Litchfield enquirer., 1851-05-15


ture, and left to the people. The sub
iect also. of granting divorces, has for the
most part been given to the Judiciary,
where properly It belongs. Thus the
General Assembly has been relieved OF a
mass of business, which was really for
eign 70 its appropriate duties, and not I'M
frequently perplexing in its character.
One thing more remains to embarrass our
legislation which should next be cleared
away. ! refer TO those topics of spe>
cial nature, which, under some circum-
stances, absorb every thing else, and con-
vert the legislative body into an assem-
bly, for distributing privileges and immu-
mites to individuals, instead of attending
to the public good. Looking chiefly to
the benefit Of the few, instead of the
great mass of our fellow citizens, this kind
Of legislation has usually consumed con-
siderable portion of the annual sessions.
The true remedy for the evil complain
ed of, is to be found in the enactment of
general laws. In the construction of
such general laws, due regard ought to
be had to existing associations, the rights
OF which should be inviolably observed,
whilst at the same time such laws should
be SO framed as to give ample security
to the public, and generally to inspire
confidence in all our business relations.
The attention of the Legislature is res
pectfully requested to this view of the
subject, in the belief that it is worthy of
your consideration.
In this connection I ask your attention
to "bill for public act, to authorize
the business of banking" continued by
the last Legislature to the present ses-
sion, 1t will be fof you to say whether
it shall become law or not.
The bill having been drafted partly in
accordance with q suggestion to that ef>
feet. which / felt it my duty to submit
to the Legislature at that time, I now
remark that on careful consideration of
this subject upon which the experience
of the great State on our western border
has already shed some light. I believe
the system proposed, may be safely
adopted here. The security afforded to
the public by companies based on de-
post Of United States and other stocks
to the amount of their issues, would,
lave no doubt, be at least equal to that
of the present system, and under some
circumstances might prove much greater.
! Besides furnishing ample security to
the bill holders, the largest, and for ma
ny reasons the most important class to
be considered in the creation of monied
institutions, general banking law would
place the business on the ground OF pub.
lie necessity. and equalize also the privi-
leges which such associations are suppo>
sed to confer. by dividing the same among
a great number of persons.
The subject Of the late tax laws will
probably engage the attention of the Leg
islature, at an early period in its session.
A careful revision Of it will ana convin~
ced satisfy the Legislature of the wisdom
of that measure. Taken as whole, re-
gard it as greatly superior to thas which
it has supplanted, and embracing in the
main a ust and equitable system of tax
alton. Some few alterations of the new
law are unquostionably required to per-
feet it.
One objection to the law referred to. is
the provision cxempting property to the
amount OF $500 from any tax whatever.
By liberal construction of the Sd sec.
ton this exemption has been extended to
all kinds of property. and the deduction
therein allowed has in some instances been
taken several times out of the same pros
perty in real estate, as in cases of lands
held in common and undivided. This is
clearly an evasion of its requirements.
The grand list, recently completed,
exhibits large amount of deductions,
including those for Indebtedness, three
fourths of which may be set down to
the account of the foregoing exemption.
which at liz upon the per cent. val
ue of the same, would make no less than
$4,000 to leave out O! the State tax for
the present year. I ask the attention Of
the Legislature to the expediency Of re-
pealing the exemption clause. in the law,
or Of so modifying it as to make the
same applicable only to personal proper
| ty to the extent mainly Of those articles
Wnlcn are now justly e&enpteu iEoh OK
ecution. m
Some exceptions have been taken to
the statute, on the ground that it taxes
notlonly lands but the produce on those
lands--thus imposing a double tax on
large class of our fellow citizens. You
will enquire whether the law can be JUST
ly amended in this respect, and if SO. ap-
ply the necessary corrective.
No reason existing any longer for con-
tinuing the present mode Of levyipg the
State tax, / recommend that hereafter
the tax required be levied directly Oh the
gross amount of taxable property. Such
a change in the laws would, ! believe,
simplify the whole matter, and remove a
most anomalous feature in our mode Of
raising revenue. Should it be thought
advisable to make such change. a half