Southern Argus. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1834-1842, 1841-02-10

1NOAuUSS dIu iSDClulbSo thoNA.'O
returns, / is S1S7 ,2o5 81; for the year
1870 Carroll. Chickasaw, Holmes,
Jackson, Kemper, Madison, Pamela,
Pike Winston and Yalobusha making
no returns, is S149, 80 So. Itap-
pears that there has. been paid into the
Treasury. on account ofthe assessment
of 1887, 1857, 1873, Al. On ac-
count Of the assessment, Of 1889 $751;
500 90. and on account oflhe assess
ment Of 1910 S,-.Aggregri-
ate Of assessment during those three
years, IS S517, 44S, 81. The,
aggregate of the receipts into
th3 Treasury during the same period
is S311, 767 Al. The amount due
from Collectors, or Assessors and
Collectors, as the case may be, is
$2S71316 AZ, as will appear by refer
| euce to documents marked A, B and
lie, herewith accompanying towhich1
the attention of the House is respect
| fully invited.
| Your committee is constrained TO re-
mark, that the Auditor has been gull
ty of culpabie negligence in that I'M
portant part of duty, requiring him to
| institute suit against defaulting Asses
sors, for not making their returns in
compliance with the acquisitions OF law
and permitting several of the default
| ING Assessors and Collectors to con-
tinue collecting for successive years
the taxes, without instituting suit a.
garnst'them; and in some instances your
Committee are advised, and believe
the money has been entirely lost by
, such delay.-It is, moreover the duty
of your committee to call the atten'
a ton Of the House to the fact, that de-
faulting Collectors have been permit
ted to settle their accounts, wlthou
being required to pay the thirty PEI
cent, damages per aDnum, as IS requlr
: ed by law; which, with the iorleltur
of $500, when incurred by the deial
% cat on of an Assessor in not making hl
E. returns within the time prescribed b
G. law, in the opinion of your committee
l. constitutes as much the debt due tn
D. State, as any other obligation, what
S soeyer. and that the Auditor has n
ne more right to remit the one than IN
It other. Indeed the loose manner
which the Auditor has discharged n
O. duty, in the opinion ofyonr commute
,r- constitutes one Of the leading cause
c which has produced such alarming ne
N ligence of public duty by the Tax Ce
IS lectors and.Assessors in many count,e
! it The pecuniary loss thus sustained
nd worthy of little consideration IN COZ
ice parison to its demoralizing effects u
in on the public functionaries Of the Sta
rec And your committee would respe
lu- fully recommend the adoption OF a Ia
es- making it the duty of the Auditor
lay future, to enforce the law, under
ors we're penalties for neglect ofsuch Gu
I'M In vain may you legislate, deVls
can WAYS and means for the support OIL
ion Government, if those whose duty |
fer to assess and collect the taxes are P
;ol- mitled to- default in their duty with
not punity.
Of The people are willing to pay a
as necessary for an economical aonn
UGH tration Of the government, and tho
Il be their representatives have enacted J
lee authorizing the collection OF tai
de- by the seizure Of the property oil
and Hnquent tax payers, and make the e
sum es due by such person without oe
oun- and your committee are OF OPP
sses- that the penalty cannot be too Sc
lum- on those who are clothed with sucn
con traordinary powers; and who, are
lied, cutting Them on the property OF the
feet ow and the orphan, shall attemP' =
n the propriate it to private purposes
!, on Your committee find, on exam
E has lion into the condition of the ina
e de- of the country, that the domestic
,ublic ofthe State is in outstanding war;
nee oil s572.244 90. Thus the financ
cuted the State is found TO in be an en-
ult Of harrassed condition, seldom e
lrther ed by the worse governed coun
show ~ reference to the Auditor
asury mort if will be seen that the three
from partments of State; viz: Executlv
lived g;slative and Judicial, cost, IN
enable S11O.728 03. in 1889, $123'7o
,recis- and in 1910, SIG, 500 SO, maxi
refer aggregate Of 351, 07O 6s, and
on is during G9 the same period there has 4
crude exnended the sum of 81 ,233, 20
ditor's Showing and expenditure for &c
labor dinnrq objects, during the same
tate Of Of $3.50, $50 90, which latter e
conse- in the opinion of your commute
e,urns. n future be almost entirely dis
thatit with.
k, that It's here worthy Of remark,
ofcon- considerable portion Of this a
! dispo- has been expended in the erecn
UGH in completion of the public bun
limself which are now in such an ad
feel ii s,ate of progress, as to require
the Au- lie more TO place them IN co
if there 81, to be injured by asusper
he duty their progress for times an
eep his committee recommend that no
ou the -. ar.r,, on the bindings,