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198

William Few Manuscript Signed

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles Start Price:500.00 USD Estimated At:0.00 USD
William Few Manuscript Signed
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Perhaps the finest known William Few item, in six pages and over 900 words in his own hand, and signed ''W Few Chairman.'' In this Freeholders Report for the City of New York written in 1821, Few writes extensively on taxation and abuse of power. In small part, ''…many cases of assessments had been stated that were equal to confiscation as the property would not sell for the amount of the assessment…Your Committee laid it down as a position, which was not denied, that taxation and representation ought to go together and be duly apportioned otherwise Government would be arbitrary, unjust & oppressive…That the freeholders pay nearly the whole tax and that they are not Represented in Common Council who assess revenue and appropriate the whole…Here we see heavy taxation and no effectual representation, in violation of every principle of Justice and equal rights…Your committee also observed that the Common Council exercised arbitrary powers such as the greatest despot in Europe would not dare to enforce, and it appears that those dangerous powers may devolve on six men only…and can execute all those powers of pulling down houses, assessing the Citizens, Levying taxes and appropriating the funds of the City…” This report which Few presented was prompted by grievances of citizens who were assessed taxes without adequate services performed on their behalf, a position with which Few seemed to agree. On four 12.5” x 8” sheets folded in half and sewn together. Last two pages are blank. Light toning and wear, otherwise fine. A complete transcript of this report along with history on the Committee to which Few presented it is included in this lot.
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