Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1852-03-25
or Che yirginian.
HorsE or DELyGATEs, !
RICHMOND, March 1852. I

HS piAitoHeCi uiiis5 SDu'ii'S~iVHStS "a 80
Revenueor,mor properly, "thc Tax Bill
which has been under consideration in
committee Of the whole for the last two
weeks, was on Thursday recommended
to the House by the committee with sun
dry amendments,nearly all of which have
been adopted by the House. The parlia-
mentary rule by which the House resolves
itselfiuto committee Of the whole for the
consideration Of subjects, all OF which have
again TO be considered by the House, Is
rule neither sustained by sense or reason.
The committee Of the whole House has
now been occupied, as have just said,
two weeks, in the discussion OF the TAX
Bill" adopting and rejecting amendments,
and after the committee rose, all the
amendments were concurre9 IN by the
House. and to "cap the very climax" of
Inconsistency, the House is now engaged
in propositions to amend and strike out
the very amendments, it but three days
ago had agreed to.
The proper subjects Of exemption seem
to be the bone of contention still. Two
hundred dollars worth Of household and
kitchen furniture have been exempted in
the Bill, and an Intellectual effort has been
made to strike out "two hundred dollars"
and insert zone hundred" The commit
tee Of the whole had recommended the
exemption Of neat cattle hogs aud sheep
of theaggregate value Of one hundred dol
lars, and Friday and Saturday have been
occupied in various motions to strike out
and amend that section. Tie section pro-
vides that 1.-THE head Of each family shall
be entitled to hold exempt from taxation,
neat cattle, hogs and sheep of the aggre-
gate value Of one hundred dollars"
A proposition was offered by Mr.. Tom
Lin on Saturday. to strike that section ont,
and insert in lieu thereof a provision that
each citizen should be entitled to hold
property to the amout Of - exempt
from taxation. Mr. Miller moved TO FIJI
the blank with one hundred dollars, which
motion was adopted. Before action was
had on Mr.. Tomlin's proposition, Mr..
Scott said he would throw ont a sugees-
ton for the consideration Of the House. to
the effect that the ablest lawyers concur
red in the opinion, that whilst the Lcgisla
ture had the power under the constitution
to exempt from taxation any given arli-
cles, it had no power to exempt any class
of persons. That the proposition of alr.
Tomlin did certainly exempt from taxation
all persons possessing property under the
value Of 500, and did not exempt any
particular taxable subjects. He said he
had great doubts upon the subject himself
and merely made the suggestion that MEM
bers might reflect upon it. The House
without acting upon the proposition adj
journed With all due Difference to the
opinion Of Mr.. Scott, | Cannot see the
force OF his suggestion. The constitution
provides that "other taxable property may
be exempted from taxation by vote of a
| majority Of the whole number of members
elected to each House Of the General As
sembly." According to Mr.. SCOTS idea,
the Legislature will be compelled to speci-
fy every article proposed to be exempted
les, it might be construed into an ex-
emption of any particular class of the
community. What the difference is be-
tween saying that certain articles of the
value of 500 shall be exempted from
taxation, and each person shall be entitled
to hold property Of the value Of 500 ex
cmpt from taxation, | am not able to per-
cieve. 1t is about like the difference be-
tween "come out McCary, and McCarty
come OUT shall make no specula,ions as
10 the time when the Bill win finally pass,
as the vote of the House on one day is no
evidence, that that vote will not be recon-
sidrred on the next
A bill has passed the House by a large
majority, prohibiting the buying, selling.
or transferring of tickets or chances in
Lotteries, to take effect from and after the
23d of October next. The State will GER
tainly lose large amount of revenue,
heretofore raised from licenses TO lottery
dealers; but regarding them as hot-beds
of fraud and peculation upon credulous
and unsuspecting persons, am graft
fed that the Constitution has made it i'm
pera,ive upon the General Assembly, not
to authorize by law any lottery, and to
prohibit 1.-THE buying and selling or trans
ferring oftickets or chances in any lottery,
not now authorizedby law ofthis House.
Mr.. Craig, on Friday called up the bill
laid upon the table some weeks ago, au-
thorizing the Banks ofthe commonwealth
to issue notes under the denomination of
SIS. After some resistance on the part of
1.-THE unterrifed Democracy" Mr.. Craig
said he would call for the ayes and noes.
which might be considered as test vote
upon the merits of the bill.
The House BY vote ofs5 to SIS, agreed
to take up the bill, and Mr.. Craig, said for
the purpose of accommodating the views of
gentlemen who desired not TO act upon
the bill at that time. he was willing it
should be made the order of the day, on
any subsequent day. On motion of Mr..
Staples the Is, day Of April was agreed
upon. Contrary to general expectation,
the vote for taking up the bill, was very