Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-06-23
TUESDAY MORNING, JUNE q, 1851.
KNOW NOTHING DEFENCE OF THE ASSESSOR
law

Mr.. Moses White, the Know Nothing representa-
tive Of the county Of Knox in the last Legislature is
out ina card defending himself fer having voted for
the Law creating the ofBce Of Tax Assessor. Mr.
White very properly argues that the revenue Of the
State had to Be aersassd and that this new mode Of
assessing taxes was designed, in part, to accomplish
that end. He gives some facts in support Of this
position which are well grounded, and to which we
desire to call the attention of the public for special
purpose. We extract the following from his card:
In the month Of October, 1856, Gov. johnson
submitted message 10 the Legislature, on the 4th
page Of which we ind the following instructions:
" Il VIII devOlTe on you 70 provide for the pay
ment Of one hundred and twenty five thousand dol
lars Of the Bonds which were issued for stock in the
Union Bank falling due first Of January, 1858, and
ffty Thousand dollars Bonds issued for building the
State Capitol falling due first Of April Of the
year Il is for the Legislature to determine Wheth-
er these Bonds shall be paid by imposing additional
taxes on the people or out Of the Stocks owned by
the State
"The Comptroller Of the Treasury reported that
in addition TO the foregoing it would devOlve
to provide some means Of raising the further
Of Slls,50O, TO supply deficiency in the Treasury
occasioned by the disbursements Of the two previous
years having exceeded the receipts by that amount
The amount of revenue raised under the revenue
laws then existing was insufficient to defray the
necessary expenses TO say nothing Of the debts OF
the State. II duty then, 70 provide for the
payment Of the debts 90 which our Governor and
Comptroller bad called our attention, with interest
up 70 the time they fell due, and further against
recurrence Of any such deficiency in the treasury.
These were honest debts Of the State, and the Leg
isators bound sshonorsble men, to provide for
their payment The Governor had stated, as you
have SEEN that il vas for the Legislature TO deter
mine whether the debts should be paid by imposing
additional taxes the people, out Of the stocks
Of the State in Banks Rail and Turnpike Roads, sc,
But the same message is accompanied with state
ment Of the stock owned by the State, which showed
them 70 be at large discount To have sold the
states stock IN Roads would have required ire
mendous sacrifice, to have sold her Bank Stock would
have been to have given to individuals, most likely
nOn-residents Of the State full control Of the Banks
ana you can readily imagine the deplOrable cOuse-
quences that might have followed. Besides, any
relief obtained in that way would only have been
temporary"
And yet, notwithstanding the Governor in his
message had informed the Legislature that hun
drsd and toenyfge thousand dollars of the bonds of
the State would be falling due before another Leg
islature could provide for them and notwithstanding
there was scarcely any other means of meeting
them butby raising trom the pockets Of the people
and notwithstanding, furthermore, thatthe Comp
trOer Of the Treasury had reported that in addition
to the foregoing it would devolve on the Legislature
tOprOvide some of raising the further sum of
hundred and eighteen thousand foe hundred dollars
to supply the deficiency in the Treasury occasioned
by the disbursements of the two previous years hav
ing exceeded the receipts by that amount and that
this too must out of the pockets of the people.
We say, Notwithstanding these stubborn facts, which
Mr.. White thinks sufficient excuse for Hatton and
himself voting to create Tax Assessor he and Mr..
HattOn went in their capacity as members of the
Legislature, in the most wild and reckless expend
ture Of public money and extension Of State aid to
almost every conceivable project
As Mr.. White is not candidate at this time we
only refer to his arguments as conclusive against
Mr.. Hstton With this heavy liability hanging over
u.s. which had to be provided for before the meeting
Of another Legislature and that, too, from the peck
ets Of the people, where can Mr. Hatton and his Knox
county associate find apology for voting for q
still further increase of State Indebtedness and
general extension Of State credit? We defy an an
sWsr from them.
By reference to the House Journal it will be found
that Mr.. HattOn voted to extract thousands upon
thousans Of dollars more from the pockets of the
people, the treasury being empty, for every con-
eeiyable project, many of which wholly desti-
tute Of merit local in their character, while 9TH
ers again might well have been postponed to a more
convenient season. Let the people preserve these
stubborn facts to which Mr.. White, Know Nothing
representative has referred and let them stir the
enquiry Why Mr. HattOn continued to advocate and
vote for unnecessary and extravagant increase Of
State Indebtedness? We venture that it will never
be answered by him or his organs