Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-03-13
Our Taxes for 1851.

For the Patriot.
Nh. EDrToR: In your paper of the 9th inst, over
the signature of IN, }" find statement of our tax
for the year 1857, for State and County, Court
house, and Railroad purposes, which, though cor
rect in the mai has in it which ought
TO be corrected. Our taxes are, in all conscience,
high enough, when we understand them correctly
bot when we do not, as we can not from the article
alluded to, not because the writer ii not intend
that we should but because he did not have cor
rect information touching the subject matter in its
details
The taxes for each ,rticular purpose of taxation
are correctly set forth in said article, if the Corpo
ration taxes should turn out TO be ten dollars on
the thousand. For Railroad purposes S. 30 on the
thousand; for STATE purposes 81 40 on the thou
sand /; for County and Courthouse purposes % 80
the thousand; making in ALL $40 40 on the
thousand, on CT y prop .rty, and 50 40 on county
property.
The reasons which have made it necessary to in
crease the taxes for the year are four-fold
lst. The last Legislature enacted law, giving
to the Corporation of Nashville the taxes upon
properly and priv ges, &C, in District No. l, or
the city of Nashville, and directing the County Col
lectors to pay over TO the city authorizes the
whole amount of revenue thus coll, cted, and then,
when certain expenses of the county she'll be as
certained that are provided for 10 said law, the
city authorities are to refund TO the county the
amount found to be due from the city or her pro
portion Of the express. The County Court, at its
January term, 1851, being unable to see what
would be the effect OF said law upon the finances Of
the county, felt bound to provide in any contingen-
cy, for its own legitimate expenses; aud in order
to do that had 10 Wy ajax that would produce
eral thousand dol lrs revenue, than otherwise
it would have been necessary to raise.
Ii is hoped, however, that the question as 10 the
validity Of the Law 10 question viii be legally set
lied before another year and if it is, and shall be
determined in favor of the county, then the taxes
for ordinary county purposes may be reduced and
il il shal be determined for the city, the cIlculs-
tions for revenue will be made under the law be-
fore another levy of tskes, so the court can zee
whether any deduction be made in the per cent.
and still raise a sufficient revenue TO defray the
ordinary expenses Of the county.
%. A considerable portion OF the Territory Of
Davidson has been taken off, to make Cheatham
Davidson WILL for ordinary county purposes, neces
sarily be lost to Davidson comfy.
Srd Ii was necessary to provide The means to
rebuild the Courthouse, and tax was levied for
that purpose, which will raise this year about hsf
me sum that il will require to rebuild, so that the
tar for that object win probably be the same next
year that it is this, which is believed, unets the
contract for the building of the COur,-hOuse Is
changed and made more expensive, will complete
the building ready for its occupation according to
the plan adopted.
4th. ThesCounty owed hack interest and sinking
fund on Der Railroad bonds about the sum Of S4O,-
600 and in order to meet that liability il was nccet-
sary to levy tax OF % cents on the 100 dollars,
which il is b ljeved will raise a sum sufficient to
pay all the back interest aud sinking fund due up
on the Railroad bonds which the county is bound
70 pay, that next year there will be reduction
in the Railroad tax OF 22 cents the 100 dollars
cannot close this statement without thanking
my friend AN" for bis complimentary notice Of
me, aud hereby pledge myself to him and all my
felow-citizens OF the County, that will cndeavor
at all times 20 administer the affairs Of the County
as far as they are committed to my are and man
agement 10 that way aud manner that onght to sat-
isfy the most economical taxpayer
will here take occasion to say that the Justices
as far as they have communicated 10 me their views
in regard to the financial condition Of the County,
are in favor Of pursuing that line Of policy that
WI most readily relieve the County Of its present
difficulties. JAMES WHITwoRTH,
.h-s.-r-.- . County Jadge.
Nashville, March IL.