Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1837-1839, 1837-12-16


having been collected under the old system-but, G
Tor the years 1885, 50, and 81, are not left so
completely in the dark The new mode Of taxa G
ton then for the FIRST time adopted and enforced,
shows US that the sum total Of all the taxables q
OF these years ranges nearly as follows: that is
to say, for the year 1895 1883 $685. dollars: for
1887, 60, 1853 9S7 dollars, for 1897, 9S, 10000
dollars. Do these fatering results | ask-be!ow
the true estimate as they confssedly are-indi-
cate in the remotest degrees, that any Of the great
fountains Of OUR wealth have teen drying up?-
With the utmost Difference for the adverse opin-
ions Of others hunbly conceive not. The ca
nal committees Of the Senate and House Of Repre-
sentatives last winter in their report, calculated,
only upon an increase Of taxables from year TO
year At rate Of ten per cent. Thus far at least,
they have missed the mark widely. Instead Of
10 per cent. tho returns Of the present year ex-
hibit nn increase Of nearly 20
If VIC descend from generals to particulars, the !
foregoing results will not be materially changed;
but, on the contrary, shall! still be cheered by
the discovery Of new facts, all alike, tending to
sustain and confirm the people i" the course they
are now pursuing. Take for example, tho eigh- !
teen counties bordering on the Ohio, including
all the counties south Of White River, and we
find that even there, in the Oldest settled part of
the state, where the population, wealth, and i'm
Provements are comparatively fixed, and conse-
quently less liable to huctuation and change, the
taxable polls increased the present year 1885, and
the value Of taxable property z, 4O5, 1873 dollars
am not mistaken in this result: Because the
returns Of 1887 show the taxable polls Of these
counties to be 1?,37S, and the amount Of taxable
property 5,442, S07 dollars, whilst the me
turns for 1896, only give US the 1920 polls and
%, O36, $50 dollars Of taSables.
But to be more special still: select the counties
Of Spencer, Perry, Crawford. Harrison, Clark,
( Jackson, Switzerland, g. RiPley-through which
none Of the contemplated works OF improvements
are to pass-and how stands the account thereY
/ A. - nd a.
l76, 374 dollars Of taxabIes; and in 1887, g, 200
polls and 6, 796, $40 dollars Of taxables, showing
the increase Of the present the past year to
be 300 polls and 623, l66 dollars Of taxables. A
result, certainly, which should be hailed by the
friends Of Internal Improvement as peculiarly on'
inous and encouraging; a result which absolute
ly demonstrates that no part or portion Of the
state has been retrogaaing; that no part nor por-
ton Of our fellow citizens have been 1ourishing
at the expense or upon the means Of their neigh
bors; in short, that while the north has been
springing forward with amazing rapidity, the south
the patriotic south has been pursuing tho even
tenor Of her way, prospecting, even in those parts
where no adventurous circumstances have been
permitted to assist her.
The foregoing remarks being strictly applicable
, to our past and present condition, glance at the
, future may not, perhaps, bc Improbable. We are
all equally interested in the inquiry. What assur
. ance have We that theseJ prosperous circumstan
: ccs are to continue, that the sources Of Rev
c0u0 are 10 eED0OO III pTOpOftiOu 10 tuc lnCIedSe
: demand that we know must be made upon US iron
year to year, to dcfray the interest upon our rap
. idly accumulating debt? In finding an answer &
these questions, am happy to say that we are no
left to the uncertain guidance Of mere conjecture
: We have at our command facts and data, az IN
3 doubted in their character, as those upon wh'c
. we have Just been commenting. BY referring Z
q the reports Of the Commissioners Of the Genera
Land Office for a series Of years back, we ascertain
cd from them, the precise number of acres OF tn
4 Public Land that have been sold each year with
T in the limits Of the state, consequently. the ex
. act annual additions that will constantly be ma
4 king to the present amount Of taxable land, p
!, far in advance as lS41. For the satisfaction
a nv fellow citizens, hero furnish them wit
- these important results. The quantity Of publ
land sold for instance, in 1882 amountded to SAG
!. 444 acres-these a matter Of course, bccom
!. taxable the present year: In 1885, 555, 900 acre
!. were sold--which become taxable in 1898: L
~ 1884, 5S5 900 acres were sold-which becom
taxable in 1899: In 1885, $3.50 ,9O4 acres wer
>. sold-which become taxable in 1910: In 1885,
3,2492lO acres were sole, which become taxs
~ bic in 1S41; making altogether, sum total @
:. 6, 522 95s acres which in lS41, is to swell the ia
s list Of that year and above the tax list
1896, that is, instead Of FIVE millions Of acres an
n upwards subject to taxation in 1886, we shall hav
- twelve millions and upwards subject to taxatio
% in 1871. Is not this a most animating result
- Could prospective advancement in all the sui
:. stantial elements Of wealth be presented in DO
der relief
a. But again; in looking forward to the incrca:
a. Of taxation, IS quite natural that We should e
=. ouire how this burthen is to be distributed
] Whether equitably not? Whether it is so &
re- ranged that those who are most benefited shs
Nv be required to pay the mostf Prompted BY cul
ne ositv, was led TO a somewhat minute examin
ton Of these points, and found. first, that OF Il
his 81 counties that appear upon the tax list Of I'll
w. present year, 50 Of them are directly and imm
an dia,ely interested in the prosecution Of some OF
as Of our public works. and % that not; secon
at ", that the sum Of all the taxable returned
,rs the 50 counties this year, amounts to near sc
Int enty-six millions Of dollars, while the same
nj. turned by the % counties, amounts to but TIVE
Ia. ty-two and half millions; establishing the fac
ev to the satisfaction Of the most scrupulous, tn
ate the former countless cven Of the burthens and
"a penses Of the present year pay near three ane
ny half times much the latter. And take
Nv that it needs but moments reflection to decI
e. that, this ratio, great as it is, must continue
Of increase for years to come For not less, perha
h. than eight tenths Of the & halfmillions Of acl
f-P ~. k.~ t>~eo tav1