St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1862-01-16


United States, by this act the sum sum Of
one hundred and eight tliotsand fiveahun.
dred audtwentysfve dollars is apportioned
to Minnsaota.s The leading provisions Of
the act ef Congress are as follows:
| 'SEc.9. On or after, the second Ttes
/" day Of February, 1862, the President
shall appoint assessors and collectors with
the consent of the Senate in each dis
"tfict, and may divide the United State,
"into, districts, and may erect each State
into one district. =
"SEc IL. Each assessor shall divide
"his district into convenient number Of
assessment districts, and appoint assistant
assessors in each:
'"SEc. II. On the 1st day of March
1862, the assessors shall cause the essis.
"tant assessors to assess all lands and i'm
provements in conformity to such regula
"tions as the Secretary Of the Treasury
"may establish, and shall make such as.
assessments with reference to the assess.
" ment rolls of the State, and to any other
"reeords and documents
"SEc. Ii. Lands and improvements to
" be valued at the rate they are worth in
",noney on April lst, 1862. United
" States and States property exempt from
" taxations, also property exempted by
" State laws, aud property of individuals
Presiding on such lands, not exceeding
"S500. In making snch valuation, regard
"shall be had to any State valuation made
" "nearest to said first day of April. * X
"SEo. Is. If the owner is not prepared
"to exhibit a written list, the assessor shall
"make enc, which on being read and con-
" "sented to BY the ownen, shall be taken
Gas his list.
"SFc. 81. The lists shall be returned
"to the assessor within sixty days after
"the time fixed by this act. April lst]
"SEc. IS. In deEaut Of the payment
=" Of taxes within twenty days after the
"application of the assessor, the person
"al property may be distraincd.
"SEC. So. If the personal property is
/" insufficient, real estate may be sold, but
e may be redeemed within two years upon
Prepayment " Of purchase money with in.
" terest at twenty per cent. +, x
"SEc. So. Any State may assume the
"collection and payment of its quota
" "throuSh its own officers, in its own way
".and shall give notice of its intention to
edo so, on or before the second Tuesday
" of February annually, and in lieu of the
".compensation allowed to United States
officers, shall be allowed deducation Of
i" fifteen per cent, oa its quota, if paid on
cor before the last day of June, and OIL
"that portion paid thereafter, but before
"the last day Of September, ten per cent:
"and if the State makes such election, nc
~. S. officers shall be appointed unless
"the State makes default. Any liquidated
" claims against the United States will be
received in payment of the U. S. tax
sand discount allowed"
METHOD OF PAYING THE TAX.
Under this law then, the State may
elect between two modes Of meeting this
levy. She may assume its payment ir
her own way, or by ncslecting to do so
leave it 70 the operation of. the Fedora
collection laws. ..-'
T The latter alternative is liable to scriou:
objection, as it would introduced new
machinery of assessment, new standards OF
valuation, employing large class Of fedcr
al agents unfamiliar to cur people; while
the peremptory modes of collection ncces
sarily enforced under the Fedora: law:
might introduce elements of irritation
distress, and popular discomfort, which II
is the part of patriotic policy to avoid
From every point of view, it seems desir
able that the State thould assume the pay
ment of the tax. In that case the fifteer
per cent, remitted to the State, will re
duce the amount to be raised frcm $685.
525 to $92,245. I take it that the
claims of the State against the Federe
government will amount to about $4,000
which if allowed, will reduce the amount
due the Government, to $84, ,245.
What is even more important in assum.
ing it's payment, the State is at liberty
to select the method Of raising the amount
which her authorities may deem least bur.
densome to tho people. As notice of our
intention to provide for it must be given
by the second Tuesday Of Fcduary, I beg
press upon you, gentlemen, the necessity
Of proceeding immediately to an election
Of the alternative propositions thus sub
mitted to your consideration. IL,
IF it shall be your judgment that the
State undertake the responsibility of pay
ing this tax, three several modes suggest
themselves by which provision may be
made for its liquidation.
First by the ordinary method Of d.
rect tax; payable in cash and collected
through the established channels. A levy
of two and one-fourth mills, if it could be
collected within the year, would enable us
fha EolS:orol soca,,;s;t;osa Eof3a1aod