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Proofediog On -He princiof giving tf
tienr lupport national eredir, an Aof
maintaining the national firth and honor in
*jolarr, they have carefully compared the
amount of cv-ry demand against govern
ment ; the terms of payment stipulated, with
the current expenditures as reduced ; and
the ;:n nu al revenue, excltffive of the internal
taxes ( xCeeds the want of the nation —They
have therefore repealed all the internal taxes.
\$ the repeal of these tares has been at
tributed to a ch firm to promote the interests
of one fiction of the union, at the expense of
another a few moments may be well employ
ed in confi iering this luhjecl.
K>;rife is a tax always c fious to a free pee
pie, fro n the extent of power which is rccef
fari!y given to enforce an obedience to the
] ivv. “It deems hardly compatible with the
termer of a free nation. It was so abhor
rear, to the feelings of the people of England,
that the houTe of commons once voted to
b inr- o condign pimiihment certain persons
v/ho eharofd them with a design to intro
duce it. It was, however, afterwards ■ intro
duced in; o that nation, firft levied on a few
articles, from time to time extended to others
as be ocouT we: e found to submit to the im-
} -</fition, until at lad i: embraced alrr.oft every
iti ride of convenience and many of necessity.
So here it commenced with a duty on dif
riled spirits : bur <n the tourfe of four years
“as extended to the ordinary Tales, for con
t’>.r. * •' r ‘ | p' r 'ic brandies and wines;
~, ; .u falcs x auction ;to all can iagr Tor the
c “ vc nnm* cf persons, and all refiners of
sugar.—Mad it been continued and the fame
AT.at: of policy pnrfucd, in a few more years,
as in England, the paper for our fchool
books, the dyes (or urn clothing, the lights
for our rooms, the beer for our tables and the
ihoes for cur feet would have been laid under
contribution.-r-As it refpecls its cflccfts on
domestic diftillcd fpirirs it operates, in the
firft inllance, upon two deferiptions of per
sons :
Jib. The people who have emigrated from
the old fcetlements into the interior, who en
counter all the evils and hardships of open
ing the wilderncfs, are deprived efthe conve
nience of market towns, or markets, and who
are incapable of iapplying themfelvcs from
a foreign marker, or vending their fur pi us
grains. With them a circulating medium
is lcarcely known ; their neceflities force
them to resort to the process of diftillaticn, tc
prevent the loss of their surplus crops, and
These fmg.srar.ts are highly uieful to the
nation : they form a barrier again ft the fa
\ ages, they rx:end the sphere of adion ; their
ear ‘ration prevent* a too dense population
which increal'es the comforts of thole lefc be
hind. To levy this tax on them is unjust: and
cruel. They require the (offering hand of a
parent, not the gralping hand of a tyrant or
tJx ,r atherer.
The middle and theeaftern (hates have uni -
for.nely cherished and aided infant fettlemenrs
by freeing them wholly from taxation for a
considerable time. The wildjm and policy
of the measure have never been doubted,
2d. Persons principally redding in our
large towns who enter upon the business of
cilli latioi for the pnrpofeof acquiring pro
perty. The spirits with which they furnifh
the marker, are derived either from molafles
imported, or from grains, cyder, and the like,
purchafcd of cur farmers. So far as they
are derived from the difbillation of mobiles,
trie government derives a revenue from the
article, by a duty on its importation. So
far as the Spirits are derived from articles
produced in the country 5 the excise reduces
the price of the a? tide, and throws the tax
upon the farming interell. When the diftil-
Jer pays government ren cents the gallon on
the fpu-irs he distills, he will deduct that ten
cents from the price he pays for the portion
of grain or liquor it requires to produce the
fpirir. By removing the excise on distilled
ftfirits, government does the mod efficient a6t
in its power, to turnifh the farmer with a
reafonabie marker.
The demand of bread in Europe has of
late years enabled the farmer to fell his pro
duce at a high price, but let peace once visit
that quarter of the globe, he will find an in
creased proportion of the monied capita! ap
plied to diftilhition, and by that the price of
the various kinds of grain will be principally
regulated.
The charge that it favours Virginia and
the other agricultural states, to die injury of
MafTachufetts, ar.d other dates, is not true ;
the report of the Secretary of the Tre 1 fury
lately pubhfhed, evinces the falihood of the
allegation.
Indee 1, when the excise on distilled fpi
ffirs was laid, it was confkiered as particularly
njurio”s to the interefi of Maffiuchufetts.
Mr. Da!to a an.l Governor Strong both vo
ted a yarn ft the bill. This appears by the
Journals of th“ Senate.
