Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-12-10

eh.r,e4erised their seb q leGis1Ai3A n aeea.I
minstion Of our lsgi3aasss = De tsc.s -
the General Assembly, - Ies:e'vs Y W
credit Of the Stats uddef oil CSC = - W
IN h,s,ras 10 cannse too ascA, a1niss; hse<vss
viaelv ne nav di6sr - to The sosrco and ths
manner from and IN which the necessary revenue !
for that object can be best and most easily rs'sed
II - not Sxs Object to advance any ono man, o.
set Of men; nor viii our appreciation d The Pstr
osim and integrity Of any man Be Affected o. ms
,urbed, should be hcosssly entertain opinions con
trary to our own We Do not wish 10 zee this re-
form in the financial policy Of the Ssaie.-shee'usey
Necessary We believe 10 the States prosperity ana
advancemeat-mixed up in any wsy With party Po''-
tics OF discussed with the excitement and feeling
that partixan measures usually are.
Our sole aim i, and or constant effort shall BE-
until the end is accomplished disconnected With OIL
other coo>iderat'ons-a ksfess shI ntssN,
Srsryx Of our State. The details Of this rcfor~
We leave to those whose wisdom and experience
will no doubt give satisfaction to all - 5000 - shc
peopc in their sovereignty shall determine thai
reform shall be made And in this effort. re beg
the honest cooperation Of ev:ry onc. we care not
to what party or section he bclong who enscfsains
in regard to the necessity Of the change. the sa@s
existing system to think seriously Of its principles
to discuss its merits and above all to trrat II IN
their investigations as subject of paramount ir.
portance And in the general discussion ot the
merits Of this subject, which We hope viii be hid
among our people. II that which we believe to DC
practicable, and just and urgently called or by our
present state If affairs should be shown to to be
either impracticablc or unjust. orinsufccnt andosh.
remedies for existing evils arc tsrs the better to
attain what We so earnestly desire, We cherTtuIly
promise to adopt the suggestions proposed toe that
end We arc not so welded to any particular poll
cy in reforming our present system ~ to hsssrd the
reform itself by sdhcring pcrtn,cieu<y to any one
measure or plan, however much We may be con-
WINGED at this tune Of the business Of our own views
in relation thereto.
A history of our revenue system, barr ~ Il IL in
its details Of interest until the year 1s4, concu
sivcly to our minds proves this fct That the ae:re
gate amount Of taxes collected each year. and which
we're amply sufficient for the administration Of our
government. was so sinai! that but little interest
Eel, in the subject Of taxation by those whehad
the taxes to paw. and bu, little attention bvsiowcsi
BY our legislators to the Sourc. from which the
revenue necessary to defiay the expenses Of tbs
government was to be raised. The ratcs on tbs
300 worth Of land TO wit: cents, and s0 cent.
on the poll remained unalcrr for over thirty years
and Was not increased until the year 1854. From,
the statements made by the Comptrollcrs. Ne see
that in the war 1922 the aggregate revenue Paid BY
the Shers int, the treasury (omittns ffactons>
$63.sl; Of which real estate paid Sss. los; polls
$25.4ll; leaving Slo.ss?. to he paid by all other
taxable subjects. Wake paid into the treasury in
1892, the sum Of fs.sa3. In 1855. the year the
old constitution Of 1876 amended in convention,
and the restriction unknown to that hr>t consiitu-
ton was placed upon the General Assembly in rc-
gard to poll tax, the aggregate Of revenue paid by
the Sheriffs into the treasury vas &.s.sso; rel
estate paying Ssl.sls: polls. sssols; leaving
$2l.l1s to BE- paid by other subjects. Wake in
1885, paid $2.i5.. In 1917. from which time .
new era may be said to have commencrd in our @.
nancial history, controlled by policy totally differ
ent from that governing our legislators previous
thereto there was paid into the treasury by the
Sherifs, und2r the tax bill Of 1876. the sum af
ss3, rsd; real estate payin: ss''s polls ssi.ssa.
leaving Sa0.+s: tn lie paid by other subjects. In
this year. Wake paid S3,r5s into the treasury
Since lsi7. under this order of things leg
isatorx at every session have bern driven to m,ny
expcdents and have spent little time and discus
sion in adjusting the different tax bills to :hc in
creasng demands Of the treasury. In 1858 the
amount Of revenue paid by the Shcrifs into the
treasury sj"2 81. real estate paving Si+. lsn;
free polls $..5ss; black polls s,j.&s.; leaving
s2is.3ss to be collected firm other sources. In
this year Wake pail ssl.;5s. In ls5, the sg.rc-
gate revenue paid by the Shcriffs under the tar ball
Of 1867 Was S6O1, si3. No dct,ils have s> yet
been published In ls5? Wake pays s.5.oot. In
the f,regoing statement the tax paid hank stock
and those derived from few other sources am.unt.
ing to little. have not bccn inciuled From the
o..
period Of 25 years, there was hut little inesrssc
in the aggregate amount of revenue pail to the
State; and that increase Is accounted foe by the
natural increase in the number Of taxable polls aud
chiefly from the increased value Of lands under the
various assessments made after the year ls.s.
In the few material changes that have iccn intro.
duce in our revenue system since the year 1884,
j. fact worthy of notice that all such alterations
have been made 80 far possible Ia conform tn On
al enlorem principle. And VIC have been unable "a
find any evidence that the restriction incorporated
in the amended Constitution Of ls.5 80 materially
altering that Of l77G (which has hccn s,ylrd BY
some ~ ineo.Par"5iy sTceiisnt." and In this PAR
ticular at least. we think justly SOL elected any lie
cussion or comment prior In ITS passage. This cir
cumsancc, and the passage Of this restriction on ths
General Assembly in regard to capaiion tax through
the Convention Of ls35. in siisae, prcclusic< an,
idea Of its being considered matter al even second
AIRY Importance or of its having hccn one Of tho,
changes IN our organic Law demanded by the propl,
at that particular time even II the small amounts
OF revenue annually collected ~ above shown IL,
not satisfactorily do "a. And further. u that par
tcular species Of property owned by our citisen.
needed, in 1885, before, the peculiar prosccsos
given it. il is unaccountably strange that The amen
dcd Constitution should have been voted aeainxs b,
every County in the State largely interested IN sav
property. The truth II, the Convention Of lsa
met for other purposes; and those purposes hsd al
most necessarily occupied public attention Tor year
before the Convention assembled. And when tn
Convention did assemble the changes in our orKani
law, which had been fully canvass~d before the NED
pie wee again patiently investigated and elaLorat.
ly discussed by delegates remarkably ,iissinsuishc
for ability, integrity and learning Yet, with d
their learning and experience. Il MAS beyond thei
ken to foresec the many and great changes that wcs
to take place within the twenty years ,mmetiatcl
to follow. II any one had announced to that bod