Des Arc semi-weekly citizen., 1861-05-28
The Tax Bug Bear.

VI tuAdtioi III oSoi S'N o.IO'o oi" "o''1o secession" IS at hand, and l hasten to re- ply 10 the same.
 Our taxes in Georgia are levied upon the ad ualorem principle generally, as to property; banking and rail road capital, however. paying a specific tax, the former paying 39:l6-l00 cents on the SlO0 and the latter paying one half of one per cent. upon it's nett annual income. Our poll tax IS 25 cents each; professions, &c., and persons of color are taxed $5 each.
 With the exceptions, then, of bank and railroad capital, the rate of taxation in Georgia for the past two years and at present, is six and half cents on the one hundred dollars Cor about ne-fifleenth of one per cent.) There has been no in crease of taxation in Georgia since the State seeded. The 6 cents on the Sl60 rased last year S400000 In view of the State seeding, and the authorized is. sue of $l .000,0 900 of bonds for her defence, the Legislature, in December last, author ized the Governor and Comptroller Gene ra 10 raise S600,000 on the general tax of 1861. Provided the same amount of property is returned, this would only make the whole State or general tax pay a levy of about ten cents on the one hundred dol lars, or one-tenth of one per cent. Be- yond the raising of the $500, ,000 we can- not go. But the levy is not authorized 10 be made until after the lst of August next. The Governor and Comptroller General have not determined nor will they deter mine until that time, lat which tune they can best judge of the wants of the State) whether or not they will increase much the per cent upon last year.
 As, however. our taxes are so very low, and as we have had to purchase about $320 900 worth of arms and munitions of war, besides paying other military expen- ses, it is probable that we may deem il necessary or proper to raise the 5000 900. and if the same amount of property Is re- turned that was returned last year, we may have to levey about ten cents on the one hundred dollars, or one-tenh of one per cent. Of course, if the same amount of property be returned at less value than II was returned last year, the per cent lev jed must be higher to raise the same a. mount of money. But even if we do this our taxes will not then be as high, as that paid by our State year or two ago, when there was no war or other disturbances ol the public peace. As pertinent to this matter, deem il not inappropriate to pre- sent lhe following, contained in the report from this office in October, 1859, to-wit:
 "With the slight glance l have been a. ble to give the late Tax Acts, within my reach, of several Southern States, find that in South Carolina, upon lands in cilles towns and villages, boroughs. &c., the tax is l23 cents on the $l00, and upon other lands it is 50 cents, aud slaves pay 70 cents per head. In Kentucky, real and personal estates Is taxed at 20 cens on the $l00; in Texas, 724 cents on the Sl00. In Mississippi, Is cents on the Sl0O on lands 2ll cenls t5ie tfii5siey, &c., aIld 4O- cents on each slave. In Florida, l6a cents on the $l0O. In Virginia, 40 cents on $l00 real and personal estate, and Sl-. 20 on each slave. In Alabama. 20 cents on the Sl00 on real estate or other prop erty, 50 cents on money at interest, and and an average tax of 50 cents on each slave, Cthose between fifteen and thirty years of age being $l 10 each.) In Ten nessee, it Is l3a cents on the $l00.- In Louisiana it IS 29 cents on the $l00, while in Georgia the tax on the land, slaves and other property, (except bank and railroad capital is uow but 6a cents on the Sl0O."
 IL will therefore be seen that while the tax In Texas wants but one half cent on the SlOO of being double our tax, the per cent. tax in the various other Southern States above named is more than double that of Georgia, while Alabama and Ken lucky are more than three times larger; Louisiana is more than four times larger, and the per cent. tax in Virginia is more than six times larger than 1t is in Geor- gia.
 In Wisconsin tits l23 cents on the Sl00 nearly double; New Hampshire and Maine, it is 20 cents on the $l00, over three times as large. In Pennsylvania 1t is 9 cents on the Sl00, nearly four times as large, and in Minnesota it is 26 cents on the $l00, being four times larger than our tax.
 In Ohio. the per cent, 3l cents on the $l00, is nearly five times larger, and in H. linois, the per cent tax, 77 cenls on the Sl00, is over ten times larger than 1t is in Georgia.
 Thus it will be seen that the tax of lInnrnio is ca Ca F hnlo..r thnt nf othnr tas