Congn fs were induced to repeal Tele taxes, I
fro m the following confi ’erafions :
the remaining revenue* of govern
ment were equal to its nece.lTties ; that it
won! 1 be an equal and great relief to the
people, not only as it enabled them to apply
the amount of the monies, lay, 900,000 dol
lars yearly to their private use ; but as it
would Tee them from the loss of time and
expence which was neceHunly required in
travelling to and from the various offices to
furnilh themfeives with licences and stamp
paper, and to make their payments. The
difference in the consumption of die ci
tizen’s time and money in the coUedhon of
the external and internal revenues is im
me.ofe. The firft is limited to a very few
commercial points where the merchants and
officers re fide. The latter extends to every
portion of the Union. It operates more or
less in every town, village and settlement.
The system itffiif c reates an embarrafsmem
on business ; not unfrequently the expence
of procuring the licence on piper is equal to
the whole revenue derived from it.
That the expense of supporting the various
officers employed in collecting it, confi.mes
rr.cre than twenty dollars out of every hun
dred dollars collected, and amounts to
1 80,000 dollars yearly, every cent of which
is saved ro the people by abolishing the lys
tem. While the duties on imported articles
does not require an expense of more than
five dollars on a hundred do'lais paid.
That the fvfte:n,by creating a valt number
of offices, had a tendency to increase :he pow
er and patronage of the t xecutive so ffir, that
it might become, if it hrJ rot already been,
dangerous iv# tX liberties est the country.
That experience had (hewn governments
become extravagant and expendve in propor
tion to the means they poffieffitd. It was
therefore both just and politic to iurrendcr
and yield up to the people, that portion of
j revenue winch was not ncccflary to the gov
; eminent. That this surrender ougiu to ccn -
j fift of those raxes which are o.oft obnoxious ;
which moft embarralled tlic ordinary purfuiis
|of the people, and which were cf political
afpeift the mod suspicious ; and that the his
tory of the nations who have gone before us
evinces this truth. That a system of excise
when once established, is ufViall/ extended
from article to article, until it is applied to
all the comforts and conveniences of life, and
moll of its neceftities, when it finks the body
of the nation into wretchedness and poverty.
Considering the condition of the persons
upon whom the carriage tax operated, it ap
peared m rumc neafirfi deftrable to continue
fK.r rax ; Kof when It was mat rt
produced only 77,^71 dollars anH 41 cents,
that it could not be continued without em
ploying a v ift corps of officers at an expence
equal, or nearly equal to the tax, thereby
preserving the feeds of another general excile
system, the policy of the government forbade
its continuance. It his been laid by opposi
tion that the repeal of these taxes only opei
ated tn relieve the more wealthy; leaving
the poor under the whole prefture of ali their
former burthens. That if the finances of
the nafton adm'tted of a reduction, the duty
on fill, bohea tea, and brown sugar ought to
be diminilhed. Yet they and their friends
were the persons who levied the duties on
these articles two years before they levied any
excise. They have from time to time in
creased the duties on the fame articles. The
firft duty on fait was 6 cents per bufticl ;
they increased it to n cents ; on tea it was
10 cents per pound, they increafcd it to 12
cents. It was one cent per pound on sugar,
they increafcd it to two. These duties they
made perpetual, that is to fay, to continue
until a majority of both houses of Congress,
and the President, or two thirds of both
houses agree to remove therm.
The internal taxes, whatever might be their
wipes j they did not venture until after they
election of Mr. Jcfferfon to make perpetual
Tb'ife taxes were temporary, and moft of them
would have expired before ibis day , bad not the
desire of the party to preserve the trappings of
monarchy induced them to pass the law of the
2stbcf February , 1801, by which they were\
made perpetual ♦ ‘To fitisfy the public that the j
design of the opposition in objecting to the j
repeal of the internal taxes, was fo!dy to em- ;
barrafs government, and not to relieve the i
poor, who, while they use it with moderation, j
arc as much comforted by spirits, as by tea or j
fa gar ; it is proper to examine their condufl j
while in power, a little more minutely. In- j
stead cf leffiening the duties on these articles, j
in the month of February, 1797, when they I
had the benefit of the knowledge cf the ope- j
ration of the duties for more than fix years, I
thev increafcd them. Every member of-j
Congreis from Connedicut, f including Gris- j
wold and Dana) every member from New-j
Hampftmre, and every member prefenc from]
M iflachufetts (excepting Wm. Lyman) voted j
in favor of tha r measure. At the fame feiTion |
a law was paffied granting relief to distillers, \
Sy removing the duty from the amount of
spirits, and fixing it on the opacity of thej
ft 11. Everv niember from the states of Nev/-1
jH.imp (hire, Maftahufetts and Connecticut j
voted in favour of this law’ These faAs ap
pear from the Journals of Congreis.
