The New Hampshire Gazette

Taxes.—Under this head the last Journal exhibits a list, purporting to be the names of all those who pay over 50 dollars tax in Portsmouth, according to which it would seem that the federal party are richer than the democrats, or, at least, that among those paying 50 dollars tax and over, by far the greater portion are opposed to the administration. Now this fact we should never have undertaken to dispute; but why is this published? Why, in truth, the argument, so far as we can understand it, is, that the federal party, by paying the greatest tax, ought to enjoy and exercise the most influence. They complain that they have "no voice" in the management of public affairs—that on the present "list o our town affairs, there are but two individuals opposed to Jackson, who pay a tax of more than fifty dollars." Well—we have looked over the list also, and do not perceive among them all, more than two, or possibly three, Jacksonmen, who pay a tax of more than fifty dollars But what does this argue? Why that the town offices are filled with men of the middling and poorer interest, paying taxes of perhaps from 10 to 50 dollars—men who bear the greatest proportion of taxes in proportion to their wealth, and some of them, if the publishers of the Journal please, from those 'four hundred and seventy individuals who pay nothing but a poll tax," and whom the wise and patriotic editors represent as being "under the artful guidance of a few office holders." By the way, we do not find the names of the Journal publishers among the aristocratic list of high tax payers. Pray gentlemen have the goodness to tell us under whose 'artful guidance'are you? You neither of you pay a tax of fifty dollars, perhaps not twenty-five, and how in the name of common sense can you have any "enterprise," or "business talent," -or any right to a "voice in public affairs." We know the publishers profess to "abhor the idea of a money representation," but tell us in plain English, what is the drift of all this parade of names paying the high taxes, except to complain that 127 men, because they pay about half the taxes, are not suffered to rule the town ?

The fact is, that for the past three years, the affairs of the town have been almost exclusively under the management of this sort of men. Three years ago the democrats were routed from Town offices, under the name of a "Union" which by the way proved to be like the handle of a can—all upon one side —and in the course of those three years, the Town debt was increased about FORTY TWO THOUSAND DOLLARS. The people of middling interest became alarmed, and even many of the rich began to stare ! It was high time said they, to give this business a check; our "rowers had brought us into deep waters." So by "a long pull, and a strong pull, and a pull altogether," the affairs of the town were placed in the hands of the democrats—men of small property—not in the habit of handling so much money—and of course it was thought would prove less liable to extravagance.— The taxes it is true, are high, but it will be seen in another article to what this is to be attributed.