The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1861-02-27
to wise to ri& it upon anv such remote and un-

The non resident has already, according to the
present law, over four years 10 ltsate or to avail
himself of the technicalities of the law arising
from the nonperformance of duty of any Of the
officers Of the Townsip. County or State, upon
which the majority of the nosr-sidents have
heretofore relied to avoid the payment Of then
equal proportion of their taxes due to the State
Under the present law the taxes due upon non
resident land in 1860, If not paid sold in SCI
and the deed cannot issue until 1862. Although
the deed is due in October 1862, yet they usually
remain until January or February following
q ss3) before they are made and the books COM
pared at the Auditors Office Thus a year and
four months elaps after sale before the deed can
be placed upon record, and then the title remains
inchoate and subject To litigation two years more
(January 1861, and all this time the investment
of the purchaser, who has STEPPED forward and
advanced his money to repleni-h the State Treas
ury by the payment of the delinquent taxes of
the nonresident land owners has remained in a
State of uncertainty, and If suit is commenced
hut one day before the expiration of this four
years and half of uncertainty now allowed by
law for Irrigation; the suit may remain nan!
years before its termination, thelaw gives eth
er party in suits of ejectment who is unsuccess-
ful any time within three years from the term
nation of the suit to pay up the costs and rein
state the cause upon the docket for subsequent
Irrigation. And thus, IA the law stands, the
nonresident has from seven tn ten Years To liti-
gate aud contend with the purchaser. and during
nil this time the holder ot the tax title has to pay
the taxes in order TO protect this frs, purchase,
and after this pr"tracted delay, if the holder of
the tax tile sh1ud possibly be successful, (which
would not be likely to occur once in IA hundred
suits) he has raii, i'll taxes, time and expense iii
litigation, ali ;r wild land would be- likely TO be
worth
And fur,her 'han this, there is a loss to the
State, f,r ne'rher party, during this uncer-
,ainty peud:ng ne litigation, dare venture 10
clear or impgu,e said land, and the actual settler
who wonld be likely to purchase, settle upon ard
improve this land is deferred thereirOm during
the pe.denc, oi litigation, and the clearing and
improving of much of the land of our State has
in this way been staid, which otherwise would
have been improved and cultivated, and the pro-
ducts thereirom would have largely added to the
results of the workings of the law with the pres
ent Imitation" why should We ask Tor longer
time for the nonresident, while the actual settler
is compelled to pay forthwith az the taxes become
due. The poor man, the farmer, the mechanic,
the merchant, all are alike compelled to pay
when the taxes become due, or the " Township
Treasurer shall iery the same Jy distress and
sole Of the goods and ehatteis Of said person
chererer the same may be found within his toscn-
ship" (section 4o) and only 'ten days" notice of
sale is required, when the only stove the last
bed, the last blanket of the poor man, or the on
" barrel of -four or pound of meat OF the me-
chanic, Or his tools, or the team or furniture OF
the farmer, or the merchants goods are sold upon
''ten days" notice. aud when sold there is 10 re
demptiOn of ''four years" nor of one hour, or
of one moment-when the auctioneers hammer
falls, the property is gone, and there is no re
d,mption," and no appeal nor new trial given b..
law, and none proposed for this class OF persons
who reside in this State, who have fell the trees,
made the roads, built the bridges, the school
houses and churches. No philanthropist, in the
goodness of his heart, has been sufficiently touch
ed iii viewing the hardships and suffering of the
residents, to suggest a remedy TO mitigate the
evils of the present rigor of the law upon the
poor man who lives upon his land and is making
improvements thereon. No State officer points
out remedy or suggests an amendment OF the
Statute, whereby the sutferinss of the resident
can be lessoned and until this is done, why should
there be added to the present four years and a
half of time now allowed by law to the nonresi
dent, to avoid paying his equal proportions OF
the revenue due % the State.
The interest of the State, AS well as the Coun
ty and Township, requires the period OF nncer-
tainty as to who is the actual owner, which al.
ways covers the land from the tax sale until the
deed becomes fnality should not be unreason
ably protracted, for during this period improve
mens are staid, and the actual settler is virtually
shut ont, aud il the taxes on nonresident land:
are not paid, and there are not ready purchaser
sufficient to take the land and pay the delinquent
taxes due to the State under the present law,
then the suIest remedy for the Inconvenience
to which the State Treasury may be subject is to
shorten the time of litigation and uncertainty
and let the deed sooner become hnaiity; anC
then the owners who have not abandoned theiI
land will be more prompt, and the purchaser
| IN
Treasury to the extent OF the taxes due to tn,
State wherever the land is worth the taxes due
and to grow due before the deed becomes final
ity-and then there would be competition at th.
sales and there will be only such portion of the
lot sold as will approximate in value near to the
amount paid. and the whole tract will not be like
" to be sold, and the purchasers will in most in
stances be of that class OF persons who intend t.
enter upon the land and make Improvements AIT
home ior their family.
/ But If the time of redemption aud litigation
shall be extended, and higher interest charged
none but spectators will purchase. and the liant
will be still doomed to remain wild and unimprov
ed for years to come.
The injustice of discriminating in favor of non
residents nav De further illustrated by referenc,
to actual facts: Two brothers came TO this Stat
some years since with $1,000 each, which the
had intrusted; one laid his money out in lan'
near one of the routs of our Railroads, and tn
other engaged in merchandise. The land spec
ulator succeeded until 1855 in procuring the car
| cimeut of taxes by the Auditor General and tn