The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1863-01-06
THR N. G. LEGISLATURE.
Unfinished Business.


writing from Raleigh, says:
,o.t ,rominent matters of unfinished
h,.;no.s .re .he Revenue BILL and the bill to raise
10 o00 traons IS State reserve. The former has
,ot baen acted on in the Commons, and the latter
is pending in the Senate. .,, =.
a crest many amendments will be proposed to
Yhe Revenue bill, and, considered leisurely, Will
consume much time.
The country wonders at the delay in raising
troops for State defence. All feel deeply for our
.oeople overrun by our hcartless enemy. But the
,nuestion 10 whether we shall commit our defence
to the Confectionery or raise State Troops in aid OF
government; aud ifState troops are to be raised,
out of what part Of our people shall they be
raised? A large majority Of the Assembly seems
70 favor the raising of State reserve. Some on
the ground that the Confederate Govt has neg
lected the State; others the ground that the
TConfederacy cannot look after all the points on so
great theatre of warfare, and that this State
ought to have a reserve well as the other States
OF the Confederscy. The difficulty which has
caused the delay is this: Shall the reserve be
raised out of those liable to conscrpton? out of
those exempt from CONSUMPTION? Some insist that
if we accept volunteers from those liable to con-
scription, we thereby nullify the eonscripton act,
and place ourselves in antagonsm with the Con-
federate Govt; and to avoid this, they propose to
raise the State troops out ofthe Justices Of the
Peace, militia officers, those who have hired SUBJ
stitutes, and other exempts, yielding those liable
to CONSUMPTION to the Confederate Govt Others
insist that if the exempts and the conscrpts both
20 into the army, that sufferings and starvation
must ensue, both at home and in the army that it
is unjust to the Confederate Govt to presume that
n G. will not be allowed to have State reserve,
made up by volunteering from those liable to con-
scription when all, nearly all, the other South
ern States have such a reserve; that there can be
no antagonism, unless the President should deny
to this State what has been conceded to the other
States
A few members whose views are entitled to
much consideration, insist that no attempt should
be made to raise State reserve; that we have
made common cause, and should rely solely on the
common army; that it is doubtful whether the
Confederate Govt would take into its pay the re-
serve, raised and differed we propose, and even
if accepted we should be at the expense of organ
izng, armng and equipping them which would
involve us in an intolerable State debt. In the
old army of the U. S, when every thing could be
bought at third Of present prices, army cost
$1,000 per man per year, and that 10000 men, in
Guiding arms, clothing, ammunition subsistence, &
pay, would cost at least s25, 100000 per year
Others maintain that the addition Of more men
to our present enormous army would not increase
it's efficiency; and that it is unwise to press con-
seripton further at this time to attempt in any
way to increase our military force.
The only fc ature of the Revenue bill which has
given rise to much debate is that relating to the
value of slaves The bill, as reported by the Com
mittee on Finance, fixed the average value of all
slaves, except mechanics, at $3.50, and the average
value of mechanics at 500. The Senate amend
ed the BILL by classifying and valuing them as fol-
lows: all under years old 800, all from to 10
years old $500, all from 10 to 20 $500, all from 20
to 80 5000, from 80 to 40 $500, from 40 to so
$780, all over 80 S25. This classification will
bring the average to about 1914 Power is given
the County Courts to exempt such ds they deem of
no value.
Land is to be listed according to the last assess
ment.
The amendment Of the Constitution made by the
late Convention provides that land and slaves shall
be taxed according to their value, and the tax on
slaves shall be as much, but not more than that
on land according to their respective values; but
the tax slaves may be laid according to their
general average value in the State, or on their
value in classes In respect to age, sex, and ohe r
distinctive properties, in the discretion of the Gen.
Assembly, and the value be assessed in such modes
as may be prescribed by law.
AS this feature of the Constitution is receiving
the Interpretation that while land is valued by
assessors, upon oath, slaves may be valued by the
General Assembly, it may be worth while to in
quire whether this is the true Interpretation of the
Constitution; and if not, what evils may grow out
of wrong Interpretation? And if it be a true
Interpretation, are slaves, by this bill, "taxed as
much and not more than land according to their
respective values" Is the equality of valuation
more likely to be preserved by assessment Of the
value of land by persons for the purpose and
legislative declaration of the value of slaves p
or by the assessment Of the value of both by the
owner, with proper provisions to guard against
fraud; or an assessment of both by disinterested
individuals sworn for the purpose? When the
value of slaves is fix ed by me.e legislative dec
~laraton, is this compliance with the constitu-
tional provision, that "the value be assessed in
such modes as may be prescribed by lawe" Is
there no danger when war shall cease, that this
mode of valuation by the General Assembly NAV
give rise to another unfortunate party contest in
relation to the valuation of slaves? iii shall be
thought they are not taxed much as land &C
cording to value, may it not lead to the election of
another class of members who may value too high ?
| think the value should be ascertaned by as
SCISSORS, for the purpose; and to prevent in
equality in valuation between different parts of
the State, that the law should require each cler k
of the County Court. on appointed day after
the return OF the assessment of negroes, 10 report
the average valuation of the negroes of his county
to the Treasurer; and require the Tire asurcr to as
certain and publish the average throughout the
State; and then make it the duty of the clerk of
each County Court to reform the assessment BY in
creasing diminishing the value assessed so as tc
bring it to the general average.
If this or some like plan of valuation he adopted
We shall hear more Of the negro question in n