The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1860-12-01
Executive Com
mittee of Central
: Kansas Relief As.
sociation
SHALL WE PAY THE TERRI
TORLAL TAX.

pose word, If it was believed to be legally
and Justly levied for it lie certainly the du-
ty of every good citizen to pay. if possible.
any legal and proper tax. 1 propose to
show, briefly. not only the illegality of this
levy. but the injustice which would I'M
doubleday be done to the tax payers of this
county, should this tax be collected. and al
so to state the manner BY which we may be
safely and honorably released from it's pay
ment. The law under which our County
Board acted, says: g.
There is levied (for Territorial purposes)
a trx of three mills on the dollar, upon all
property in the Territory subject to taxa
ton and an additional tax of fifty cents
upon every white male inhabitant of the
Territory over the age oftwenty- one years.
This three mill tax being ''upon all the
property in the Territory subject to taxa
tion," the Territorial Board of Equalization
must take the abstracts ofthe County Clerks
of the several counties. and. by comparing
the valuation of property, determine, as on
other provision of law says, whether or not,
"the valuation of real estate in each county
bears just relation or proportion to the
valuation in all the counties, and on such
examination they, the Territorial Board,
may increase or diminish the aggregate val
uation of real estate in any county, so much
per centum as in their opinion may be nee
essary to produce just relation between
the valuation of real estate in the Territory"
And, further, that the Territorial Board of
Equalization ''shall apportion the amount OF
Territorial tax required by IV,o to be raised
in the Territory, (that three mills on the
dollar) among the several counties therein
IN proportion to the Oaluation of taxable prop
erty therein, for the year, as equalized by
the said Board" and, ''the Secretary of
State of the Territory shall Immediately af-
ter such appointments, make out two GER
tiicates of the several amounts ascertained
to be assessed upon the taxable property of
each county. for Territorial purposes, and
the Territory, one of which he shall deliver
to the Territorial Treasurer, and shall cause
the other TO be transmitted Immediately to
the clerks of the Boards of Supervisors Of
the several counties of the Territory, and
the Territorial Treasurer shall charge the
amount of Territorial taxes in each certif-
cate to the proper county" This "certii-
cate" should have been lodged with the clerk
of our county Board ''on or before the twen-
tieth day of September" last. Now l ask.
when it is fact that none of the above pro-
visions of law have been complied with, by
the Territorial Board, how will the tax pay
ers of this county, know but our lands have
been assessed higher than in the average of
counties, and, therefore, we, the freeholders
of Breckenridge county, be made to pay
greater proportion of the Territorial debt
than upon an Equalization, would have been
charged to US. by the Territory. The Ter
ritorial Treasurer cannot possibly know,
under present circumstances, with what
amount of tax to charge Breckenridge coun-
ty. If We don't know how much tax we
ought to pay, and the Territory don't know
how much to charge US with. We ought to
wait until the exact amount shall be ascer-
tanned. by which time we will perhaps be
ia better situation to pay it than We are at
the present time. To state all the reasons
of the illegally of the levy of this Terrific
rial tax, would make this communication to
lengthy. the above being sufficient to convey
to the reader che general idea of the inius
tice that would be certainly practiced upon
us by collection. This three mill tax, in
GLIDING the capitation tax, amounts to more
than our county tax, and must be paid in
gold or silver. The Territorial Board of
Equalization has failed to perform its duty
according to law, and If we even know how
much to pay we would be under legal obi
cations to pay it. Douglas, and other coun
ties refuse TO pay any Territorial tax, and
their Couty Boards have not LEVIED any.
Why should We pay, when other counties
do not? The Territorial Board of Equal
zation. upon an examination of the valuation
of real estate in Douglas county, instead of
lowering the valuation of the lands, lower
ing the tax from three to two mills on the
dollar; but yet. that county refuses TO pay.
because the certificate was not returned with
in the time required by law. A strong sf-
fort will be made this winter to have Con-
gress pay off our Territorial debt, and then
TO have law passed by onr legislature bal.
lanceing accc UNITS between the Territory
and al counties which stand charged with
Territorial tax. The probability of such
Measures being adopted. the ilegality of the
levy. and the unequal proportion We would
be likely TO pay in the event Of collection of
this tax. certainly requires that We sholud
consider before paying our Nancy into the
Territorial Treasury. We may be relieved
from the payment of this tax in the follow
ing manner ! Let the Board of county
Commissioners meet, without delay, and
Eecind that portion Of their order which
levies it, and, notify the county Treasurer,
not to collect It. The above suggestions are !
respectfully submitted to the consideration
Of the tax PAYERS of the county