No taxation without representation

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"No taxation without representation" was a rallying cry of the American Revolutionary War. During the years prior to and during the Revolution, advocates of American independence decried the fact that the American colonies were required to pay taxes to London, yet they had no representatives in Parliament. The Americans protested loss of a historic right of all Englishmen, that only their elected representatives could levy a tax.

Contents

1 Origin
2 Modern Washington, D.C.
3 Other uses
4 References
5 External links

Origin

The phrase was originally coined by Rev. Jonathan Mayhew in a sermon at Old West Church in Boston. A slightly different version, "Taxation without representation is tyranny," is attributed to James Otis.

The British government argued that the colonists had virtual representation in their interests. In English history "no taxation without representation" was an old principle, and meant that Parliament had to pass all taxes. At first the "representation" was held to be one of land but by 1700 this had shifted to the notion that in Parliament all British subjects had a "virtual representation." "We virtually and implicitly allow the institutions of any government of which we enjoy the benefit and solicit the protection," declared Samuel Johnson in his political pamphlet Taxation No Tyranny. He rejected the plea that the colonists, who had no vote, were unrepresented. "They are represented," he said, "by the same virtual representation as the greater part of England."

The theory of virtual representation was attacked in England by Charles Pratt, Earl of Camden, and especially by William Pitt , Earl of Chatham. It was wholly rejected in the colonies, who said the "virtual" was a cover for political corruption and was irreconcilable with their republican belief that government derives its just powers from the consent of the governed. Colonialists said no man was represented if he were not allowed to vote. "If every inhabitant of America had the requisite freehold," said Daniel Dulany, "not one could vote, but upon the supposition of his ceasing to become an inhabitant of America, and becoming a resident of Great Britain." The colonists insisted that representation was achieved only through an assembly of men actually elected by the persons they were intended to represent.

Colonists were unimpressed by this point, and British Prime Minister agreed. In an appearance before Parliament on January 14, 1766, Pitt stated, "The idea of a virtual representation of America in this House is the most contemptible that ever entered into the head of man. It does not deserve a serious refutation."

"No taxation without representation!" continued to be a rallying cry of the period.

Modern Washington, D.C.

License plate reading "Washington, D.C." at the top and "Taxation Without Representation" at the bottom.

See also: District of Columbia voting rights

In modern times, the phrase "Taxation Without Representation" appears on the automobile license plates of Washington, D.C., to protest that city's lack of representation in the United States House of Representatives and Senate (although the district does have a non-voting delegate to the House of Representatives who can sit on committees and participate in debates). The slogan is intended to use irony to claim that a core value of the American Revolution is not being applied to the nation's capital. An effort to put the phrase on a redesigned D.C. flag has yet come to fruition.

Other uses

British Prime Minister John Major used a modified version of the quote, with the order reversed, in October 1995, when at the United Nations's 50th Anniversary celebrations he said, "It is not sustainable for states to enjoy representation without taxation," in order to criticise the billion-dollar arrears of the United States's payments to the UN. [link] Again, the application of the phrase against the American government is an ironic reference to the Revolutionary War.

To become citizens of the United States, immigrants most often must be permanent residents for a period of time (usually 5 years) [link]. Permanent residents must pay taxes and cannot vote. However, the alternatives (no taxing of permanent residents, no intermediate status between immigration and citizenship, and voting rights for non-citizens) are regarded by the American electorate as less palatable. Immigration is largely a free, positive choice, and the inability to vote is of limited and known duration.

The phrase itself is also used by other groups in America who pay various types of taxes (sales, income, property) but lack the ability to vote, such as ex-felons (who are, in many states, barred from voting) or people under 18.

References

William S. Carpenter, "Taxation Without Representation" in Dictionary of American History, Volume 7 (1976)
Edmund Morgan. Inventing the People: The Rise of Popular Sovereignty in England and America (1989)

External links

[A Separate and Unequal District of Columbia], Seedorf (May 15, 2006; Updated June 10, 2006)

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