Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

From the Farmer's Cabinet.

DIRECT TAX.

Mr. Editor --I remember a mighty clamor was made against the direct tax in the time of John Adams. Every thing bad was said about it and those who made it. I know some men who denounced it as the greatest curse the nation could endure. They said it was unconstitutional, monarchical, unjust, oppressive and vexatious; and that it would ruin the people and country. Some even went so far as to threaten the Collectors in order to deter them from performing their duty. The noise and bustle these men made, brought them into notice --and as they said they were the friends of the people, the people believed them, & made them Representatives, Counselors, Senators, &c. Now we have another DIRECT TAX--and Direct Taxes are just the same under Madison as they were under Adams: just as bad in their nature, and collected in the same way. But where are these friends of the people? What has happened their mouths, that we do not hear from them now? Why their tune seems a little altered. Many of these who made such a noise about the other tax are appointed Assessors and Collectors and "that accounts for it!" I had the curiosity just to look into this bunch of TAX LAWS: and a fine parcel of them I found. I thought I had knocked the lid off Pandora's Box, and all the plagues of creation popp'd out. There was "An act laying duty on Carriages; An act laying a duty on licences to distillers: An act laying a duty on sales at auction; An act laying duties on sugars refined; An act laying duty on licences to retailers: An act laying duties on stamped paper: An act for the assessment and collection of direct taxes and internal duties: An act to lay and collect Direct Tax, and an Act making provision therefore."

Then I looked to see what Pay the assessors and collectors were to have; or "Thinks I," that may make some odds. The more they get, the more willing they'll be.

An Assistant Assessor has nine shillings per day for collecting lists, and making valuations; and 8 dollars for every hundred taxable persons in the tax list which he delivers to the Principal Assessor. Then the Principal Assessor has 2 dollars a day for hearing appeals, and making out lists, and four dollars for every hundred taxable persons in the tax list which he delivers to the Collectors. Next comes the Collector for his share of the plunder and he gets such a per cent. on all the money he collects; the land tax for the county of Hillsborough [N. H.] is 20,216 dollars, and seventy-five cents! Then on all money collected from the Internal Duties, such as carriages, licences to distillers, to auctioneers to store-keepers, tavern-keepers, stamp paper, &c. the Collector has 6 per cent. The amount of this tax is uncertain; but it cannot be less than 300 dollars, in the county of Hillsborough. Six per cent on this will be 180 dollars--equal to the governor's Salary. A fine office in these hard times!

These are the crumbs,
That stop the mouths,
That clamour'd so loud,
Against the Tax
That Adams laid.

A FARMER