Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-06
They Never Mention 1t.

The opponents of the Constitution and
State Government, and the sore-heads
who would be in favor of it were it not
for circumstances" in their desperate
and malicious struggles to defeat the pro-
position, harp greatly and most exclusive
" upon the single string of Taxation Of
mining property" They conceive that by
conveying to the minds of those whom
they regard as the ignorant working
classes" the idea that the Constitution pro-
poses and in fact makes it incumbent upon
the Legislature to impose upon every mine
and every miner some new and unheard
of and unbearable tax; such one as
they have never been liable to, or which
the Territorial Legislature had and have
no power to levy. In playing upon this
Kanaka fiddle of one string, they utterly
suppress any and every allusion to the
Organic Act, which is the present funda-
mental law of the land, occupying the
same position with regard to the Terrific
rial Legislature as the Constitution would
to that of the State. That Organic Act
of which section provides what property
shall be taxed, says: "Nor shall any dis
elimination be made in taxing different
kinds of property; but all property sub
ject to taxation shall be in proportion to
the value of the property to be taxed"
The proposed Constitution provides that:
"The Legislature shall provide by law for
a uniform and equal rate of assessment and
taxation, and shall prescribe such regulations
as shall secure a Just valuation of all pro-
pcrty, both real and personal, including
mines and mining property; excepting such
property only as may be exempted by law for
municipal, educational, literary, scientific or
educational purposes"
The one merely provides that "no dis
elimination shall be made" and the other
provides that it shall be uniform" The
only difference is choice of terms, both
expressing the same idea. The ConStitu-
ton mentions "all property" including
mines" Its meaning would have been
precisely the same had the words Gin
Guiding mines" been omitted. Those
words are mere surplusage, rs much so
Us had the Constitution said that every
white male inhabitant including John
Church should pay poll-tax, the includ-
ing Of Church would have been gratui-
tous and unnecessary This is fact
which these great leaders of public senti-
mcnt studiously ignore IN all their TRADES
against the Constitution, on account Of its
mine-taxing clause. As much latitude OF
construction is allowed the State Legs
lature in the matter, rs is permitted by
the Organic Act. The voice Of the pco-
pie in electing their Senators and Assem-
blymen, will control the question of what
extent of taxation shall be placed upon
mines, and as to what shall be considered
mines" within the meaning of the
State laws governing taxation. If "no
discrimination is allowed by the Consti-
tuition, that discrimination is strictly for
hidden by the Organic Act, and the peo-
pie by shrinking from the adoption of the
Constitution upon this ground, only elect
to remain under the authority Of funda-
mental law of equal, if not greater, strin-
gency upon the point, which is the only
openly protested ground of opposition.