Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)United States. Congress
History
Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, Vol. 2 (of 16)
United States. Congress
Law -- United States; United States -- Politics and government
Mr. GALLATIN said, before the question was taken on this division, he
would just mention why this species of personal property was brought
under view, whilst all other personal property was unnoticed.
It was very true, that stock upon a farm in the Northern and Eastern
States paid nearly as great a proportion of the taxes of those States as
the negroes did those of the Southern States, and therefore it might
seem somewhat wrong to introduce negroes in the one case and not cattle
in the other. The reason which induced the Committee of Ways and Means
to adopt this mode was, that negroes are confined to certain spots of
land in the Southern States, while horses and cattle extend nearly over
a whole country. And a land tax, unaccompanied with a tax on slaves,
would be very unpopular in those States, as it would throw too great a
burden upon farmers who did not hold slaves, and fall too lightly upon
those whose property chiefly consisted of slaves. There was this
difference betwixt the two species of property: A farmer in the Northern
or Eastern States would not think himself aggrieved by not paying a tax
upon his farming stock; but a farmer in the Southern States would think
himself aggrieved if his land was taxed, whilst the slaves of the
slaveholder were not taxed. It was on this account that this species of
property was introduced.
Mr. MURRAY was not struck with the observations of the gentleman last
up, so as to say he would ultimately vote for this species of tax; at
present, he should vote for a bill to be brought in; but unless he found
the bill could reconcile the principle more, and do greater justice in
the case than he at present conceived, he should then oppose it.
He said, he considered slaves in the Southern States as laborers, and
unless gentlemen could show him where laborers were taxed, he should not
think it right to vote for that part of the bill. He was decidedly in
favor of a land tax, but against the other part of the question. Mr. M.
said, he merely mentioned this that he might not hereafter be charged
with inconsistency, in case he should vote against the bill. He
repeated, unless provision be made for taxing labor in other parts of
the United States, he must vote against this part of the bill if brought
in, because the tax would operate very unequally.
Mr. HARPER said, though he was entirely opposed to the tax proposed by
the resolution, and should vote against the whole, yet he thought it
right that a tax on slaves should be introduced with a tax on land; for,
as this direct tax was to be raised by apportionment through the States,
whether the Southern States paid on slaves, or the Northern States on
land, made no difference in effect; each paid in its own way; one mode
was more convenient for the Northern, another for the Southern, and
another for the Eastern--no injury was done by this to any other State.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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