The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-03-05

49, p.rcu-0entlemen commnnlea'ob,
over the signature OF in which the writer
evidently nm iertakes to array me ihefChsh's ine
chancs and manufacturers OF hicntnonn. sge is
~. I%nnc,l ara in an especial manner agaiast
those members of the Council who voted Tor re-
duction upon real estate and sets forth MANY 81.
ron, CHARGES 70 insks Rooo ~, f 80 nbaTgsa
made by y ustice deem 1t entirely unnecessary
they bear the impress OF error 40 PAN sple "a
their face thet it would be waste OF time 10 10
so Just CO" calls upon the merchants, mannl@c'
turers and chsncs and all others, directiy OF ,I
directly interested. TO oppose the odlous tax Dill
nats.d by the Council on the 2ith inst by which
act he states real estate owners in that Dndy Votta
decrease offo per cent upon heir taxes upon reai
estate and an increase on the taxes OF merchants,
manufacturers and others. to supply the deHctenSF
caused there b and then eraveIv p oponnos the
au stion to the members Of the Council th1t Foted
for the BILL Upon what basis of principle ga you
set in voting for such bill and then cans upVn
the members who thus acted, to meet thSir conf t
tuents at the African Church. on Tuesday ntgn',
and to assign to them their views IN support Oh me
bill end let their constituents know whethet' IN 50
doing they have led their interest. or wiener
by that act they did not vote to put money IN theF
own poe kets at the expense OF the mefcnspis mn
nuiscturers. &c Grave charge, IL srueIah ,a re
with Justice" II true, every one shonid De N
peached aud buried from office forthwith, without
waiting until the first Thursday IL Apri ne4t.-
Bnt let US examine into the SUBJECT hrst anu aceV
tain whether or not these charges are true. uhce
IL nothing. when compared with charac'et: THESE
der a solemn oath. and if true, we have been guilty
Of pc Jury. Before enter int al exaui'hatl tpS
subject will STATE. for ihs MO OF Jus,
tice" that did meet. with many other memo rs
of the Council, OF the African church on TUESDAY
night. bu. did not get An opportunity OF aoaresiDs
the meeting snd explaining my We te'; and giving
the reasons tor 90 voting which would have much
preferred TO have done face 70 face: AS nfo Doll
feel it due to self and those the Coun-
Gil who voted with me- to resort to the only alter
native lett-whicb is through the public papers
defend characters from the erroneous charges
preferred against us by Justice" and also from
many erroneous statements atiolt in the streets.
circulated by many for want Of information on the
subject ard by some Il am sorry TO say) designed
ly. to acc 2Tnplsh personal end+.
vote to decrease their taxes on real eftate 29per
cent. and vote 70 Increase Il on merchants, manu-
factnrers, mechanics and Others 10 make up the
deficiency j answer "a. An as jus ice' may
know if he desires TO know but that the citizens
generally may know how voted ard tho "a mem
bers voting with RE, will Fl Fst give statement OF
the motions and votes given by me on the tax BILL
and then give my reasons for SO voting. When the
tax bill came up tor consideration. offered sut-
stfute for rhe 18th ion of the ill., presented by
the EinsFce Committee, which section imposed
clsss tax On aa tcneers My substitute proposed
TO tax auctio1eers with per centnm. ueon their
sales, in lieu Of the class tax-that substitute was
voted do will here state that the substitute L
offered Was new ordinance it had been the stand
ing ordinance of the city from the f;h day Of JUICE
1924. the nth of August 1857 (st which time
Mr. q w Gretter moved IL repeal il, which motion
was adcpted) inOved 10 STRIFE out IS cts Gu real
estate, as reported by the committee. and insert 80
cts 1bat motion was carried in the affirmative by
vote of seven to six | moved TO strGe out niue
ty-hye on p7r%naI pr1pe,ty ard insert 50 c,s-that
tnOtlOu Nds auOptSu. w men IHe SUI leCiIOu WA
| read, which imposed class tax on merchants. LIST
class $1,000. moved to strike out SlN0 aDd insert
| 500; bat the members compromised on $500. and
the balance OF the section was followed IN most o.
the classes with a similar reduction. When the OH
section read. which classed manufacturers. l
mo wed to strike cut SitC0 and insert S5G-ard in
tended to follow each class with similar redrc-
| ti0n; but ct the request of some members OF the
Committee. vii bdrew the motion after he ring sa.
