CGs, UHHS6 of m, UNITED STATES. HOUSE OF REP KE-SE NTATI VI. S. Monday, January 16 —Continued. Mr. \jrnum, 1 consider it the tndjfpenfi'bie duty of this houle, and of e-ch and every member of it, as much as it is 'in our power, to preserve inviolate the public iaith, and to make all neeeffary provilion for 'he payment-os 'the just debts of the United States. But in doingQrij, we ought to have recourse to such objeiU of luxation, and such metfiods of colleilion, as wc ha ve i . ilon to believe will be moll agreeable to the 'people. I He government, no doubt, under an impression, that tliey were doing right, have reformed to imposts & , excites, as rhe proper mock? of raising a revenue; and experience has evinced that this mode of taxation, is" ■a ftafible one in the United States-; it places very lai ge fur:s ot money in your treasury annually ; and it is paid by the people, with a greater degree of chei'rful nets in thijr way, thanit probably svould through the channel ot diraiil taxation. Many of the objt from which our revenue is railed, by duties of"itnpolt and excise, are articl s or luxury and fuperfiuity, and as theo are generally considered to be such, t'hofe who make uie of them, do willingly piy the tax laid on them by the government ; andlpreltime will continue jo to do, so long as the money (hall be appropriited to purposes, which are.rrsmotrve of the good of the U juou. Duties on thole articles which may be more properly clalTcd among the necessaries of life, are paid hy the tonfumtr when he purch;fes the article, and are less felt by him, than they wtreld be, if the whole duties of a rear were to be paid in a gross sum. By this mode of ttxation, it is true, s>? pßor and induilnous people, whose income and labor barely -iuppiying them with the common neceflaries of lire, do not pay any part of the tax or duty on wines, teas, silk, carnages and a great variety of matters; and why Ihould they, w hen their neceflity entirely pre vents their eVer making use of them ? Yet the duty is paid, and it comes from the proper source; the man in poliafiion ol the money remits it to the publit-; and the poor man is thereby enabled to supply his children ■with bresd, to afluage their hunger; and by clothing to guard them tgainfl the inclemency of the weather. Thousands of such people are within the United States. It is a inaxim tiiat will always hold good, that snoney must be looked for where itand not where it is not. Hence I conceive the present mode of <-ol!e<£ling a revenue, under the government of the United States, to be far preferable to a land tax : it is paid by the peo ■ple with more facility, and realized by the government with more certainty. Besides, the fvAern is arranged and in a ragular ope rition ; all the oScers are appointed, who would be neeeffary if a much larger sum were to be raised in the fame way; so that the expense of colle&ing any addi tibnal duties on and cxcife would be compara tively very small. I am therefore clearly of the opinion, that xny addi tional sums which may at present be needed, for de frayiig the expense- of the government, or for the payment of their just debts, ought to be raised by du ties on imposts and excises : that is a method of taxa tion wit h which we are acquainted, and which experi ence has taught us the operation of, under this govern ment. But such is the variegated interest of the United States, and such their diverfified method of levying and collecting dired tuxes, that ho uniform system ef ciretf Uxatimi can fce devised, which will apply to the ' cuCom of any two cf th; states; and unless yon adopt the rules ot some one of the states your ly.lem will be ' diverse from any one which has ever been practised 1 upen m any put of the Union. Bu: if vou adopt the method which has been prefcribedbv any one of the state governments ant! which miy probahlv be very properly adopted, to.suit the cireumftances and .-onci lurethe feelings of the people of such state, even in ' that cale, you will have the prevailing opir.ion ot' sis- 1 \teen Sites out of sixteen, diredlly opposed to your fy- 1 fle.ii. And this opinion having been acquired 1 rorn long experience ot the operation of direct taxes.