pressure on those parts dis tantlviiituated from market, while it is nofTeic in those. near the seaboaitl. It fs. therefore, glvirg' to the latter a great ad vantage over the former. Such advanta ge. Kven by a la w to one portion of the community over any other portion, ought to form a sufilcient objection io the law itself, to produce its repeal. As to the duty on carriages, on auctions and stamps, it affects materially but few portions of the State I have the h.Krm part to represent. Were it only for my individual benefit and accomm. Nation; I should net be very anxious to effect the repeal of those duti s. -But, sir, if one or two of them be taken eff, the. revenue a 1 is-ing from the others wou?.d scarcely justity a continuance of the system ; and, as I have no wish to see the rest cf the people of th; United States loaded with taxes, while my constituents are free from them, I am, for this reason, prepar ed to vcte an entire repeal of the system. Another reason inducing a wish to re peal the taxes at this time, is, that it would probably make the representative hranch of the government mere acceptable in the eyes of the nation, than it now is. The I oest writers on the British constitution say, that the tendency of that government is to a concetttratk n ot all power m the King. Some gentlemen of -great research and profound thought, in our country', have said, that the tendency of this gov ernment, is to a concentration of all pow er in tY Executive.. It, indeed; requires but a partial acquaintance with the his tory of the present day, to be convinced that the Executive branch of the govern ment threatens to swallow up all the rest. Gentlemen have admitted, in debate, on this floor, tae existence of this fact, .with much apparent regret, arid have xhort- ?.tI,ii!eadropt such measures as that I woJIdrCtorract Presiden- tenial duties. Let rPtTjhjs reason, then. had recommended the repeaTrwrrertT! there would be such opposition to the ! measure as we have witnessed ? No, sir. I feel justified in stating, that if the 'Pre sident'' had ad ised it, there would be . ? 11 ... .1. r. scarcely a oissentine voice, duv aii would oetne consequence oi sutu mc- sure upon the character and reputation of this House It would be resounded : from one end of the continent to the otiier bv the friends of the Executive, that lie . . . . C u 1 deserved all tlie praise for.alleviatin .U.... nil (Viu nr-UL fnf !i 1 :t t ! 11 or t h e ' burdens of the people ; that "his superior foresignt, penetration, anct love of coun- j try', had pointed out that wise and benefi- j cial measure. In this state of tlie case, 1 the President would have more of the praise and gratitude cf the nation, than ! he was entitled to receive ; white v,on grrss would, be regarded rather as instru ments in th hands of tlie Executive.lhan I laborinsr exclusively for the good of those whom they represented Asa member of this House, J would prefer vpting for a repeal of the taxes before itrfras recom mended by the President, Tether than af terwards ; because, if ypa cany a repeal without, or even against Executive re commendation,,yoir will then come in for a share of that praise which would attach to the .President alone, if he had recom mended tlie measure. Not as an indivi dual, then, but .as a member of the repre sentative branch of our government, and anxious to sse it raised to that degree of favor which it merits, in the estimation cf tie people, I shall vote for an immedi ate repeal cf the system of nternal taxes. It seems to be admitted by some, that the taxes cannot exist many y.ers to come. Why not, then, accomplish the work t the present session? Why wait for the President to sayv Refealthe taxes.? Why not rather anticipate him in -an-nnuncing relief to the peorilc? Gentle men say, that Congress has ceased to be as important and gracious fn the eyes of the people, as it forrosrly was ; ihat ma causes have conspired to depress its cha racter, and t:i render it less an object of favor than heretofore. It is iamcntable indeed, if this be the fact but-we our- selvesare to blame. ;AVeniave been too mnr.il in the li-lut of waiting for Execu tive recommendation,' before Ave would presume to aucpi any nieusuic wuiun was likely to render us acceptable to the nation ; while the odium of ever)' impro- per or unpopular measure was sure to b6 levelled acrainstus. XjkX. us', then, at the present session, act a part which becomes us let usconviuce mis uuon anu uie .,?