Here, people of New-England, is a ]uft
view of your representatives, who would in
duce you to believe that the government of
the country was facrificing its interests at the
{brine of Virginia’s ambition.
It has been said that found policy required
the application of these taxes to the difeharge
of the national debt. To that it is answered
—maintain the present economical cftablifh
ment, the surplus funds arifing'from the re
maining revenues will pay the debt as loon ss
Congress have by law a right to pav it, and
the exorbitant expense of collecting the excise
will be avoided.
k lias been said by oonofition, that these
taxes arc repealed,and the duties on imported
articles continued with a view to deftrov
commerce. Let the commercial interest re-
There is not an additional cent irn
pofed on commerce. As the taxes ot the
nation are leffienened, the ability of the
people to pay is increafcd. Let it be re
minded with what promptitude the trade of
the Mediterranean was protected.-
That government has completed a treaty
with Great-B Tain, whereby our merchants
are enabled to recover their loft proper:”,
and continue in the enjoyment of commer
cial enterprise—--above all, that government
reiving lbtely on commerce for her reve
nue (lands pledged bv interest, the strong
est of all ties, to chcrUh mad support it.
The removal of the interna! taxes, lo far
from evincing hofei!iry to commerce, (ur
nifties proof next to demonftrution, of a de
terminat.on c>n the part of government to
; support if.
j To dole die remarks on this subject it has
| been said, the repeal of these taxes was de-
I signed as a bloiv to the funds, and was a
nr'rlude to extinguifhmg the national debt
with a fpungc.
Nothing can be more unfounded than this
aspersion. The payments are made with
punctuality.
The government has by a law of this
feftion appropriated 7,300,000 dollars an
nually towards the difeharge of her debts,
the funds in the market are worth 13 p<r
cent more than they were during the laic
administration.
Docs the creditor’s confidence in his
debtor increase in proportion to the debtor’s
extravagance and dissipation ? Does a man’s
living beyond lift income furnifn the be ft
...viv.in.v n r rr;niT' n e tn pa y hU
debts ? Does a debtor forfeit all claims
to confidence by uniting rigi i economy
with a constant attention to business ?
Congress have repealed the a 6l palled in
February 1801, eftabiifhing fix new circuit
courts, and limiting the labours of the
judges of the supreme court to the holding
of two fe ft 10ns in a year at the feat of
government; and by another 261 have re
medied the evils of the former system, by
fpecifying the diftridls in which each judge
of the supreme court should ho'd a circuit
court, dilpenfing with one feftion of the
supreme court ; by this they have effe6led
an annual laving of gg } 000 dollars, and
abolished fixtecn useless offices.
This meafiire was ofjeTed to, both as
unconstitutional & impolitic.—-As ro the con
stitutionality of the measure, the diftindlion
exists between the supreme and the fuhor
dinate courts. The former is created by
the con ft ituti on ; the latter, by, and fubjeft
to, iegiftative diferetion. One may be ab
;o!iftied; the other cannot. The objection
that this doflrine destroys the judical de
partment, by engulphing it in the vortex
of party is unfounded.—The judges are
not fubjecl to the will of the executive, <>*•
even the legislature. No new system is
eftahlilhed. bv which anew corps of judges
is created.—The administration of justice
is entrusted, as it has heretofore been, to
the judges of the supreme courq whofc in
dependence has not been affiTcled, or ever
controverted. The right, to create and
abolish inferior courts has heretofore been
acknowledged bv the Icgiflacures of New-
Hamplhire, Massachusetts, Penuiy Ivania
Maryland and Virginia, who have fimilari
constitutions ; and no legiftature ever adopt
el a contrary conftrufcion. As to the policy
of the measure, the only questions are, whe
ther the fix judges will be able to perform
the service ; and whether an annual feiiion of
the supreme court is fufficienc.
To decide upon the ability of the judges
ro perform the service, let U3 confider che
labours of one judge—judge Cufhing, for
infrance.—The law requires of him to hold
annually, in conjunction with the diftrift
judges cwo sessions of a circuir court in
each of the ft ires of New-Hampftiire, Maf
fichufetrs and Riiode-IQand.—-Ten days may
fairly be computed the full length of a fef
ft on. Tire courts will then require iixty
Jays.—His travel in going to anJ returning’
from ch)fc courts cannot exceed 4SO miles,}
which allowing one day for each 20 miles, I
amounts to 21 du/s more. His rcfidcncc ‘
does not exceed 4SO miles diflance fiomche
featof government.—-At the above iroderd
a:e rate of travelling, there mu ft be added
48 days more, making the whole tirre while
on expence and in public service, 153 days,
or a little over five months, for which fervre
he receives tnree thousand five hundred dol
lars year : a left portion of time than
hedevoteu tothepubh feivice v-hile 2 imige
of the (late courts of Mast ichu'ert*. As to
the fufEcicncy of an a: nu and lupremc court it
cannot be doubted, nf.cn it is knowm that;
for ten years that com decide I but forty
three causes, and that - r its (..ft leffion
dockets contifted of eighr only, three ol
which were decided.
