Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-03-02
lhe Standard.
REMARKS OF MR. LEAK,


OF ANsoN,
In the House of Common, on the Sth Of Feb. 1859,
on tie blu Requiring tie County Courts Of Ger
taia couatsas to tao ell subjects embraced wtthia
the general rereaue bill, for county purposes.
Nh. SPEAKERS did not intend 10 treslass upon
the time Of this House. but were to remain silent
and let this bill pass over my head, would be false
to myself false to my constituents and false to
INV country Sir, am sent here by the trcemen
of Arson, to represent their interest,-to do that
which will in my opinion best advance that interest,
to do nv duty faithfully and honestly, Sir, if in
the discharge of what | conceive 10 be my duty to
my people, do wrong trace it to the brain and not
to the heart. THIS is Il new proposition, the pro-
visions of which as far as know, never having tcen
applied TO any other counties, proposition whch
should command the serious attention OF every one
within the sound of my voice. Sir, what does this
bill propose? 1t asks you to delegate to the county
courts along the line of the Warrington, Charlotte
and Rutherford railroad power unlimited ana unfc.
strained; it coniers grants plenepotcntary, and
stops not there, it makes this General Assembly
issue its "meadama5' to these county courts, to
levy tax upon every article, every subject OF taxa
ton which comes within the provisions OF the pres
cnt revenue BILL any other bill IN force at the time
of LAYING such tax. for the purpose of paying the
principal and interest of bonds which have been
issued or may be issued account of subscriptions
to said railroad This road was chartered in lS}4.
In :56 the Representatives along the line OF this
road cIne to you and asked that this charter should
be so amended as to give the counties, by and with
consent of majority of their voters, the right to
subscribe to its capital stock. They asked this
General Assembly to confer upon the county courts
the power of laying taxes upon what? Not upon
every subject of taxation which is embraced within
the broad scope of this orany other revenue BILL but
upon those subjects which are usually given to
county courts My friend from Richmond very
properly remarks that they only have the right
to tax land ana poll. There was provision IN that
amen led Charter that the county courts should tax
land and poll With this understanding and with
the law before Them after having received the sane
ton of the people, they proceeded to make Their
subscriptions Now sir, would ask If it would
not now be in bad faith to materially change one OF
those conditions upon which this act was accepted,
and upon which their subscriptions were predlcated:
Can you give the county courts the right to do an
act upon certain condition. and then, after the act
is done alter that condition! In my opinion 1t Is
not right now to change the character OF this grant,
unless by the consent Of the people. Do the people
of my county want this change? If So l have
never heard it. | have never received any III
structionS from those who sent me here and there
fore must conclude that they do no. want it. 1t is
a move too important for me upon my own rcSpon-
sbility to force that upon them which do not
know they want. Sir, if were to consult my own
individual interest this bill would certainly receive
my support. for the reason that nine tenths OF my
estate consists in that property which Is subject
to taxation for this purpose. L would ask, Mr..
Speaker, for whose benefit is this road made?
What interest does it advance? What property
does it benefit? Does it advance the interest
of the merchant, the lawyer, the Doctor, the
dentist, the druggist? BY this bill You must
tax his total receipts and income. Does it benefit
,tal, nl1 hurry old
Yes. Does it benefit the mortgage deed which the
unfortunate man is driven to the necessity OF max
ins to his property from the grasp OF the otIi
Ger? Sir, all these subjects now come within the
provisions of the revenue bill which has passed the
House Of Commons. No man knows what it will
not reach. Sir, 4 few days ago, when this revenue
bill was before this House. there grave propo-
son that all articles of produce that We're taken out
of the State by railroads should be subject to tax.
This Was very ably advocated by some of the best
talent OF the House. Suppose, sir, that this pro-
vision shoull be Incorporated in the next revenue
bill, what effect would it have upon my county ?
Suppose that the Legislature should enact that all
produce sold out of the State should pay a tax.
what effect would it have upon the cotton bales of
Arson! II stops no! there. The county courts
must tax it again. They can use no discretionary
powers They must do as the law directs. Sir
would ask what interest docs this road advance:
slave holder? Does it not enable him to transport
his produce to develop the of the country
to bring TO light the hidden treasures Of the earth
Sir at the moderate calculation that the lands in my
county are increased in value one dollar per acre,
you have appreciation more than double the
amount of their subscription. These are facts in
controvcrtibe. Look at the history of y,ur central
rnl--that road cost St0o0,00 Your worthy
President Mr. Fisher in his recent report says that
iutIn fnta Of
road has not been less than ten millions. Strike
the road from existence and before twelve months
its value would fall more than ten millions" There
Is, Mr. Speaker, another view of this matter, BY
this bill you give the county courts unlimited power.
You place it were the sword in one hand and the
purse in the other They have more power than
either branch of the General Assembly, for the rea-
son that one is Il check upon the other Why sir,
would ask, Is 1t that your Senator in the other
branch Is required to possess and continue to pos
seSs, three hundred acres of land in fec? Why is
1t that my friend is required to possess and continue
to possess one hundred acres Of land before he can
represent his people in this body? 1t is because it
WAS considered wise and safe by the trainers of
our fundamental law, that be should have an interest
in that property which he proposes to tax Land
Is the chef source from which our revenues are
derived. 1t is and always has been looked upon as
the basis upon which the government rests Now
OH, law Viz III Vi inc country from whose
tribunal there Is no appeal common interest in all
those subjects of taxation which are embraced
within this bill? Is it not against the genius of our
government? Is it not against the spirit of our
fundamental law, to confer upon men power I'M
limited to levy taxes upon all species of property
in which there is no community of interest? HUI
MAJ nature is fra and subject to all the intirmities
incident thereto. Sir, how they act wisely and
discreetly? This House has been two weeks engaged
in trying to adjust differences to reconcile conflict
ing claims and interests, to equalize taxation. The
assembled wisdom of North Carolina is not able 10
do it. How then can you expect it from the magis.
tracy of the country? l would not have you think
speak in Encouragement of those of my county
far from it. know them to be good and true men,
but who may succeed them do not know
SPAIN AND Gu Mr.. Walsh, in his letter from
Plrs of the 10Th of JAM, addressed to the Journal
Of Commerce, n..kes the following reference to the
Cuban question Nat. Int.