Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1856-01-16
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MrssRs ED1roRs: am gratif Cd to perceive that
eurnunicipai afiiiss, ahdthe cause Of reform, are
beginning 10 excite The attention OF our citizens
One 81 yodf correspondents "a Taxpayer
spropounds some pointed and important questions on
the subject and should like them satisfac-
t0rily answered. @r'-asAj : =" sa'g,'sP t,r ,
Our City taxes are now .fJty;fres cents on every
hundred dollars worth of real estate, and tseo DIT
stars on the POLL Add to this tho State, the Con
ty, the Parish and the School taxes and some idea
may be formed Of the very large amount Of LAKES
paid by the citizens of Raleigh. These heavy rates
of City taxes, am confident, operate against the
Improvement Of the place. Persons are thereby de-
TERED from purchasing real estate within the
porate limits. Many purchase just without the linn
It's and build, IN order ItOsayoid the heavy taxes
andyn proof of this / rcfertto the numerous build
ings, lately erected all around and Just outside the
limits Of the town. But the citizens, 1 am sure,
would not be disposed to complain, if they knew
where and how these large sums of money were ex-
PENDED and if they felt that while their taxes
being properly and judiciousy applied they were at
the same time being in some degree relieved from
corporation Indebtedness. But such is not the case
have not seen or heard Of any satisfactory exhib-
Its OF the mornings and outsoings; and with the
exception OF some bridges-all of them costly, and
one Of them at least injudicously constructed
little evidence is to be the streets of the ex-
penditure of money. What sums have been lost by
mprudent contracts, or voted away in salaries to
inefficient officers, paid by way of interest on the
principal of debt which ought by this time to have
been discharged-I know not. .
So much for the financial condition of the town.
The police regulations no better. 1t is notori.
Gus that ardent spirits are consumed here than
at any former period 1t is notorious, also, that
slaves can obtain liquor without difficulty and that
trading and gambling between white men and slaves,
and free negroes are of daily and nigh y
And what is the remedy for this state of things :?
Is 1t not in a new Board?-in Mayor and Commits
! sioners pledged to reform, and who will devote
themselves cnergecaly stcrnly and faithfully, to
, the duty of reducing the taxes-of improving the
streets-of enclosing the City cemetary-of paying
off the City debt-of expanding all funds udicious-
y: as they would expend their own private funds !;
and of establishing and maintaining stricter police
regulationsg Party has nothing to do with a mat
! ter OF this sort; nor am l influenced by any per-
sonal feeling towards the present Mayor and Com
mssIoncls, or their subordinates look above and
beyond that it is the duty of every good citizen
to do. Every one is interested in the City govern
ment, and the cause of reform and of good govern
ment is the cause Of all. A Whig for example, is
oppressed with taxes, annoyed with bad streets, and
injured by the sale of liquor to his slaves; but he
submits to it and his consolation is that these gricv
ances arc the result of Wing or Know Nothing al
mnistration and the same as TO a Democrat. Why
! how absurd! The Wing or the Democrat, who
singular regard for his own interests and truly pays
dear for his whistle"
! l am satisfied, gentlemen, that our City govern
ment will not be what it ought to be until new
! Mayor is elected. The present Mayor, it is vel
! known, is not fitted for such place. He is want
ing in energy, direcness, and independence Of char
! acter. lie evidently thinks more of popuarity-o
pleasing every one, than he does of performing his
/. duties. He has been in Office some ten or twelve
i years. l have frequently voted for him, and will
! pleasure-but l cannot sustain him any longer
tolcrably WE'LL he has not done for the last veal
]; so, could not vote for him, because l unwil
! ling that he should hold such an Office for lille
!, Let u.s. then, unite on some other gentleman
and if the present incumbent should not gracefully
retire from the field as he now has opportunity
Of doing, the citizens will be under the disagreeab
necessity of defeating him at the polls.
A CITIZEN.
| Raleigh, Jan. II, 1856.