-JiA k.oi .nfot;, the ienrle. aie indetendent of Executive w ill ; that we will pursue the interests of ; our constituents; rwVn".ith6ut Presidca- J tiaV recomciendauori. But, sir, if we a- clopt i. contrary course ; if we wait to e ; dictated, to by the Fxecntire ; if we sus pend ocr own opinions till His fiat be pro claimed, then we shall realize the condi tion of which we no v only behold the pros pect, and to whicin?e see only the tend ency, that is, thecnncentrationcfall pow er in tlie Execuive and the depression of the representative hmnrh rTn- r ; emment. Miserable, indted. will he th fate cf our country, if the representa tives of the people should, by an impro vident use, orimproper forbearance of the powers with which they are entrusted, bring upon themselves sui:h annihilation. -The' last, but not the least reason with me for repealing the taxes, is, that it may become necessary to reduce" the army .-1-For niy own part Ithink the taxes may be taken -ofTand the army permitted to re main at the present number oT ten thou sand. But I am conscious that so long as we continue to raise tncney and vote sup pties,there vill be nodispositk n either to practise tcommjy, , or , curtail . any of the expensive establishments which' now ex ist. It is the opinipjiof some gentlemen, that, with the existing military establish ment,' would be improper to dispense with the taxes. I ' wish it therefore (by repealing the taxes) to become necessary in the opinion of those gentlemen to re duce the army. This part of the subject is as important as ahy-which can or will come , before Congress .at this or any o ther session. It involves ,a pfincide cf politics which appeared at one time to ug-tin in dfnibt.. It my opinion that the . army ought to be reduced to six thw (sand h rat; because standir.e: armies ia . jUmef peace have ever bv en held dan j gfcrous to the liberties of a free people anu, scconaiy, Decause ot the unnecessary expence to which we are subjected ty supporting an army o" ten thousand. What, sirr was tlie language held by our fathers, who achieved the independ ence of their country, and who a they knew best liow; to acquire liberty, also knew best, how ..to maintain it ? They universally, when :Mled upon for an cpi- ' 1 mon, said that standing armies m time of peace were dangerous to the liberties of a tree people; and ought; not to be allow ed.. & sacred was this principle, that it was inserted in the constitutions of most; if hot all f the states. In the constitution of -North-Carolina. I know there rs a pro vision to this effect. The same I beJteve will be found in the constitution? of all the states : but as 'there anreerttlemen ,r,om the several states, they w if correct -,t ' '.- forefa- effects of Bntish yengeaScd Xur-ZZ itx)de in tricniph tlirough.the storms of j war ; tr y naa conquereu uie iuepciiu- eiice of their country.; and it is not to be 1 supposed that they would be so terrified . n mow rkhantnTi at to P1lrri flfaillSt it r v 0 by the sblsmn provusions of the constitu-, j tioa ; I speak, theref-.re, m the language jof wisdom, because it iS the languages ; the sages and heroes cf Uie revolution. - when 1 say. that standing armies on time of peace are dangerous to tlie liberties, of a free people, and ought not; to oe al lowed ; in corroboration, of this truth, I can refer you to the history of ail govern ments. What enabled Csar to -overthrow the government of Rome, or Crcm well that ol England, but a standing ar my ? Or wha , in more modern times, enabled Bonaparte to desolate the fairest portion, cf Europe, . but a standing army aud the diffusion of an ardent, restless, military spirit ? Sir, if I had no- other evidence of this truth than the mere dic tum of the sages and heroes of the revo-l lutinn. I should yield my assent to it j ibut when it comes to us in the. khape c a solemn constitutional prov ision, and when that provision is strengthened and confirmed by all the evidence which his- tory affords, 1 should tnin mjseii worso than a sceptic iu withhold assenu Ithas, ' wr, been well remarked by a vtriterof trreat reputation, that nian is j very much a creature of habit ; that he cften acts from habit more than it Ate tion ; hence, the necessity or forming cor--reef habits, by resortuig.at .first to the dictates of . sound rcaion and dispassion :,iorrrir. It ii.vvith fiveniiiieiiLs as iuuuiv - - -o to the health ahd well being cf 1 ment, we &a-u?d as carefully int the.Ti in existence, as we 7 '. in our erivatc jCdpacity , ttu bad habits. If governms . tinue a standing army, t dencies the rr ghtlal HucU anesubliahuicut ; come familiar to us, lea into apylkj 1 threatening danger- I hit of fondues tor l.v..,,'!r! nlwavsit j i I GUV V - . . ftoun to the miuLtiU .... - 1 f : xfAf we I have mei n to coribat rixv. v soon as w"ar is owr,. s . .ifiitlitrs ; we iiwid.coasiUv f I an army is ila.igerous. reduce it as low as uv- s.tu--curatances ol ihJi codiitry w. would not r-e und-rtooa-tc . - . ft i Iwith individuals; fcr- governments are , ,f operated upon, are-put mto motion. j the principles. ofthe mn wli9 .adrnir,y ; them. If standing armies, are dar: f r 1 j '1.1