Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-03-06

FOR THE GAZETTE.
TO the People Of Alexandria County.
LETTER vi.
FELLOW CITIZENS:
In answering The fifth number OF an
Alexandrian," am led by minute exa-
mination OF its statements to deny
their accuracy a~d shah show you
that scarcely solitary item in bis calcula-
ton is exempt from great error. No re-
mark seems necessary on his contounding
such taxes as are necessary burdens with
such as are designed by their severity to
repress the objects 10 which they are ap-
piled. The former are a source OF ordi-
nary revenue; the latter are chiefly penal:
as for example is the tax Of 40 dollars on
hawker or pedlar trading in tin or pew
ter; and the tax Of 500 dollars on every Ii
cense for the sale of lottery ticket, Hnau-
tno,lzed py the legislature. These en-
poyments being regarded as nuisances by
The legislature oil Virginia; 1t endeavours to
suppress them by heavy penalty and
WHY can Alexandran" has called your at
tention to them, cannot readily conjec-
ture. | shall now proceed to examine his
summary OF ordinary taxes, and shall de-
monstrate it to be radically and totally
wrong.
Pursuing the order which he has adopt.
ed, first objec, TO bis estimate of the tax
which the houses and lots within the Ii
mits of the corporation would pay 10 Vir-
GINA. The assessed value OF this proper
ty is as he agrees with me in correctly
| stating. 2,735.o9o dollars; but when ne
proceeds to estimate the average annual
value oil this sum at six per cent. he makes
superstition which your own observation
and experience disprove. My second lei
ter which was writleH after minute lnqu-
~ and repeated conversations with the
most extensive and intelligent freeboldsrs
in town, placed this average annual value
at 94 per cent. Now reiterate this state
ment, aud appeal for its verihCation TO
yourselves. Is there any house and lot IN
| the town Of Alexandra, some small hou-
ses being excepted, which yields six per
cent? Does any considerable proportion
/ of the larger houses produce clear in
come of 5 per cent? Are there not many
which hardly produce per cent? Adher-
ing 10 my former statement, | assert that
the income arising from houses and lots,
/ instead of being l64, lo4 dollars, is only
IS. 3S7 IS cts. and of course the Virginia
tax of 81 per cent. is only 1888 dollars, 10
cents, as stated, instead OF D3692 24cts.
Here then is an error of D9l53 81 cents.
The quantity of land in the country part
of the county may psrhap be go, 900 acres:
bet its value is, according TO information
which have derived from good authority,
not more than half the sum fixed on it by
"an Alexandrian." There is an error in
| this item then Of 900 dollars.
On the subject OF slaves have examin-
ed the late census, and find their number
] in town to be 89l, as | first stated, and
that in the country part OF the county TO
| be $50. The aggregate is l40 instead OF
lI6O The difference is 20, which at 80
cents, makes 10 60, an error, though not
very great, in this item.
A reference TO the assessor. books
informs me that there are only ia retail
stores in town which taken from $50, the
number stated by ian Alexandrian.
| leave. rs. This number multiplied by 20
dollars, makes $50 dollars, an error in
this item.
1t i. stated there are SO tavern licenses.
find thai during the year 1920 there were
only q; during the year 1921 the same
number; and that only twelve have been
granted during the present year. There
is an error then in this item of l62 dollars,
even if all the taverns now in operation
here should be continued under the Virgil
mia laws. This is rot probable: for the
uniform policy of Virginia in this respect,
would lead her to discontinue many of our
inferior taverns circumstance which
would greatly improve the morals OF the
town, and greatly increase the profits OF
the really useful taverns. But let US sup
pose that 81 would continue to be the ave-
rage number Of taverns; then this multi
pied by Is dollars, would be 486 dollars,
TO which add plss SO for the tax to be
paid by MIR. Clagett's tavern and the
Washington tavern, the aggregate would
be 6li dollars SO cents, instead OF 773
dollars SO cents. There is an error then
in this item of l62 dollars, as | have said,
snd refer you TO the registry IN the Dis
trio; court where the bonds given by Ia
yern keepers are recorded
| The item charging tax OF l8 dollars on
.qhirty houses Of private entertainment or
which we call boarding houses" is altoge
Their wrong. By referring to Cd new re-
vised code, 99l, you wifi find proviso
annexed 10 Section 5, oil the law on this
subject, which expressly exempts from the
operation o. the penalty, or in other words,
the tax imposed by that law, all houses
where the proprissos receives pay Tor the
dieting ci any eue, oarding liz his sE her