Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-04-20
Correspondence Of the Cincinnati Gazette:
OhIe LexisIasure.
TIE Nev Tar L0sV-Importaat Changes
COLUMBUS, o., April II.

COLUMBUS, o. April II.
The new tax law, by hard labor, has
beenput through the Committee Of the
Whole, and was this day. reported back
10 the House from the Finance Com
mittee; and some of its features passed
upon.- The debate upon it viii be con-
tinued till it passes the House, which
, viii probably be al some period during
the week. / wish to call the attention
of yourreaders to some of its provisions
as agreed upon, and as they will Proba-
bly, pass the House. sse
Fhe bill as reported from the COM
naittee had the following exemptson:-
AN Colleges and Academies, and all
endowments for their support; all build
inps connected with the same, and all
lands connected with institutions of
learning, not used with view of profit,
were to be exempted from taxation
The Committee of the Whole struck this
entire sentence out, and the House, to-
day, confirmed this action. The result
is, that all Colleges, Academies, endow-
n1ent for their benefit, and lands, DC,
belonging to them must go upon the tax
list, and pay taxes the same as other
property. t isg l =
To my judgment this is nenstrous
proposition, and viii operate most dis
astrously upon the institutions of this
State. In almost every instance they
are sustained by the voluntary contribu-
tions of the friends of education. They
are a continued and heavy tax upon
them. They are not built for purposes
of private gain, but,.to advance great
public interest. If they are to be taxed,
many of them will go by the board
Who is to raise the money to pay the
tax? Generally, after the building is
erected, the Trustees are glad to get
some competent man to take it and con-
duct school, the Teacher taking all he
can make from his pupils for his COM
pensation. have known cases where
communities have agreed to pay a
Teacher $3.50 or $500 per year in 0ddi-
tiOn TO all he could make, as an induce
ment to keep up an Academy. If a
heavy tax, to be paid annually, is to be
added to this, the result cannot fail to be
disastrous. And yet, such is this
Democratic tax law, as agreed upon by
the House of Representatives. We
shall see how the people regard such a
measure. 1t is possible that the Senate
may have the good sense to set this
right, and that the House may be forced
to abandon this most obnoxious provi-
sion. -.-
Your readers are aware of the deci-
sion of the Supreme Court on the clause
of the tax law, allowing persons to de-
duct their debts from their credits, and
requiring them only to list the amount
which their credits at their cash value
exceeded their debts. All this is to be
changed, SO as to accord with this deci-
sion. Everybody is required to give in
for taxation "EUery credit for a sum GER
tain, payable either in money, property Of
any kind, labor, or service" These
''shall be valued at the actual value
thereof, in money" And no man is to
be permitted to deduct from said credits
any sum whatever.
Such is the provision of the law on
this subject. 1t is precisely what the
Gin. Enquirer, and a large number of
Locofoco journals have declared the
people would not stand. To escape it,
they have demanded change in the
Constitution But these papers will
have to face the law as here proposed,
and will get no change of the Constitu-
ton. They may as well make up their
minds to this, at the beginning.
This afternoon, a lengthy debate
sprung up, on proposition to exempt
fifty dollars from taxation. The Consti-
tuition authorizes the Legislature to ex-
empt two hundred dollars; but this new
law exempts nothing; even dogs are
specifically enumerated; money in pos
session, or on deposit, in or out of the
State, all, everything is sweptin. There
are to be no exemptions. In the course
of the debate some of the Democratic
members referred to the enormous ap-
preparations called for, and declared
that all these clauses for taxing matters,
not heretofore taxed, were inserted to
raise the basis of taxation as high as
possible, so that a vast increase in
amount of taxes would not materially
increase the per cent. of assessment;
and there is no doubt that this is the
grand moving cause. Democratic ad-
ministration of affairs has greatly in
creased the expenses of all departments
of the public service. More money
must be had, and hence these move
ments. The clause taxing all credits,
will increase the basis, this year, from
fifty to one hundred millions. By al
lowing no exemption, the basis will be
increased from twenty-five to forty mil
lions. A levy of the same per cent.
made last year, will, on this new basis,
produce more than million of dollars
over the amount collected last YEAR
These are serious matters, about which !
the people of Ohio should reflect. If
they are pleased with their appearance,
then l am much mistaken.
Yours, A.
@ The Finance Committee very
industrious and business-like committee |
hr- fba hoe