Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-12-01

~ expenses of Government, now averaging
about like sum, making the whole amount
wanted for each year $I40,0 900.
In the message 10 the last Legislature airea-
dy referred to, our Revenue System was re-
viewed with reference to the demands on the
Treasury, and An argument was submitted ~
demonstrate that the State annually lost seVe"
or eight thousand dollars, from failures 10 en-
list lands for taxation, whereby they ia" CO.
capped their contingent entirely, or '"'i' ""oe'
valuation, by means Of which, u tlau cee" d"
yoided in part; and that pTooaoIy an equdl
sum was lost in the Poll tax from a ike Grim
inai negligence, in rendering lists OF taxable
persons. Accordingly, the Act of the last
Session directed a new assessment, and more
vigiIant supervision of the enlistment of lands.
The result has been. that the land Revenue OF
l847, collected under the new Law, has ex-
ceeded that of 1876, under the old, by the sum
at s5,9ll OF. 4 table attached to the Report
al the Public Treasurer will show that the
total number OF acres taxed in 1916 was 49,
368 $50. and that in l847 II rose to 24,359.-
O75. and that the aggregate valuation OF land
and town property in 1876 was $55,254,l94,
and that in l847 it grew 20 $66 AGO. 1921. With
these material additions in quantity and Vaiua.
| ton, the amount of taxes received from real
estate is yet lower by two or three thousand
dollars than ought to be obtained at the pres
ent rate.
There has been also, an increase in the
| year of 81 ,56l 70 in the poll tax. 1t appears
now to be collected on 1919 persons,
against I65, $40 in the previous. year l am
yet satisfied however. from the statistics. en-
bodied in my former message. that even this
number falls short, by at least 10000, Of the
whole taxable population Of the State. 1t
therefore will call for your Investigation, why
a valuation on land of $66.430.S2i, at six
! cents, on tho one hundred dollars value,
! yields only $37, 1921 81. and why. out Of at
least $4,000 taxable polls in the State. more
than 10000 yet escape taxation altogether
The important addition TO the revenue on real
property and polls of near $1,000 by reason
Of the measures adopted at the last Session,
has been the product Of no new imposition
on our constituents. but the mere consequence
Of fair and equal contribution 10 those form
erly existing. BY still closer scrutiny OF
the subject, especially in the department OF
the Poll tax, apPrehend that plan may be
devised to obtain still further increment OF
five or six thousand dollars, from the same
sources at existing rates.
But with all the aid derivable from such
measures, the Treasury will need additional
means to reduce our liabilities as propose
above. The Revenue collected, the present
year, from all sources, amounts to $96.6O4 69.
By correcting the DEFICIENCIES just now expos
ed, it NAV be- raised 10 exceed 100000, leav-
ing deficit Of about $40. 900, TO be supplied
from other resources. OF this \ may be rea-
sonahly calculated, that $l2 900 per year may
be derived, from collections on Cherokee
. bonds transferred to the Treasury, from the
fund for Internal Improvement, under an Act
| TAl-. Ia-a fNVEn ante
{ be added on the hundred dollars value of rea
+ estate, as was the l.w prior to 1921, and SIX
cents on the poll, they would yield enough
: with the claim on the War department, before
. mentioned. and the debt secured by martgagf
i on the Weldon Toll Bridge to the Board o
, Internal Improvement, which is not yet col
:, lected, to make up the residue. 1t is howeV
er the peculiar province Of the Legislature, Il
! devise the ways and means to fulfil all OH
~ engagements, and preserve the public faith
r, And in suggesting those just named, which
are simple, usual and certainly reliable, de
i sire to be understood as entertaining no pre-
ference for them, above any others, which tn
4 wisdom Of the General Assembly shall an
~ prove. The drty Of the Executive is perfarnl
=, ed in presenting with frankness the necessI
~ ties Of the Treasury, leaving the manner an
- time Of relief to the proper constitutional de
- part,nent Of the Government. 1t is of momer
~ however that measures should be taken in dn
~ season to Iiquidate by degrees the States liza
. biIities, and the process herein recommends
10 is not more speedy than wise policy de
~ mands. If additional resources shall be real
h zed from a sale Of the Railroad or recoverie
in the suits aGaints the stockholders, the
h will come opportune!y in tuTiheraRce Of tn
=, measure for reduction now proposed, but tn
~ expectation of them does not Justify its pos
. ponement at the present Session.
- You will doubtless observe in the Rcpor
of OF the Comptroller, that there is no statemer
=. of any tax, received on the succession of es
:, tates, real and personal of deceased persons
60 by others than linea descendants, which WI
-, imposed by an act of the last Session WhetE
NJ er the unfruitfuIness of this source of revenr
~ thus far, has heen owing to the failure to pr
- scribe any specific time for its payment 10 Il
clerks and Tor its being accounted for
=. them, or to other causes, IS a question f
e your investigation.
~ Agreeahly 10 the instructions Of the Act
10 the last Session, caused an Information
h. the nature of a Bill of Equity to be institute
in the proper Court of Wake County. again
ed the stockholders and other obligors OF the RI
~ eigh and CASTOR Railroad Company, to reco
mr. er the indemnity stipulated in the event OF
NJ ny loss to the State, by reason of her suret
al ships for that Company. The great numb
c,- Of parties defendant and the changes OF parti
he by transfers Of interest, and by deaths, ha
ot delayed the progress of the cause to final d
ve csion. And as il embraces the main subie
mt of controversy between the State and any
Of the defendants, the counsel for the State ha
10 not pressed for trial the actions at law agar
or. some of them, which had been previous
no pending
nj. My opinion Of the legal responsibilities
,ly these parties, was presented at some length
nd the message of 1916, and remains unchangs
In consideration however of the crcumsta
:. ces of their case, | am led TO the concIusi
~ that it s proper subject for adjustment
y. compromise, and that liberal terms should
~" allowed by the Stale The transaction viii
~ occasioned it has been truly unfortunate
~. both parties. While on the ofae hand it
.sso imposed burthen on the Treasury, viii
~ is heavily felt on the other, the whole ca
' ~, tai stock of ($7OO O0O) subscribed and p;
M in has been lost TO the individual contribute
~ :, and the property in the Road which it went
~ construct has been purchased in by the Sta
20" and affords the accommodation to the pub
~ NJ which was the chiefnducement with the Leg
lature in authorizing its construction. If in