( which • molt o£ the states have of neceflity conilamly had re- i fort to, for the support of their state governments, and tp. uifchargiag the debts contraflud in the late -wa- ' with Great-Britain) and which being founded on lo- : cal cii cnmfhnces, habits and attachments, are vcrv ' hard to be eradicated, will very ranch retard the one- 1 ration of the Ivftem, if Hot-render it entirely imprac- i ' r The Secretary's report on this fubjeiS brings into view, three modes of levying direfl taxes, with which the' House are acquainted. Ihe firft of these modes has for its objeil, an appor- ' tionment on each on constitutional principles ' afiigaiug a time for the money to be paid into the trea sury, on failure of any .state, to be ifleffed and collefl- ; ed by th* authority of the United States, upon the 1 lame objects of taxation and pursuant to the fame rule, hy which the last taxes were WJfeffed and collefled 1 ln/uch lUte. i " ift. That an AJI of Congress fcou Id be passed, declaring the quotas of the different ftateJ; iffigniiw a tune for. payment .nto the treaftfry, 21 , d preferring,. delinquency, that the said quotas should be ai.efled and collected by authority o/the United States, upon the :ame objefl* of taxation, and pursuant to the l.:ire rules by which the iall faxes were assessed and by the reipecHivf ftites. " id. That the Aa of Congress should direct that the proposed tax ihouid l,e alVcfi'ed and colleikd under i ■Buth : r..tyof the United States, upon the; fame «bj<*U Ol taxation, and pirrfuant to the rules of the colleilion t by which taxes are collected in states relWUvcly "V' J ha !- the ot ' Con Srefs Ihould detine cer tain objects w taxation aud principles of afletTment according to which the proposed tax fcould be assessed in a.l tne Hates, to becoliccled pursuant to uniform re gulation^. Ihe report treats the firft mode as entirely ur.wor- I t.iy o. conSv.ercc. It gives some countenance to the c fecondmode ; but finally concludes that it is inelrgible —the third mode is recogtured as the preferable one • f fßd has bten agreed to by the committee of wav, and ' means; but, fir, I uiUt take the, liberty of differing ( from them in opinion on tiiefubjea ; the mode which t t .ey have agrtc-d to, is in my mind by far the moll ? or the Itideflroys that equality of taxaticn, which oupht to tharsctei ize every nation, ind which bv Arift at- ' tcniion and iudufiry, founded o* tile true principles of c equal liberty from ma:* years moil of the iUtcs n, the Unicn, fcave in a g.,od meifure, ac- r qwr»d tee knowledge of anu sdopted. It is cslculated to laddie the ii.duftrious farmers 1 cf oti' country with an tin iue burthen. From the induftrv, toil, and fatigue, of tbofe whose lot it is 1 to till the earth, all orders, faculties and profeffions 1 of men derive l.etr foppoit. many thou lands 1 ol people in th« U.iiud States, live ftom year to ' yeai without once feeling the fatigue of hard labor? \ a'd many of t. -m fcwrmrftng in li>« lr y, from the of capitaiJ artfully acquired from the hard f carries of the unws y laborer. And fhail a fyf. ? tern ol dired taxation bf adopted under the go- 1 Tciomcnt, wriucb o,c peepk have lurmcd upoo the J I r principles of eqtial libei ?y, which vvill oblige th? induorioH9 farmer to~pay a lai>d tax, and t tax his building, which in most iuflancej includes nine teen-twentieths 01 hi« p.operty ; and all the money holders, holders of all i>;her kinds of property, and those who from profeffion, or epolumect derived f from the operation of our government, are living in ' alfluence, be exonerated from any part of the bur then, except a small pittance for the hotifes they live in ? No, fir, it appears to me, that a lyrtem like this nev;r can be agreed to in thn hoHfe. A gain, felting aside the dependence of he commu nity, on the indultry of the farmer and tie mechanic for food and raiment, are not these 6e men on . whom the government mutt principally rely, for personal service, in defence of the countiy, <n cafe . of an invalicn frofn a foreign enemy's IF to, which I prefumf will net be controverted, are they not entitled to equal privileges iVith their fellow citizens, ascoiding t* the property they poiTels ?, mod as suredly they are : but very