Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1845-08-21

ment. The time in which the Canal was
to have been completed, according to their
contract, expired in July last.
To the Editors Of the Port Tobacco Times:
Messrs. EDITORS: Certain Resolutions
having emanated from a meeting held at
Bensvlle on the Goth ult., calculated to
produce an erroneous impression on the
public mind as it regards the rate Of assess
ment on the property of this county,
deem it due to the Commissioners of the
Tax as well as to the people at large to
take notice especially of the I'd Resolution
passed at that meeting, which says "that
''the present rate of assessment is unjust,
"unequal and oppressive to the people of
"thls county, inasmuch. as in some instances
"the same species of property is valued al
"most if not quite to double the valuation
Sin this county as in others.'' I take it for
granted that the "species of property" al
luded to in the above resolution must be
land and negroes, for upon no other could
an inequality Of assessment be so oppres-
slVe as to be complained Of The assess
ment on land in this county stands at about
one half the original valuation by the as
SCISSORS, and negroes from 1915, for prime
male hands down, in proportion to value,
till it falls to the minimum valuation.
In making the reductions from the origi-
nal assessment, the Commissioners spared
no pains TO arrive at such valuation on
the property of this county as would be a
fair average with the rest of the counties in
the State, and for that purpose did open a
correspondence with many, if not all, the
Clerks of the Levy Courts in the State,
thereby satisfying themselves fully that no
inequality of taxation was imposed upon
the people of this county.
Now, Messrs. Editors, I am unwilling
that string Of regulating resolutions.
passed by few individuals in small cor
ner of an election district, should 90 forth
to the public at large purporting to be the
sentiments of the people Of Charles county,
no where than among whom is reputation
viewed with more adherence and contempt
Now that when we have, after years OF
toll and oppression, almost overcome diff
cullies in the construction of our public
works, which at first seemed to be beyond
the power Of human skill TO perform, and
which no people with our resources could
have been induced to undertake and perse-
we're in, but for anticipated advantages COM
mensurate with the magnitude of those
Works-noW that our great canal is about
to be completed, when the rich and count
less treasures of the Alleghanies and Gar
West'' will be everlastingly floating on its
surface into the very heart Of our beloved
State, and when we shall soon be entirely
relieved from taxation on that account, and
now, too, when our finances are being
placed in condition when every Mary
lander will feel proud of its redeemed ho-
nor, for any portion of our people to lalter,
does seem to be worse than reputation
itself.
FelIow-citzens, let us GO on punctually
paying up our taxes. Let us, without de-
lay, get the whole work into operation,
and as certain as the ineXhaustible treasures
of the West shall continue to float on lis
bosom, so sure will our taxes continue to-
decrease.
Should however, contrary TO all human
probability, our expectations be disappoint-
ed, (Which is chemerical even to suppose,)
we might then sell the whole concern for
what it May be worth, and pay up the bal
ance; but let US never, never fix upon our
selves or transmit to our posterity-the
odium of reputation.
A COMMISSIONER
of the Fourth Election District.
august 10, 1916.
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