Daily national Democrat. [volume] (Marysville, Calif.) 1858-1861, 1860-02-18

your committee would here remark that. in
their opinion, all the duties of the Recorder
could be performed without the assistance of
a deputy; and that the expenses of the Sher.
if S office, as given in the preceding state
ment are unnecessarily high.
1t will be observed that of the amount of
revenue collected one sixth is paid for the as
sessing, collecting and disbursing oft
The unequal and unjust distribution of the
public burden is further shown by the fact
that the city Of Marysville defrays most of
the expense Of criminal business arising with
in her own limits, and that the great cost of
that business amounting to over 100000 per
year. is mostly incurred for cases, sevices and
litigation originating in the mountain dis
tricts, which, with their hourishing towns
and trade and other evidences of wealth. con.
tribute SO triaingly to the revenue of the
county.
And it may be proper in connection with
the subject of the unequal taxation of proper.
ty In the city, to allude to fact conspicuous
to the holders of real estate here; which is,
that the rate of taxation heretofore establish
ed both for county and city purposes would
never have reached the sum of the county and
city authorities estimates, il the assessors, by
forced and fictitious valuation Of real prop.
erty III the city, had not swelled the amount
et revenue from that source, above what it
would have been, if the property had been
assessed in accordance with that real and Just
standard of valuatiou--lhe market price. In
no other than the covert-lke and disngenu-
GUS mode indicated could therevenues of the
city have been made to meet the estimated
requirements. We mistake the disposition
and intelligence Of the tax payers of the city
if they prefer such manner Of taxation. For
while 1t professedly fixed an ordinary rate of
taxation, it created by over, valuation nearly
quarter of a million of dollars worth of
real estate, thereby imposing the payment of
tax, on each individual real estate holder,
on proportionate share of the fictitious cre-
alton. The fratk, fair and Just way is to fix
the rate, or basis of taxation high enough to
raise the required revenue from property at
its true, or market price value To obtain
revenue in the way complained Of is to pro-
coed on the dishonest aphorsm, that
ole who is robbed,
Not knowing it, is not robbed at all"
The imposition upon the city of the pay
ment of such largely dsproportionate share
of the expenses of the county government, as
the facts cited show, is so manitestlv wrong
as to render further argument, or illustration
unnecessary. Unless there is some immediate
action taken to reduce the expenses, it seems
evident to your committee that the county
will incur a very large Indebtedness, or the
tax payers be called upon to pay excessive
taxes. As evidence Of which, taking the
present years assessment as criterion for
the expenses Of the next year, 81 20 on the
800, and then add to that the special tax for
a sinking fnnd for the bonds of 1857 also
the Railroad bonds and interest on the same
you will find that we will have to collect
tax of $3 10 on the 800 for State and coun-
ty purposes for the present year.
For the support Of its own government, the
tax payers OF the city have paid in the sum of
S4S,000. The delinquent tax list Of the city
will not exceed the sum of "A 800.
OF the amount of city expenses about Sl7,-
600 is paid for salaries six rseven thousand
of which could be saved by aboishng the
offices of Recorder and Marshal and by re-
ducing the police force to five policemen and
Il captain of police. In the event of the
adjustment of the Office of Recorder, the city
clerk would be fairly remunerated with
salary of 81 ,00Q for council duties lie could
also be collector of taxes, with a moderate
percentage on his collections as an additional
compensation.
The duties of Recorder could be performed
ny tic tily hlO8ioJIdIco az u COSb NV W ga
coed $1,000 per year
Observation has satisfied us that five po-
licemen would be amply sufficient for all ac-
tual police purposes.
To remedy, in part, the evil Of excessive
taxation so loudly complained of, your COM
mittee would recommend first, division of
the county by line commencing in the Vi
entity Of Condemned Bar, and running thence
a northerly course to the Honcut. Believing
that the district thus set off from us can adj
vantageously, and with the approval of its
citizens, be Joined to the new county which
it is proposed to create out of a part of Sierra
county, your committee would therefore re-
commend that it be so attached. Such q d.
vision would in their opinion, relieve us of a
large share of the cost of the criminal bust
ness and as well lessen the Hospital expenses
To the residents of the district, proposed to be
divided from us, inducements for the change
are so apparent, that it cannot otherwise
than find favor with them.
The new county which they could erect
for themselves would be essentially mining
county, and ought to be cheap and simple in
its system of government, from the fact that
there would be but little diversity of inter
ests, and that all the pursuits and ayocations
of life there, would be subsidiary to their one
paramount interest. The outlay Of money,
the loss of time, the disturbance oftheir home
business plans, with the delays and inconve-
niences of journey to this place. consequent
upon the transaction of their legal and public
business here, by those of that distant dis
trct, must with the considerate there, consti-
tute very strong reasons in favor of the
division
The second step toward reform which your
committee would advise, would be to provide
by law for three district assessors, each Of
whose official duties, as matter Of course,
would be assigned to their respective dis
tricts.
This system Of distr ct assessments is re.
commended because it is believed that per-
sons living within districts, limited they
necessarily would be, would possess better
knowledge OF the nature, location and value
of the taxable property within their districts
than an official would be likely to have, who
knows but little about the location Of the
property, or the means circumstances and
business interests of the residents there
Your committee believe that, if this sys-
TEN was inaugurated in this county the as
SCISSORS for the districts outside Of Marysville
would return assessment lists OF taxable pro-
perty in their several districts, which would
far exceed in value and amount of property
all former assessments for those places.
Believing the present hospital system for
this county to be highly Objectionable on &C
count of its eXpensiveness, your committee
would recommend its adjustment, and the
introduction in our county of system SINH
lar to that which San Francisco and Sacra-
mento counties have adopted There" as
has been stated in a recent grand jury report
for this county, "the county author ties en-