The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1819-11-02

charge the duties which the parIdlity Oh friends
assigned me, to your uniform candor and support
it must be acknowledgements VIII always be
gratefully acknowledged,
q Permit, me, gentlemen, TO congratulate you
upon the harmony and mutual retpect which'has
prevailed during your deliberations and to hope
that this spirit of federation and good will, will be
generally difused by your example.
will only add my best wishes for your pros
perity and happiness, and that for your public
services, as well as your individual exertions,
you may receive the confidence and gratitude OF
your fellow citizens.
The revising committee reported the re
naming articles Of The Constitution as en-
crossed
Mr. wilkins, Of New CharIestown, moved
to add section to the ninth article as follows !:
Sect s.. Taxes upon real estate, assessed
by the authority Of the State, shall be equally
assessed and apportioned according 10 the
Just value thereof
1t has been said Mr. Wilkins expressed 7s
the wish Of this Convention to establish Con
sitution upon Just and equitable principles
and he thought the manner Of laying property
hitherto used was very unequal. lie knew
no reason why uncultivated lands should no
be taxed equally with improved and there
fore hoped The amendment he offered woulc
be adopted into the Constitution.
Col. Moody said, he hoped the motion
would prevail-He thought there was Justice
in taxing wild lands according totheir relative
value He had ever been in favor OF II, and
had endeavored TO have the rude -establishet
in the tax acts of the General Court, Tut j
had always been defeated. He could see noI
reason for the distinction between improved
and unimproved lands He believed it OBJ
structed the settlement OF wild lands, and
thought nothing would more promote the SCI
Element of those lands than equaliZ ng taxes.
Judge Ames was also in favor of the mo
ton, for il contained what was agreeable To-
the feelings and expectations of the people
They did not wish for distinction between
wild lands held by non resident owners and
other lands.
Mr.. Holmes said, be was pleased with the
but would suggest an alteration
that taxes on uncultiYated lands shall never
he less on their value, than on cultivated, |
My object, said he, is, that the. Legislature
should never have the power TO assess less on
uncullvated lands, but would giyethe the
power to tax them more We may find il
good policy to tax land in the bands Of non
resident propretors
Col Moody, objected 10 the amendment |
it might be the cause of injustice ADD give
rise TO Unfounded fears. - -->N-z1
Mr. Holmes replied, Iewould retain. the
power TO tax the lands of overgrown specula |
tors more than six per cent. 1t may. become
necessary 10 tax them So Uncultivated lands
may be surrounded by cultivated, and increase
in value by the labor of others. The propo
sition holds out no false colours. avow 10Y
meaning to have the power Of taxing these
lands if we find it necessary.
Mr. Wilkins said, alb be wanted was a jusr
and equal mode of taxing property-snd |
nothing more. He wished the uncultvated |
and improved lands 10 be put upon an equal
footing. s-,<
The President observed, we might find it !
necessary TO tax wild lands higher than others
Judge Cony said, there are two views of
this subject. trust there is no disposition to /
lessen The value of wild lands think the
proposition first offered goes far enough on the
principles Of equality. And is there any who
wish TO so farther hope the motion will
prevail. hope there will be nothing in the |
constitution, express or implied that will sug-
gest an idea to those land holders who live !
out Of the state that their property will be tax |
ed higher than those within it, il will be bad |
policy. We depend much on our wild lands |
as a fund, and shall wish to promote their
sale, which will be affected if the alteration
is made. hope, sir, the original motion
will prevail.
Mr. wilkins declined altering his motion,
as suggested by Mr. Holmes. The vote was
then taken on adopting the section proposed
by Mr.. Wilkins, and passed almost unan-
moysiy. "~
After the adption Of Mr. Wilkins amend
ment, the remaining articles Of the constitution
were reported by the revising committee, as
being correctly engrossed, and seyerally read
and passed--when the question was put upou
the acceptance OF the constitution for the new
state. as reported by the committee, and pass
ed in the affirmative 236, to 80.
FRIDAY, oCr. 60.
The first business of the convention was 70
sign the constitution, which was done by
counties-of these there were 90 in York
SO il CUmberland-44 in Lincoin-44 10 Ken
nebec-3l in O1ord-.26 in Somerset-27 in
Hdacock-22i Peno6scot-and 10 WushiAg
ton : amounting in the whole 10. 269.
Resoived that The constitution adopted by
this convention be published and sent to tue
several towns, districts and plantations within
the Distrc; Of Maine and that the inhabi