wiii-ly othetwife mil be the cafe, if the fvftem before you (liquid be adopted. The time that mud be fpcnt in forming an estimate on new principles through the United States, and the great number of new officers {at leall 3,500 woald be urecetTarv) in afieffing and col lecting the tax would add very effintially to the burthen. If a direst tax fhonld e*er become ne ceflary under this government, I lupe it will em brace all the objeils of taxation, which have been designated by the particular state govefements ; and the ingtnious reafoaing in the secretary's report, against the prailibllity of the second mode therein stated, I am unable to fignre to myfelf any f)olfible inconvenience which would arise from it on the ground of the objedtions. And why that system was not adhered to in the report, am at a loss, for the resolve directing the report to be made contemplated no other. But I am, from my present opinion induced to give the fyi'tem firft mentioned io the report the preference. The several dates being convinced, that tbe authority of the general government would be exercised, if the money was not furniftied by the time prefixed, they would in all probability make the remittance ; but if any (late (hould fail of doing it, this government would make the alfeffment an the inhabitants of the delinquent (late ; and wonld be under as good advantages forcolle&ing it, as it would have been to have made the aiTeffment on the inhabitants in the firft instance ; and the reafoaing in the report does not apply to the-cafe, for under the Former government the Congress had no power to assess money on individuals in any cr.fe, and there fore were under the necessity of depending on the will of the (late government alone, foi a compli ance with the requisitions; but underthe prefect government the" power of Congress to assess and coiled such deficiency, is commeafkirite with their power to make the requisition. This mode of laying direst taxes, would require no new officers, the money would be colie&ed by the date officers with the (late taxe?, and would be attended with much less expence to the people, than either of tbe other modes presented. But there are almost inseparable objefliom to a dired tax uaderthis government, view it is what light yju please; and I presume, that the govern ment never will adopt one, until all the objects of indirect taxation are exhausted and the demands on the treasury make it iodifj>epfably necessary. Is that the cafe at this time ? No Sir, i think it it not ; but that very large additional sums may be drawn from that source if it were necessary. Before we go fully into ap investigation of the principles of a Land Tax, perhaps it would be ex T pedient to enquire, into the annual receipts and expenditures at the treaftiry, and to fatiafy our selves whether there is, or is not a neceflity of lay ing additional taxes of any kind And if on ration calculation it ftiould be found, that the' proceeds of exilHng taxes, will be commensurate with the demands on the treasury, for the four succeeding years, your laud tax will certainly be unnecessary. Being niyfelf convinced of the fad, I will take the liberty of dating the principles on which tny opinion is founded. The annual expence of the government. Including all demands, is estimated by the Secretary of the Trea- 1 fury up to the year jßot, at 7.463,000 1 he report eflimates the duties on im ports and tonnage, by the aflual receipts into the Treasury, in , 79J> « 5>5i8,961^6 i-rom exciies on thr fi m eprinciple, at 3-7 2t f ,6 The revenue from the poft-office, at ? ?'oco Bank dividend, at , Interest 011 redeemed flock S2 6J6 On patents, &c. > '746^73 Amounting to '• > 6,ic0,670~" • Which leaves aa snmial balance z gainft the Treasury of 1 -6- but it is tobe'ohferved that this statement is made frotnt';c money received into the Treasury in 1795, and is.the pioduft of the revenue in 1794. And by recurring to the revenue returns for 170 c we fmd the net amount of duties on imposts and tonnage in that year is 7,959,409,70. Which gives a balance in favour of the Treasury oeiides tupplying the sum calculated to be taifed by direct tax of 496 409,70. The amount of the revenue t®be derived from Eicife, is