Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1861-03-27

4 $3US9yOo0
The chief sources of revenue are slaves and
land.
A prime male slave is worth 81 ,3OOs and the tax
such, at S130 per head is at the rate of lOcents
on the 500 of value. Slaves in gang including
old and young, are worth 500 per head; and on
such. the rate Of taxation is less than 20 cents on
the Sl00 of value.
The land tax of South Carolina il so singular and
anomalous that the rate of taxation does not the
least, indicate the PcsHdgs of the tax on the value
of that kind of property
Under an act passed more than forty-fve years
age all the land in the State for the purpose of
ation divided Iuto ten classes and to each class
valuation was affixed, which has not been chang
cd The valuation of these classes ascenSs from 20
cents to 26 dollars an acre. The land tax is
ed on the value according to this classification: The
total number of returned for taxation is H.
500 00e; of this number more than 0000 600 acres
are returned in the class Of 10 cents acre; more
than 100000 returned in the class of 40 cents
an acre; and only somewhat over l.0900 600 acres
are returned il the classes valued over $1.9O per
acre. Under the act Of 1851, the tax payable on
100 acres of land returned in the cluss of 20 cents
an acre, is tlcenty ces IN the class of 40 cents
an acre, the tax 100 acres is 25 cents. The tax
on one acre, assessed at 20 cents, is mills and
Cloths; so that the owner Of less than acres of
land can pay no tax, because one cent, the lowest
coin, exceeds the amount of his tax. A
very large portion Of the most valuable
cotton land in the State, worth from SD to $50
per acre, is returned for taxation at 20 cents per
acre tract of 100 acres saleable for $40 000 and
cassed at 20 cents per acre is assessed for taxation
the statute valuation of $500, and pays q tax of
$3.50. If the 1000 acres is worth 900 or $1,000
it pays the same tax of $3.50 According as the
100 acres may be worth either of the three sums
before mentioned, the tax actually assessed, under
the act of 1861 instead Of being the Of S130
on the 500 of value, is in fact assessed only At
the rate Of l cent and mills on the 500 of value,
in the case first stated and at the rate of cents and
mills in the second; and at the rate of cents and
G mills in the last case.
1t must be noticed that only land is taxed and net
the improvements, however costly or valuable they
may be- If cotton factory, in which half million
of dollars is invested be located lot of land less
than acres within the class of lands valued tze
cents per acre. the tax TO be assessed under the
of 1861, on the land and improvements, would be
less than one cent.
The best sea island cotton lands are returned for
taxation at 81 per acre. The market value is from
$50 TO Shopper acre Even at the lowest figure,
the tax is assessed valuation more than IL times
less than the actual value, which, in effect reduces
the nominal rate of Sl.30 on every hundred dollars
of yase TO actual rate less than ii cents on every
hundred dollars of value. The best quality of rice
lands are classified at $50 per acre. They sell for
Sl0O to 5000 per acre. If $50 be taken as the
average saleabe value. the assessed value is only
about I-6th of the actual value and the nominal
rate of sl3O reduced to the actual Of about
2l cts. on every hundred dollars Of value.
1t is thus shown that the actual tax paid large
portion of the lands, returned in the class of 20
cents acre, is at the rate of cent and three
mills on every hundred dollars Of value being only
the hundredh part of the statute rate of Sl.aO
on every hundred dollars Of value. On the best
island cotton lands, the actual rate Of taxation
is only about IL centz and on the best tide swamp
rice lands the actual rate Is only shout II cents,
instead Of Sl.30 on every hundred dollars.
1t will be noticed that city and town lots, which
are assessed fer taxation at the actual value of the
L. ir oufa