JB/042/862/001

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J 1226 Constitut. Code Defensive force 77 Radical Information from Neal (Copied <add>twice<add>) Ch. xxx. Govt.

1. Under the old articles of confederation, The Anglo-United
States, has no power to raise money as a federal body. What
they received was by a part of irregular constitution. Each state gave
what it pleased and no more, and almost every one tried
to pay as little as possible, even after the quota of each
was fixed by the general congress.

2. Much of this evil might have been avoided, if all
the states had known what each paid ; if the defaulters had
been known, they would have been 3 not for want of publicity,
certain of the states were thought to be defaulters when they were
not, and others were supposed to be a defaulters to a larger
amount than they were : the consequence was that each
state endeavoured to pay as little as it could There was
no reputation to be had by doing more than its duty — no disgrace to
apprehended from doing less.

If a tax be levied by the general government — perhaps it
may be made to offer to every state, its quota at a discount :
people in america are much in the habit of considering such discount
as a profit, or at any rate as an abatement for prompt pay.

By the Legislation System of Mr Bentham, added to
the publicity which he provides for, the difficulty of obtaining
a true knowledge of the wealth and population of a country, would
be materially lessened ; so much so that ten yearly tables might
be furnished to the heads of department, perhaps at less expence
than those tables one table such as they are now furnished
with (in the U.S.A) on every ten years. The population would
be shown every year : and if, as all contracts are to be registered,
the parties could, be induced to state the value of the subject
matter, the wealth of the country might be nearly estimated
in the same way. But could they be so induced? It is believed
they could. Men pay larger taxes than they ought, mainly that
they may be thought richer than they are. All Most men desire to be thought
richer than they are ; and, if in addition to this they
find the potential importance of their state to be in proportion to
its wealth, nothing whatever else they may do, they will not be
likely to give at least as much as the true value to
property underrate the value of their own property. To
counteract the tendency to exaggerate, there will be the counter -poise of taxation.

Identifier: | JB/042/862/001 "JB/" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 42.
Date_1	1826	Marginal Summary Numbering
Box	042	Main Headings	constitutional code
Folio number	862	Info in main headings field	constitut. code defensive force radical information from neal
Image	001	Titles	revenue
Category	copy/fair copy sheet	Number of Pages	1
Recto/Verso	recto	Page Numbering
Penner	richard doane	Watermarks	j whatman turkey mill 1824
Marginals		Paper Producer	admiral pavel chichagov
Corrections		Paper Produced in Year	1824
Notes public	"twice copied"	ID Number	13785
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