The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1858-02-20

ueSCElpuOu OI JuStlCeS printed on superior
quality of paper, fnr sale at this office.
The Present and the Future, for St. Paul
Taxpayers.
Another meeting was held last evening
at the Capitol, to consider further the scheme
for involving Minnesota in debt of $3,OOO,-
900 or $5,OO0,OOO, for the immediate ben
eft of the Land Grant R. R. Companies,
with supposed contingent benefits to the peo-
pie of the Territory. We were not able to
attend the meeting, but instead, availed our
selves of the opportunity to jot down few
thoughts and facts on the subject, for the
consideration of our readers.
1t is not necessary to tell the people of St.
Paul, that they are already pretty we'll tax
ed community. They know that to their
sorrow. The rate Of City taxes now borne
by them is eleven mills on the dollar, or over
one per cent. on every hundred of valuation,
upon their property.
Over taoo per cent. more per annum has been
paid by them for grading streets, building
culverts and so on, as per assessments of the
Street Commissioners.
In all, therefore, the past year, the CRY
ta8es, alone, reach ocer three per cent. on the
valuation of property in St, Paul, and this,
it must be recollected, is for the support of
the CRY Government and for City improve
ment exclusively.
Three per cent. In England this is the
interest which the Government pays on many
millions of the National Debt. Yet here, in
St. Paul, it is an income the wrong way, and
goes out of our pockets instead of into them,
to support horde oftar-eaters, many ofwhom
are burden and not few disgrace to an
orderly community.
But this three per cent. per annum is only
the CRY tax !! and if it was all the tax paid
by this community, might possibly be en-
dured. There is beside, however, a tax COL
lected by the authority of the COUNTY, to the
amount of fifteen mills more or one and a hal,
per cent. per annum, which must be added
to the City tax.
People of St. Paul, look at these figures
Consider and ponder on the fact, that near
ly fue per cent. per ann,sm, which is often a
fair income from money loaned in the East
ern States, has been the tax borne by your
property, during the past year, and will be
continued to be borne by you the ensuing
year, though possibly there may be re-
duction in the Street Commissioners tax, to
to the amount of one or one and half pei
cent. if the people look sharp at the next
spring election, as to whom they select to
control their city finances.
But put it down to the lowest possible
notch, and your City and County taxes the
ensuing year can scarcely 60 below three and
one ha!fper cent.
Is not this terrible to be borne ? Can you
bear it Whether you can or not, you must;
there is no remedy it is your fate
But is this all? Not by great deal
This year, it must be recollected, taxes will
be levied to support our mew State Gocern-
ment.
From the expenditure for its support al
ready, and the amount! it is estimated it will
require to sustain it to the end of the pres
ent year, the sum of $25O,OOO must be raised
by taxation from the people Of the State at
large,
A fair valuation Of the taxable property Of
the whole State, is about %, 100000 of dol
lars, and the State tax, therefore, will be ont
per cent. per annum.
Add this State tax Of one per cent. to our
City and County tax of three and halt pen
cent. and we have the startling fact before
our eyes, that we are bound to pay four ana
q half per cent. of taxation upon the valuation
of our property
This is inevitable This much is certain
There is no getting over it 1t is a startling
yet fixed fact!
By wise economy in our city government
by more careful economy on the part of our
State Legislature than it has yet evinced
this gross, terrible and crushing tax might have
been and might yet in some measure be re-
duced but as we expect neither, Judging
from the past, it is safe to assume that oul
State, County and City tazes for the present
year will stand at the enormous figures Of
FOUR AND oNE-HALF DOLLARS ON EVERY HUN.
DRIED DOLLARS OF ASSESSED vALrE!
But even this is not the entire burden
the backs of the people will have to bear the
present year, if the plan now before the Leg
islature is adopted to advance to the Rail-
road Companies Eve millions of dollars IN
seven per cent interest bonds of the State in Or
der to furnish them the capital wherewith to
build twenty five mile pieces of Railroads, af:
ter We have granted them the lands bestowed
upon us by the generosity of Congress, and
which they surreptitiously obtained on the
strength of supposed capital they possessed,
sufficient with the aid of the lands to build
the roads
Let the people of St. Paul consider for a
moment the mountain-load of taxation under
which they will be buried, if the Railroad
Companies succeed in deluding the Legislature
into passing this bill.
The interest on five millions of dollars, at
seven per cent. is three hundred and fifty
thousand dollars, which is an additional one
and a halt per cent. added to the previous
four and half per cent. of taxation, which
even without it, they must bear.
This will make five and half per cent. of
taxation and even this is not all !
According to the State Constitution,
whenever public debt is contracted for gen.
eral or specific purposes, the Legislature is
compelled to levy lin tho words of the Con-
stitution,) "also tax sufficient to pay the
principal of such debt within ten years from