also estimated from the ad.ua! receipts in the Treasury iu 1795, and is indis putably mach tea low ; for ia man) parts of the United States the excise law had iufl be gun to operate ic 1794, in which year a great part ot the receipts ef the Treasury in 1795, adually acc, i:td. It is, I think, moil pron'er to take this estimate from the m u R. rcceut date of receipts, and f rom Sept. 30, 1795 to Oft. I, 1796, the receipts on account 0/ tlic ncife were , 6 , , r Since that sum has been collected from the peop e, an additional tax has bean laid by way of excise, which will conCderablv increase / I that branch of the revenue. Poll-Office revenue ' Dividend of Bauk produces 3J,000 Interest on redeemed ft<A.k , On Patcr.ts 86>6 3 6 "4-7J Whole anjount of net revemie o " From the great increase of the ReTenue trom 1795 to 1796, I think that this (late mcr.t can be rthed on, with a decree of cer tainty, as a proper estimate of our annual re venue from exiftiiig taxes, which gives an an nual ia £av« 0 f ic UcUury, 1jCa , 1705 ,. 41 The " rrenry of A' Taipeirf, in h=- re port on J-.c fcUjla of diiiS eiumate* tl-c annual expenf# of the military and naval department a;.d military pcnfioaer, at 1,000,000 The estimate in detail for those departments for 1797 . , . , M 08.890 -And I am of opinion that the leal annual ex pence of those departments, will fall tonfidcrably short of this estimate taking it so; four years, if pro per ecenor.iy is nftd, which will further rncreak thefurplus money in your treasury. The general daff of the army are by the laws >rf the U. States, to be continued no longer than the fourth of March next, and therefore (he items which apply to them in the estimate cannot be considered a« an apnrui.l expence. The £ay of the general ftaff estimat ed upto tlie 4th of March next 874.31 Ai the United States are in a (late of peace, arid their have only garri son duty t» do, the keeping up a corps of dragoons cm be of no ule whatever, & a confidence saving will be made by reducing the. corps The avagotjHs' annual pay amounts to 9>4&0 General ftaff fubfiftcnce to 4th March next, 1,190 rations at lo cents per ration, is 378 Forage for the general ftaff 217-'3 Cavalry forage 9, 6g6 The equipments for the cavalry a»I3J 66 Horses for the cavalry 13,950 The Secretary has estimated the ex pense of the<]uarter-raafter's department at 150,000 dollari, lam led to believe that the (late of the army will admit of a reduction of that expense too,cco A redu<Sion of 59,000 Indian rations it being half the number stated in the e stimate to,ooo Expenee of running the litie of the Indian territory • 10,003 •For building mills, &c. at Oneida J,oco These items amount to i§i,931.10 IJeduft this last sum from the esti mate for 1 797 leaves 1,346,958' And this left sum deduced from the -- —— • - 200 D,OOO stated in the,report on the fab* jedl of direifl taxes, as an eftirr.ate of the annual expence rtf the army and navy & military pentions gives another balance in favor of the Treasury, of 653,041.13 This fun. together with tlie surplus revenue in favor of the treasury make 1,682,7,1.51 Thisfam is the net produce of our annual reven ues over the Aims necessary to difoharge all de mands on the Treasury for the four fucceedine years. From this ftateraent, which is taken from authen tic documents, does it Dot clcarly appear that it is entirely unnecessary, and even inexpedient ta im-, pose additional taxes of any deaomination in the present itffion ? While the exiftitig taxes give you a net income of more than a million and an half «>f dollars annually, over and above, the annual de mand, which can, is the common course of occur rences, be made on the Treasury, for the four fac ceeding years, can you with any propriety, lay additional burthens on the people ? it hat ofun been ehfeived, in the couife of the debate on this fubjeft, that-all would agree in tiie necessity of ad ditional taxes ; 1/ut fe far from an unanimous con currence in this opinion, o« » onndid examination cf the lubjefl, with an ufoal reliance on the com moni.courle of events, will not,every member of this hcufr, consider any additional taxes to be unneces sary. £To be continue 4.