Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-04-05
CHARLES MASON.
REMARKS or MIR. BROWN or BEDFORD,
IL. 4 L.. = :. -.

REMARKS or MIR. BROWN or BEDFORD,
IN tie Senate the 29M Of March, 1888 upon The d7S re-
iatiEg 10 county tarcs.
Mr. President ,.i' sup:u-. IL" merits ~ This hii'
would up discussion upon IL cu"rn-sInrnL H.,
formidable opposition is presented now hrg ieaE' I" sly
few words.
The constitution requires that prnpe.tg Except slaves
shall! in proportion 10 liz value. Tia" nCple cs
,abli-heI j. that every man shall pay only proper
ton III" amount Of property he NAV own This PrIncipe
believed Just, by very large majority Of the PGo
pic.
Tic advalorem system regarded hy the COr*"n0n
as one Of ust and proper reform tor State
taxation asd applies with equal lsc' 10 county 'aS-
aon What are The objections nfgcdI have heard but
two! The first H. that parish levy The aims for the
should paid by the poor III The Proportion that the
rich may he required pay ny his In" Seconi nhIec
ton between The al Ito and i would pay no
county tax unless m possessed property Why should
he pay county taAl know he Ia now taxed upon The
principle that seaso may seize him hs may bccomc halt
and nave friends able maintain him. and TINS become
ch,rnc upun the cuunyhut Tor every yrung man who
burhrns county for his support least five 10 the
asyums ana supported AT the e1nense OF the STATE 81
the State docs not tax persons un'cr Il years" age
Under tic present syatcm a5nTr not owning one dot
lars wnr, property pays only his parish levy bur,
m many much u~ardn the ru7kn" ami k"cP"g
roads in repair lis employer may "'n 'saud acres
n( land 4 large portion Of comfy taxation i for fi G
poses an, every who land in county is inter
ested in iis roads; but under the present system may
live in on- county and land another an, not pay
cent county whore his property IL unless te,e be
slaves it, II the land be worked hy free hhorers, they
pay the for roads 10 carry the p~nncs 81 ha nni L"
10 show the ln'hIV ana iJH-i!c 81 ir present
mode n raising county beg leave 20 introduce
satisticaI Information relating 10 my own county:
Value of real estaic in Bedford county, So $4,000
Value ri personal property ,5bSppo
Four thousand nine hundred snd nineteen slaves
over twelve years of aye, valued a. ihIcn nun.
drcd dollars each, 475 700
Three thousand four hundred and sixty FIVE free
males l6 years Of age, taxed Dc 92UD, 693,3uD
On his amount zG96l 600
Is paid state lax of llG35
County Tardfion.
Three thousand eight hundred aud twenty-five
slaves over l6 years Of age At three hundred
dollar, each, l.i47,5go
Three thousand four hundred aud Skyline Tree
maIrs taxed on 5000 each, 693. 800
On this amount, sl,s4oe 500
The nrunl, Of the county rav tnx, irr county
rurpnsse of SO S93, which il over A cents n
The 500 rlr STATE is i ccals in the
500 The amour; nj property IN The
" not axed for county purposes, is ii9 900
the poor tns 2,42l
For road purposes md general county aImiais.
tra'un, - oi2
ess Than 0re-thd OF the county i required :nr the
support Of The poor.
The lew was 81 Is each person paying county tax
Had n. levy been made under the provisions r the bill no
under consicrann il would hav" been . cents MI
males Il years uf ar" ard 81 al slaves
II years age, and l2 300 value Of property
Mr President II n has much property, ha wants
good his prodnrc market and Courts
Of Justice protect him in The ln enjoyment o that pro-
rrriy. lie is therefore, interested in roads general
county cxpensns in proportion the u 7orerty
he mas have II the ace al The al rGi2rcE priacplc
admitted il follows that man Should ray for road
purposes the general expenses only in pro-
portion !" the amount Of property he may own.
vii! argue tho first objection urge! against this bill
will merely say, that if Old man, trembling with age
the victim Of sor5owlu reverse in HE should knock
at the door of poor house for hrcad-'he wealthy man
ma bc required by this bill ~ contribute towards his
auppar; than the poor; but if he complains his after
all, il will bu, be like Dives murmuring Lazarus