/ It's aCtOry reason Why that class should remain,
which was, think, satisfaC 1rily plsn by thu
| chairman of the committee at the african Church
| on Tuesday last. There were many other amend
nents olfere' BY vself and others to the differ cnt
ser ttons of the u ance, most Of which were
Cuce me TAX ana eFu!y cohch'edtnhy the nance
Committee. which are too mum "rous to mention in
dstalI. Thess are the vote 5, Justice which you
haze called on the merchants, nanutaCtu' ers and
other cihfena - copieTnn Rly sell aBd those mem
bers ting with me- TOR giving You say for voting
to reduce real estate ~ par eel tum, ~ psce it
| rpon merchants manufacturers ami others / say
voted to reduce real estate 20 per MT end ott
taxable subjects. about forty Ii you not salts
fled with thu statement, have given and desire in
| formation, enquire OF those present, or examine
| the recJ ord Now for the reasons that Induced NE
| to vote for = reduction on real estae aud msr-
| estimate from the record showing tho amca1t
| necessary for Endorsements fer the city, Tor
tue fiscal year, commencing March the isf, lsi9
| and Closing February 18th 200, and !ound that
about s+6o 800 wCuld be sucit Mt for that purpose
then made an Inmate of ,he receipts Of the city
curing that PERIOD, Including cash on nsnd. taxes
| Ct the last year yet uncoilected which could be
counted good, and notes due the CITY falling
| due during that period. Amounting IN the agg1e-
| gate. in round numbers, 10 S25s, 600 Deduc'ing
that amount FROM the disbursement left two hun
bred and Two Thousand dollars; adding zen per
for pay nents made at the Coliectois Off &C. the Col
lfctors commissions and insotyeGt list would make
| So coo; adding $4,000 for appropriations which
| might not have been imatcd for and cOntiugeu-
cies. would m Ike S2510H0 to be raised by taxation
Now, the question arises. how sh Ill it be raised
First, real estate at 50 cents every hundred
dollars value. returned by the sssessor last ear
| (which will be increased this year by new bnilj-
iDgs, perhaps half a million of liars Take last
years estimate, III round numbers:
Ou $iS. 400 Oh at
Gu lay :, free nsgroes and pcl tax...... 70 coo
On PERSONAL y opeF $50
s2l4,2O
Leaving Il balance of thirty Eve thousand eight
inbred dollars, Il be raised from every other sub
icct of taxation i'll said ordinance VIZ; merchants
manufacturers, auctioneer5 ordirsrie5, boardiug
houses, ard 3 numbrr Of other sub JectB last year
about ynine thousand dollars was rails from
these subjects. Tsppea even to Justice himself to
say whether any man. who Is let biassed in his
jud eDt by prejudice, self intereSt some other
motive can say thst the members of the Council
who voted for a reducti III real estate well as
other SUBJECTS OF taxation. have votei to benefit
themselves and put mOuey III their own pockets at
the expense OF others. as charged by Justice,
whether they have not cOnsCieuciousy voted for
the benefit OF all both Gu and poor real estate
owners manufacture Is and merchants. Some mer.
chants and manufacturers under the impression
that the Ordih RnCe poses class tax upon them
and also per ceptum pom their capital No cha &c
Is made Gu capital employed in business where a
class tax is imposed.
say in conclusion TO you, Justice If you are one
of my constituents and desire to retire from your
service IN the Council OF the city, and Can b. in
formed in any way that reasonable number of my
constituents desire it. will do 30 without word
OF complaint: bat Ill retire with the slight
est stain of dish onor pom my character. / do not
profess TO be lf,lihle; errors of judgment an
satisfied have comm!:trd bat Oh .llenge the man
1 70 g.,,str 49, l.n..