^ TRENTON, February 7. On Saturday lad the inhabitants of this city were highly giatified by the cpetiir.g of the navigation of the AQanpink. At 15 minutes pad 10 o'clock the new boat Hope, carWlrufted by gen. Breaily and Mr. David Hutcbinfon, on purpose for this navigation, left David's Town, at which place the upper lock is (j ---tuated, and arrived here at 15 minutes palt one. On board her came the president and managers of the company and near fifty other persons, {he pas sed the tjrii lock in exadilv iix minutes, and the se cond in seven, at the third (he was detained about half an hour owing to its not being in perfect rea dmef#, potwithlhnding which (he made good her voyage, calculated at 10 or 12 miles, cxa&ly in thiee hours. This is but about half the distance to which it is contemplated to extend the navigation, but it is pre'umed no more locks will be necessary in the ivhole extent of its course. On the firft appearance of the boat 111 fight ef the town the company on board gave three cheers which wasanfwered by a fedc - salute from Capt. Collins, who had politely, though on a (hort nutice, eolleacd a few of his men for that purpdfe, after winch, at the moment of landing, the crouds of people wbo lined both shores of the octk saluted I with three hearty cheers. 1 he prefidenr and managers, and a number of i the gentlemen who came down in the boat then re tired to a public homfe, where they dined together | and spent the afternoon with great feciability and j hilarity. J Tim being the firft attempt at inland navigation which has been carried into effirrft in this (late, it has had to encounter every obstacle which incredu lity and prejudice could throw in its way, all of which it has furmcuntcd with much less difficulty and expense than was at hrft contemplated by its warmed and we Hatter oi,rf< Ives it will lerve as an iiitrodu&iou to more exteuUve and ule tul undertakings. By the luccefs of this scheme, trilitng as it'-is 111 companion with many others, an avenue is opened, u"!L C^ Cap ' ea( V *"d fafe mode of conveyance ef t»bii(hcd to this city through an extensive' and'fer tile part ot the country, aod what is of great con. equence, large trads of timber and woodland are at open to our use, which have been hereto oie dt o gieat a eiftance from any water carriage ritln. 3 ' renc ' er t ' lem ,J f little or no value W proprietors or oth¥i s. We are u,formed that the fubfeription book is now open ar the office of the treafur.rof the coa to enaKlr ,^, eßton, 3 fCW m ° re (hares bein g wat thrnnoh f a ,' iagCr6 tocum P lcte navigation r h u e C ° Urfe :as » these arc ob tamed the books will be Anally closed. cow, do it uadu double ail- vantage ; the fu- -If r r the w dertakhtg being f_jJ_ ly slcertaiaed, «nd Hie b-jfineft i 0 immedfate ,-!Lra tion, I here n ic.«w a moral csitaiuty that the jtfohti will yield them u banufonne interest f ur their ao . ncjr. SAVANNAH, January 20. Thef»lk-wing letter was yejlc,-day received, from the governor oj ■Pennsylvania, by John Y. Nad, Ela Mayor of this Lay. bin, I received with the flneerelt sympathy a.,d -e e rer your communication, refpeding the calami-y tfcwt ' has recently afflided the city of Savai.. ld h, a.hi deemed tt my duty to claim the iaterpofitioa of' thi legislature, in order to secure an immediate sod iibe | ral contribution, for the relief of eur dift:efTcd fellow citizsns of the Stale of Georgia. 1 have now the pleafue of transmitting to you a copy of the act by which Fifteen Thousand Da'.lars, have been chearfully appropriated for that benevoler^ purpole ; and to inform you, that Samuel R| Fox, Robert Wain, and Charles Biddle, Efquirejj are charged with remitting the amount to you, bv the fofclt and molt expeditious conveyance. It is -ny eaioett with, that the example of Pena fylvauia, mav be pursued throughout the United States ; and I (hall rejoice, in hearing at an early period, that ihc inhabitants o Savannah, affection ately succoured by their brethren, and honorably fepported by their own induftty, have been reituiel to the flourishing condition, that they had previonf ly attained, noiwirhllandiiig the ravages to whicn Giorgia had been peculiarly exposed, during our revolutionary contelt. Accept the fentimenrs of personal