In 1798 as the Quasi-War with France threatened to escalate, John Adams began preparations to raise a large army and enlarge the Navy. This required new revenues, and in July of 1798, Congress imposed $2 million in new taxes on real estate and slaves. Pennsylvania had very few slaves and the tax was directly assessed on dwelling-houses and land. The value of the houses was being determined by the number and size of the windows, and the tax became known as the "Window Tax". This approach aroused strong opposition and many refused to pay, arguing that the tax was not constitutional since it was not being equally applied to the entire population. The tax also became known as the "Hot-Water Tax", because housewives poured hot water on the assessors from their second story windows to discourage them from counting and measuring.
An auctioneer named John fries organized meetings to discuss a collective response to the tax. In the township of Millford, rallies and protests eventually gave way to an armed band of about 60 men who harassed the assessors enough that they abandoned that township. Fries' group marched from Milford to Quakertown, where they found the assessors. Opposition to the tax spread to other parts of Pennsylvania, until the U.S. Marshal began to arrest people for tax resistance. Federal warrants were issued. 19 men were taken prisoner in Bethlehem. Fries and a crowd of about 400 surrounded the inn. John Fries entered the inn unarmed and was able to convince the marshal to release the men.
Word of this raid, was sent to John Adams and under the command of General William McPherson, John Fries and the other rebels were captured and arrested. Thirty men went on trial. John Fries and two other men were convicted of treason and sentenced to be hanged, but in the end President Adams pardoned them. John Adams lamented that the judicial process had broken down and it became necessary to direct a military force to be employed. In President John Adams words, the lack of consistent interpretation of law created a dilemma, "On the one hand, the laws should be executed; on the other, individuals should be guarded from oppression".
In his 1799 address to congress, John Adams spoke of Fries' rebellion and the need to reform the judicial system:
"Such defiance was given to the civil authority as rendered hopeless all further attempts by judicial process to enforce the execution of the law, and it became necessary to direct a military force to be employed, consisting of some companies of regular troops, volunteers, and militia, by whose zeal and activity, in cooperation with the judicial power, order and submission were restored and many of the offenders arrested. Of these, some have been convicted of misdemeanors, and others, charged with various crimes, remain to be tried.
To give due effect to the civil administration of Government and to insure a just execution of the laws, a revision and amendment of the judiciary system is indispensably necessary. In this extensive country it can not but happen that numerous questions respecting the interpretation of the laws and the rights and duties of officers and citizens must arise. On the one hand, the laws should be executed; on the other, individuals should be guarded from oppression. Neither of these objects is sufficiently assured under the present organization of the judicial department. I therefore earnestly recommend the subject to your serious consideration."
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Judicial Reform
During the last three months of John Adams term in office, he was able to get his judicial reform. The Judiciary act of 1801 moved rapidly through congress and was signed by Adams. It created six new circuit courts and relieved the Supreme Court justices of circuit duty. In John Adams last ten weeks , he appointed more than 200 new judges, clerks, marshals, attorneys, and justices of the peace, nearly all federalists. This kept the federalists in charge of the judiciary for many years to come.http://www.presidentprofiles.com/.../John-Adams-Reform-of...
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