Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1851-01-02
For the Burlington Hawk. Eye.
To tho osSlntNre

inc Lestsi0tUTe.
GENTLEMEN:-Please suffer me to call your spe-
cial attention to the subject Of collecting public
revenue. The present sy stem has proved both veN-
a,ious aud insufficient. The Ie!au,ing lands are
now returned to the District Court, and a mimic
process is then gone through to obtain Judgment
of the Court against them, and the lands OF honest
men made legal subjects Of hcartless speculation.
All, is believed are willing to pay all just taxes
and that in due time: but from various causes aud
accidents this may not be punctually done. anu IN
such default without any intent OF evasion, ms
take in listing Of lands frequently occurs. anu AJAX
timely paid on the msdescrbed lands is OF no avail.
faithlcss careless agent may neglect his duty,
and isnorantly or designedy suffer his principals
land to be sold for taxes, and for want of time to
make the discovery, the lands are lost. Again de-
hnquents are unnecessarily subjected TO opprc
costs The costs allowed by the Courts on those
sales are most enormous-and the people singly or
collectively subjected to official teaches. In late
case ,ha, occurred in Lee county, the tax demand
ed was less than eight hundred dollars and the cost
allowed TO three officers was over nine hundred
dollars. Such mode OF charging costs is said to
be common in the District courts of this District.
10 this special case, however, Lee county had TO
pay tne Cos', Wunout any FioHA' Ahe os"ai INV
tous mot ion vas made to the Court, for judgment
against the delinquent lands-by reason Of some
small mistake of the Commissioners Clerk, tmerc-
ly cierical) the judge refused judgment and dis
missed the suit. The State in its turn became de-
lnauent and the officers Of the county, (Treasurer
District Clerk and Printer0 charged the county o.
yer nine hundred dollars for this application and
the County Commissioners allowed their demand,
ST. that the state of Iowa, in this application, was
turned out OF the Court and the county OF Lees m
stead OF getting eight hundred dollars, get nothing
and paid out nine hundred dollars in costs. Is It
not sumahle that other counties OF the state are
alike afflicted, and almost legally swind!ed under
the operation Of our present revenue law. cannon
a better sy stem be devised, one more cheap, safe
and ericacious. Will you, gentlemen. suffer one
Of your constituents to sugge one that he sincere
IL believes better adapted to our new State, viz: re
quire all lands to be annually assessed and IL the
| required tax be not punctuaily pad vest them In
| the State, redecmablc, however, in limited mum
Der Of years, say from five to ten years, with &C
| cumulating per cent. annually thereon as you ma!
deem proper and il not redeemed at the end OF th'
allowed ,ime let them be Sold for the benefit Of th'
state and counties. II is believed that both resi-
dents and non residents would rather incur the an
| nual liability of one hundred per cent, with
heightened time for rcdemption-and that with suc'
indulgence the deiinquencies will all be redeemed
and the multiplied and multiplying wrongs be Pre-
vented. The writer OF this has just seen pamph
let containing the rec comnendat,on Of the appoint
ed compiiers OF new code OF laws their views
the manner Of doing county business with which
am much pleased and would warmly recommend
to your favor. Under such system we may just
ly hope thst counties now deeply indebted ma
soon he redeemed from debt and dishonor, and froI
, many frauds and peculations. CONSTITUENT