The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-02-13


bury, of my intention Of presenting for
their consideration at tho annual town
meeting in March, an amendment or
modification of the resolution of the
town adopted March 4, requiring Of the
selectmen, when they mad made their rate
bill for any town tax, that they should
deposit the same with the treasurer of
the town, for thirty days and give notice
thereof, in the Register, and all persons
paying their taxes within said thirty
days should have discounted to them
five per cent, and at tine expiration of
tho thirty days the rate bin should 60
into the hands Of the collector, and he
receive Eve per cent for collecting tho re.
mainder.
Now the amendment or modification
propose is to strike out the word FIRE
and insert THREE, and add, the follow.
ing and when the Seleclmen shall
make their rate bill for the schoo-tax,
which they are required by law to do,
they shall deposit it with the treasurer
of the town, the same as other town tax.
es.n
In proposing this amendment, wish
it to be distinctly understood, that | am
neither Wing nor Democrat, Republican
nor Know Nothing neither Pro-Slavery
nor Anti-Slavery, Temperance nor An.
ti-Temperance but simply a taxpayer.
The first Of these amendments was
proposed at the time that the resolution
was adopted, and was objected to by the
friends of the resolution on the ground
of its tendency to defeat its adoption
the second was probably deemed unne-
ccsaary. as the statute law requiring the
assessment of the school tax makes pro-
vision that it shall be collected in the
same manner as othcr totcA tarcS arc
Collected The resolution as adopted was
objected to on the ground that it was
party contrivance to defeat the election
of the present incumbent Of the Office Of
collector, and purposcly to curtaii the
profits Of the business to his injury. if c.
lectcd But trust that every candid,
jldicious and unbiased mind is now salts
fed that this was not the object OF the
mover Of that resolution or its advocates.
The town bears the same relation to
the world as a corporation, rs any crodi-
tor does to his trustcc-as the creditor
can do infinitely better with his money
in his pocket, to make ready payment
for all lie purchases, so can tue town
with an ample fund in her treasury, SO
that when ran order is presented, it
shall not be written upon "no money in
the treasury aud handed back to tho
holder to wait for his money until he can
get it
We profess to be moral people, and if
we wish to arpcar SO we must be nordI
to wantonly or necessarily neglect a
speedy and prompt payment of our tax
cs is. in the opinion of the writer an i'm
morality of no small magnitude and
ought to be rebuked. The object
of the resolution is two fold an induce.
ment to the Taxpayer TO receive the fec
for collecting his own tax and Of adYauc-
irr the general interest of the communi-
ty. while it does not the slightest injury
to tho delinquent or to the collector.
An Obligation is raised that the time is
too short, and thereby the poorer class of
taxpayers are unreasonably oppressed.
Then let the premises be examined, and
if it he found to be true lengthen tie
time but would not the same objection
amply as we'll without the resolution |
understand that the collectors warrant
requires him to collect aud ray into the
treasury within sixty days Is not this al
so oppressive to the poorer class Of tax
payers
The truth is, if person is so poor
that he can not devise way to pay the
small tax in which he may be lawfully
assessed, it should be regarded as suf
fcient reason for the civil authority to
abatc to him or her the tax 50 assessed
The question involved in the first pro
posed amendment is the deduction to
the tax -rayers who pay in within the sPe'
Gifted time. and the fee paid for collector
for collecting the balance. Towns are
morally and legally bound to make com
pensation to their officers or servants for
actual services rendered. but we are un
der no obligation to create unnecessary
offices of emolument, and if we abide by
the principle Of our state constitution, as
embraced in the 25th Sec. OF tho 2nd
part of that instrument; We shall not
If taxpayers would be efficiently prompt
to a scasonablc discharge of their rela.
tive duties to the government we should
have no need Of n collector Of taxes, al
least for resident taxpayers. BY pay
ing our taxes promptly to the letter Of
the resolution, we should avoid the ne
cessity of taxing ourselves five per cent
as we have done for the purpose of pay
Ing it to the collector. | am DEPRESSING
the question is,shall the deduction and
the fee be reduced, to the proposed a
moudment. The question arises, what
will be just and equitable compensa
ton for collecting, The grand list a
mounts to something over eight thousand
dollars, and suppose we raise on an aver
age 25 cents on tho dollar of the grand
list for town purposes, aside from what
we are required to raise for school pur
poses we have a tax Of over $1,000
Three cents on the dollar will be over
s60,-ths sum will give the collector as
you will readily perceive over $50 pei
month for two months, which will 6(