j Adorning the fa<fb that there vull be neirhrrl
a greater orlefs number of caules before the \
fupremeccot,m t, for ten years to come, than
there was for the firft ten years after its esta
blishment, arid there appears no rcafor
ahle ground on which to calculate for
an increase of business; iris eaiy tu feewh.it
thecomparilbn was between the set vices to bi*
rendered and the compensation made a/cor i-t
ing ro the provisions efthe UftfeQionof Con- *
grds.
The fftaries allowed by lav to the judges
of that couit amourc annually to % 1,5C0
dollars, of ecurle in years to 215,00 o
dollars. The lalarics cf the clerks for tJ e
fame time is 2.300 dollars. r lVt \ an,omit
of (diaries fo** ren years 9.17 JO’ a
the course of ten years, forty tltrciv^mi.■*,
only weie decided ns appears 1 y the
of Dallas. By this it is manifeft that unftejl
the last federal judiciary system, wV, h vas
repealed ar laid 1 effort of Congress, the peo
ple of the United States would pay more tha; 4 1
five thoufnnd and fifty-three dollars for each I
dccifion i)ocs that man exist who will lav ;!.xJ
public money ftiould be thus Iquandered ?i ■
A jcvifion of the laws relating to r*acurf. !
ization has also taken place, dhe a 6l est!
1793 is repealed, and the former law revfifec,
by which a residence o‘ five years entitles a,:
foreigner of good condudl and reputation ; ta
the rights of citizenllup. I
ThetiV.iftice due to a Urge number of penpfti
who emigrated under the faith of t#ifting li,vvJ|
and the policy of opening the wildcrnefs arfl
acquitting the arts and manufactures S
Europe repaired this revijion. It is
a revival of the IVajhington fyflcm .
Congress continued to the officers rejidmm
at the feat of government the
thev mj+yed trader the act of eg. —7 hisfaK
been the fubjeiTofmuch newspaper adXtWm
it has been falfefy reprejented as an
mentation of/alar ffij . A ’
The government has been charged with
a departure from economical prinet hies and:
those gentlemen who support the meafurei
but oppo/ed the grant in 1799, have bee A
charged with inconjijlercy . 7 h e p e chafgM
will not be accredited,when it is known am
the expence of living is conjidcrably
the feat of government than at VhifaM
phi a, fIH
To prove this fact it is only neccJaemßm
report to the alt of the late federalW/Kttj
the lajl fejfion of congress . ‘
The all of 17.99 a:ertained as
compensation of the clerks as of the s \ HH
When the offices were removed to H
ton , the inreafed expence of living nvowgl
ed it tiecefjary to augment the coyntocnfalm \ -!
of the clerks . They we re accordingly incmWß
ed fifteen per cent, Ihe act allowin'? fhM
fifteen pe:r cent, expired la ft zvi:it:r~mM
was rev ved.—deers is the concurrent tm : ft!
mony of both part ms uniting in this peW/k B
jit ion, • / U there is a difference cf livin'? UU
cover this difference of expenditure fhbjK H|
riis of were eflalHihed for two
hi fact there was not c member of
portion w T contended the [alarlcs
high.
To facilitate the progrels of
and p nvate an in ere ajm
pen draws of the revenue of the
p:>;i-:fice has been cut is wi fid both to r/:BB
the m- re jafe and exp edit is s /; nr 7
tio 7 ;/ the mail, and to extend the beijeWtM
of the edabhjhment to the 101 habit an rt
tiding upon, or near ahnefi jixty nezt'lefta-U
bliflsid pOji roads . It was propojed to re fl
move the pofingi from new/papers. I /'H
faryer of retarding the progrefi of A r >e maim H
and destroying country prejjes fn
the adoption of this measure. 7 his ftfcwwk
is net a tax. it does not amount to arM
fourth part of the monies expended in tbelmm
conneyan: e by government. I
Ft audition to these measures tb* so npen l
fattens of tie of the revsvut kavWjj
be so reduced. This bos effected as anm-m/L
favng of about 17,000 dollars.
Concluded’ iti our Km