THE BEST TAXED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

West Coast Times, Issue 239, 28 June 1866, Page 3

THE BEST TAXED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.

(iilOir TUB ALTA OAMJ-ORNU, MAECH 21.) The American people are rapidly taking the foremost rank among mankind in a new aspect — that of being the best taxed people on the face of the earth. But a few years since it was our boast that we were the leas* taxed. We have now, since taxes , have come in vogue, gone to the other extreme) and .claim, to pay higher taxes than other people. The figured r.oll up at a prodigious rate, and the question as to the means of meeting them cannot long be deferred or trifled with by chimerical schemes to sell undiscovered mines, or dispose of blood yet to be extracted from turnips. The amount of taxes now actually paid in this state is somewhat surprising. We may enumerate the leading items, thus : —

This gives an average tax'per annum for every man, woman, and child, 37 dollars 60 cents, or nearly 200 dollars per family. The British annual tax is 12 dollars per head. The internal taxes were last year paid in paper, but the new law makes them in effect payable in gold. Hence the whole amount is a gold payment. Not only is this the case, but quite half the amount is shipped oilt of the State in gold for the service of the Federal Government jn the Atlantic States ; that is to say, 20 per cent, of the gold product of this State is taken for the use of the Federal Government, which now proposes a law to take also the land whence the gold is extracted. Let us suppose that our glorious revolution of 1783 had never been accomplished, and that the 32,000,000 people of these colonies were taxed 1 8 dollars per head, to be shipped in gold in England, involving an annual shipment of 676,000,000 dollars in' gold, what would be the condition of the Eastern portion of the country ? Six months 1 payment of the tax would utterly ruin it ! Yet California sustains her proportion of such a drain without flinching. But it appears that is not enough — more is demanded. One new law raises the taxes by varying the currency on which it is levied. Another law, grasps at the mineral lands from whence owthe ability to pay any taxes at all. Another law " reconstructs" the State so as to deprive it of the taxes derived from foreign miners' licenses, thus compelling it to increase other burdens. Still another law seeks to diminish the voice of the State in the national representation for which it pays so roundly. Other laws seek to obstruct the reintegration of the Union, and, consequently, to prevent eleven States from developing their ability to sustain a share of the growing burden. The debt of the Federal Government was placed by the Secretary of the Treasury, for July Ist. 1866, at 3,000,000,000 dollars. Other claims, of which 500,000,000 dollars are State war debts, are being adjusted on a scale that will add to the minimum estimate 1,000,000,000 dollars to the debt, making 4,000,000,000 dollars. Now, the number of representatives in Congress is 241, of which California has three, or one-eighth part. The same proportion of the public debt awards her 50,000,000 dollars. Her whole debt will then be as follows : —

Dollars. Proportion of Federal debt, 50,000,000 State debt 4,839,547 City debt 3,555,100 County debts , 3,600,000

Total debt,4oo,ooonersons, 61,894,640 This gives 154 dollars for every man, woman, and child in the State. The British debt is 117 dollars each. This is, however, at its maximum, while there is too much reason to fear that ours is a minimum.The most short-sighted statesman would, however, recognise that these liabilities are sufficiently large to induce the mOBt careful husbanding of the State resources. There must be no needless dilapidation of productive means, or any interference with the free exercise of individual industry, on which the State has hitherto depended for its prosperity. The future presents a rude struggle between industry 'and debt, and while the State will continue to contribute more than her full share to the national support, her resources and her interests should not be tampered with. The delusion held . out by the designing, and enter, tamed by the unthinking, that the assessed wealth of a nation, as a resource for the payment of its debts, is scarcely wortjj alluding to. It is too senseless for discussion, but nevertheless induces men who should know better to encourage extravagance., The oply possible means for a nation to meet its liabilities is to realize by tax a portion .of the surplus earnings of each year.

Dollars. federal taxes, Customs ...,i..<; 8j080,286 federal tuxes, internal 3,840,877 Total Federal 11,921,163 itate taxes 1,626,278 Jity taxes 1,021,824 bounty taxes 500,000 3,148,102 Total ;. 15,069,265