American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-18

ed credit upon the platform of actual and inn
menso wealth-who at all times, or nearly so,
are enabled to make cash advances on large
consignments, and to furnish ready money for
al sales, even to enormous amounts, are upon
the basis of the bill Of rights, "that every man
shall be taxed according to his actual worth IN
real and personal property" fairly assessed, in
any scale embracing the aforementioned,
amounts of from $50, 900 to $4,000.
In ascending even to the topmost round Of
the ladder, the same inequalities are found to
exist; and though but few assessments reach
their fair maximum, throughout the entire
scale of taxation from lowest TO highest. the
grossest injustice is visited upon the heads and
pockets Of many, by relative valuations be-
tween man and man.
As facts are said to be more remarkable and
curious than fiction, we will cndeavor tn illus
ttate what we have been saying, by presenting
few cases Of which we have positive know
ledge remarkiug at the same time, that these
are as orc or two, compared TO the hundreds
that exist, of similarly analogous and fla
grant character.
We know an orphan, the posscssoI, by nhe-
rltance, OF real estate, improved and rented at
$40 per annum IL is in fee simple, assessed
at $1,000 value, and for the last three years she
has paid $40 annually for city and state taxes.
The yearly repairs, with insurance, exceed $50,
and the result is an income not exceeding $500.
1t is all she possesses
We also know u mercantile house Of great
prominence and most extensive business, which
would consider itself scandaIized not to be re-
presented as backed by positive capital eX-
ceedDg 100000; and whose yearly nett pro-
fits range from S25 900 10 $40, 900: and the as
sesslnent against the said concern for city and
state taxes, for years past, and notc, stands
less than the SUN visited upon the head OF the
poor orphan before mentioned
We have an acquaintance, u widow with a
family, whose property almost entirely consists
III dwelling house. rented a $3.50 per annum.
Tie property pays ground rent OF 500; city
and stale taxes SIS; insurance and repairs not
less than $50, which results in nett income
of Sl95 and no more; and yet sho is as
sesSed in greater sum on this single piece of
property, than is levied against some members
OF tho trading community Of conceded capital, |
good credit and profitable business
Under the lax system that prevails, it is I'M
doubtedlY true, that numerous parties, using |
proitab large aggregate amount OF money |
IN this city, and claiming the protection of its
laws, contrlve to escape every form of taxa
ton; and it is well known that the entire as
sessInents Of household furniture, plate, Sc, !
are upon the same scale of inequality with ali !
other personal property.
The results worked out by sucha course Of
things for term OF years, have proved to be
precisely suc! as sound Judgment, and a
calm and dispassionatc observation would in |
dictate as probable.
Our existing assessments were made under |
an Ambiguous and ill-defined law, and with !
few exceptions, the agents selected to carry
out it's provisions were ignorant of their duties,
and in all respects thoroughly incompetent.
No special tests were Iesorted 10 in arriving
at results, and very many persons, anxious to
preserve the credit of the state, and willing to
contribute their full share to the required fund,
were restrained from giving in the full value of
their estates, through fear and conscious
ness that their neighbors had adopted very
different mode of procedure. The conse-
quence was, very general disposition to with
hold facts and figures; and we regret to add,
that successful evasion in the first instance has,
III too many Cases, created the desire and dis
position to SUSTAIN and perpetuate il.
A rigid accountability would have preserved
a very different tone Of feeling and action IN
cases; the faith of the State might
possibly have been sustained untanished, and
we should have been spared the special mort-
ficatioh OF seeing legal digntary, a iepresen
tatve from this commercial city, in depart
ment OF the Legislature, claiming to speak its
sentiments, deliberately advocate (if we are
permitted TO arrive at the naked sense of his
through the mysticism that Sur
rounds it,) The most thorough repudiaiiOn mask
ed, and if possible rendered more repulsive by
all apparent effort to give it the semblance of
else.
Our statements and deductions in regard to
existing inequalities and evils IN taxation, are
based upon facts and figures from which there
can be no appeal; and we challenge the DENIAL
of their accuracy by any responsible parties,
and upon any other date than vague, indefinite
and unsupported assertion.
Happily the books of assessment are not
sealed instruments, and we have merely limited
1t a few of their disclosures. Their entire reve-
ations, could they be placed fairly and substan-
Tally before the community, would exhibit an
amount of injustice and grinding oppression
hat would well-nigh convulse society from its
centre to its circumference.
In our humble way and by any means at
we would grapple this overshadow
ing evil with ungloved hands. invoking every
ar-minded man, and the constituted authori-
ties, both State and city, to remedies whc) :,
cannot be longer delayed, without the most
serious inPulations oi delinquency ana ulsie-
gard of duty
1t is impossible, for obvious reasons, to ar
rive with accuracy at the amount of prodnc-
i've personal property, owned and employed in
his city alone, which does not pay farthng
Of tax; but the data is substantial in warrant
ng the belief, that if relatively assessed with
real estate, the sum would exceed $50, 100000
and it would prove 10 matter Of surprise to
Is should it far exceed the amount named.
We admit the general disposition and strong
1esire on the part of tho great mass Of our
population, to rescue the State at once from its
degraded position, and to pay an equitable pro-
portion of the required assessment, in whatev-
er shape it may be presented; but there are a
few, and these the most clamorous known to
the community to whom it is almost imposs-