efteetn, with which I am, Sit, , - Your mult obedient, Humble ferva.it, Thos. Mifflin. Philadelphia, Dec. 24, 1796. TTTTSBL r iiGH, FebT^ The rivers Ohio, Allegheny, and Monvgahela were frozen over from the 28th of Novetiiuer until Mc >dav last, when the ice gave way, and the navi. gallon is now entirely lice fram obltruftiou. Red Pole, a principal Chief of the Shawaneli nation of Indians, died in this place an Saturday lait—2nd tire day following was buried with the honors of war. He was on hi* return home from visiting the Prefideut tf the United States. BOSTON, January 31. . ANHIVER or the SENATE TO THE ADDRESS OF THE GOVERNOR. MAT IT PLEAS E YOUR EXCELLENCY, THE Setiata, having so racerifly taken oceafiou to express their sense of the diltinguill.ed lervices and merits of the Prefidcnt ot the United States, and the feelings-excited by his intention to retire Irani the burthens of public life, have only now to fay, that they peifedly accord with your Excellen cy in the sentiments oa that fubjett, contained in your communication to the Legillature. The general voice of the United States has de clared, that every, fctae of his ilhittriaus Hie has been marked with the purett attachment to his coun try, and the matt enlightened zeal to infuie her peimanent felicity. May America ever poflefs citizen's whose ability and pauionim will add lultre to so blight an exam ple ; ?i;d may the influence of his character canfe our country to feel, that, though removed (10m the adive lcenes of government, he has not ceased 10 poftiriy. The Senate, Sir, are feniible of the high impor tance ot preserving, uncoiitan>inated, thai moil tf iential privilege of treemeo, the right ot election* Should the laws already made to inlure that objed, be tound defective, they doubt not additional lecn rit its will be provided. The attention Ihewr, by the people of the Uu«r ted States, in a late important ehdion, to thole diftingailhed citizens who early flepped loith, and have continued lirrn in the caule ot ireedoai, (hews their attachment to the principles which fanned the balls of their government, and evinces the gratitude of true republicans to thole who have been inttru, mental 111 theii happineis. We have ever been deeply imprefled wi»b the importance ot fuppoiting thole lnilitutiuns ttbiclj tend to promote the progress of molality and ufeful knowledge; and fhalt ever be ready to give all proper encouragement to eftablilhmenU so efiential 10 the freedom ond hsrppinefs at a peo ple;. The militia of this commonwealth is a fnljcct which has heretofoie occupied much of the uitcu tion of the Senate, »!.d we shall be rtsdy at ail I times to give it that couflderation which i's impor -1 taiice requires. Whta We call to mind the i'npor , taut lervices rendeied to the caufc of liberty, i« the early stages of out revolution, by an un<L.cipiiutd inilitiu, we caunot but hope, that the iyitein will be ia improved, that our commonwealth will never have occalion 10 rtfort, tor her dciei;.e, to the hazardous expedient ef a funding army in times of peace. > \our iixcelleucy having announced yo..r deter mination to iciire from the pubhe iervice, the Senate ask leave to expieis the leiilc tiicy entertait* ot the many and urporiaiu ierviecs rendered by you to our common count! \. 1»» times of and danger you, Sir, wets emineutly etigagea in the caulc ot Ucedor.-i ; siJ years or "uaicmittea exeition, in various cl> 1 ■ dt partmeiits, ti-nee iu« e«abl3hmeot us our indepen dence, piove the interest you have fell in the pie. lervation-of so invaluable a bleffiug. 1 o have lived to ice the independence of your country fiimly eftablifhtd, hei protpenty increaling, anu the principles or iifcerty and good governthiint daily grinir.g ttrength, mult be afoutcc of happmtfs iu retirement equal to the loudelt wirtie* of your heart. It is the iincere vvifh of the Seoate that you may enjoy iuch a meafuie of heaith, as will lc»g permit yoy to witness and partake of the bltlfings of thtt iiidepeodeßce which you have so largely contribu ted to infaie ; and thai the evening ot your life may be as trarquil and haopy, as it# morning and mcru diau hkve becu »£l.i. uud honorable*
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