The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1865-11-17
CHA .R.LE. 5 E.Grl E[.!Gr ~
, -TgIYNG MORNING, NOVEMBER t7riS,...

rcQulSltloH GOllfeS Mill Hl ..kpc. eiarIl ~ ~;
surprise upon our people: They had horbcen
accustourehato pay anf taxes to the Govern
meht; they wore still less prepared to,e4pect
direct tax on; land. When the act was
passed, there was no access to;the proceedings
of Congress; and when, therefore, at the close
of the war, and the resumption of intercourse;
it appeared that we were, charged, not only
with tax, but interest of Ten per cent. thereon,
for three years, there. was surprise; and it
were, perhaps, not too ,nuch-t say, that it was
not agreeable. '''''''4'' '.-' ::
1t was accepted, however, us necessary
incident Of our condition. Our citizens were
sadly without money, and are SO yet; but the
Commission was courteous and considerable
the case was vital. Some, at painful sacrifi-
ICES, raised the, funds; SOME, at any possible
sacrifice, could NOT; and convinced of the fact,
the Commission did not, ns twas authorized
to do, proceed and sell; but closed their Office,
and suspended operations to the present time.
That was an act of Inconvenience to some.
Many residents ofthe city who had failed, up
to the time at whsh Rhs office closed, to get the
money, soon after: gpt:it; many away, from the
perfect suspension of Intercourse with the
country, soon after returned, and they find it
hard to be charged with the ten per cent
interest which was not paid at the opening of
the office. But, unquestionably, much good
resulted from the act. Much Of the. real cs
tate of the city must certainly have been sold;
and as there were no funds among our people.
it must have been sold to persons abroad at
just the price they might have had the charity
to give for it. l..
The provisions of the act under which these
taxes are collected arc not now, perhaps, gen.
orally understood. An act was passed in Au-
gust, 1861, imposing direettax of $4,000 900
on the landed property of the Union, of which
the portion falling to South Carolina was
$4,000. This was not collected, of course:
but, to facilitate the process, another act was
passed, in the June following, to the effect
that this tax should be q lien on the lands Of
the State, and that as fast as the territory of
any State in insurrecti6n should come within
the military occupation of the ,.GoYcrnment,
Commissioners, appointed fer that purpose
should proceed to collect the tax: and,.to tha,
end, should take the valuati ons .of property as
they had been made in. the State assessments
of 1860, and from each piece of property coll
lect that portion of the tag whiieh,properly
fell it from the proportion Of, itsr,,value TO
the whole value of lands IN, the State, land, in
additon,a penalty of fifty per cont. of ,s,id tnx
The owners OF said property hayo stSty days
from the atimo the tax was. qSsessft by said
Cqmmissiopcrs within which 70 pay. and, nor
paying the amount, tho Commissioners were
to advertise and sell, for the tnx, penalty and
costs, with ten per cent. per innum paid on
said tax, and if that sum should not be offered
to strike ils.p the property otfztn ahe Government
for such further d5isposiion as it might SEQ
proper to make of it. Nt.qny;timf. hpwever,
before actual saled the owner mi ght redeem.
upon payment efs charges; and, after sale.
within sixty days, upon the payment of prin-
cipal, penalty ard interest thereon from the
date of the. Presidents proclamation, at the.
rate. of fifteen per cent per annum, and ex-
penses IT, -! r~.'.t. E@I:f. :.
Such are tho principal provisionsi and, ne.
eessarily, they yet bear with severity upon
our citizens but with pore, of course, upon
those of the burSt district. Their property
*as burned in De6eaater, 1861, and this tax, tax
tHd'tag tHd tafpai ingxrgnHt; laGl was not
ma1pia lieatzpeon lands .sesl slel JntXss lsG2, and
then, .apon-,llese SRe I sstias estimatpd.
Fl F!a4 saFsIsre!df the burnt t
distriot,are 4assessed slseir; Value in 1860,
and interest: itfReteohi for tee 9yshrs which
makes asun as largo, afnass ab '9is 9issnch of the
properly is. noWaworth, and.rxih xhii6Gh, as this
property fsr'" four years,
imposes worry heavy f's ID ;shc owners
Ia = tsnrthen infsot, whie msi,.cannot ln; bear:
and Of this bis prureTty 1T least Mich must be-
SOLD, unless some modification injthe assess
fment sh@f1IBe made ..q-;i;
This is hoped for. Upon memorial OF our
citizens, the Commission has forwarded Il re.
presentation Of the case to the Secretary of the
Treasury, and it is to be hoped lie may lave
the power to give relief, in some measure.
adequate to the wants of this afflicted class Of
our eitizens.
For the information of our citizchs, it were
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