The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1865-10-14
Total 483.
A PRACTICAL QUESTION.
IS IT CONSTITUTIONAL TO TAX REAL ESTATE AID tt
MORTGAGE ON IT?

IS IT CONSTITUTIONAL TO TAX REAL ESTATE AID THE
MORTGAGE ON II? 93s
~. 1t has been the custom Of the County
W. Commissioners to tax both, which think
is both unjust and unconstitutional The ff.
tenth Art Of the Declaration OF Rights says,
Every person in the State Except paupersl or
person holding property therein, ought to con.
tribute his proportion of public taxes 10 the sup
port OF the Government, according to bis actual
worth in real or personal property"
The County Commissioners, in laying the tag
es, ought TO act in accordance with said Article,
which they have sworn to support. ! have been
trying to De relieved from paying two taxes, find
ing II hard enough 10 pay one Of them -Four
years ago called on Mr. Quinlau to ask him TO
bring it before the Legislature, hut that
Legislature suddenly adjourned Sine Die
then wrote to our member r. johnson.
but received no answer. wrote TO anoth-
er member who replied that it looked favorable
and that WAS the end of it, see the old B iard
of Commissioners is offered for reelection. That
implies pay double taxes. Now ] contend that il
| is the duty Of the Commissioners when they are
making the Levy to proceed TINS: srt
| AS property is assessed at $1,000 In look.
| ing over the Records they find that B has A
mortgage Of $1,000 against him, which makes
AS .actual worth just $1,000, for which be
/ cuOulu NC dooco0tu anu no more.
| Again A tells B, will buy fifty acres of your
old field, for which will pay you $40 per acre.
b says you can have it if you give me a mort.
gage and pay whatever taxes may be on il. A
agrees to the terms. Now | think the county
/ rate on such lands is about three-ifths of itsac.
tual value, which would make the rate OF AS
property S24 per acre-say $30,-that is $1,000.
Valuation $1,000 at 65 cts on the huud. is 81. 90
Mortgage $4,000 " /" /" " $500
$50 80
If have made this correct it is easy to SEQ
what Mortgage property pays into the Treasury.
If it is objected that ought not to pay the tax.
es on the mortgage we reply, that borrowers are
compelled to submit TO just such terms. And
very justly too when we see the large amount of
seven-thirlies offered to the public and our Leg.
islature in passing Bounty Loan took care to
exempt it from taxation. You will also find that
Ground Rents are exempted, so that capitalists
have great inducements for investing their funds
in non-tax paying investments. By exempting
one species of property from taxation you make
it heavier on another.
II a person invests his money in any Of the
above exempted property, he does not even pay
for schooling his children, provided he sends
them to the Public Schools. No matter what
the amount he holds, he does not even pay as
much AS the widow with seven children would
pay on n mortgage of $1,000 unless she had
made an agreement with the mortgager.
| stated above that the Legislature exempted
| the Bounty Loan from taxation. Now you see
! their wisdom. They tell their constituents, You
| must pay taxes on the amount you borrow, but
the State must not. Or in other words, the
Mortgager must pay. If the State or County Gre
ates loan and the authorities levy a tax Of one
dollar to the hundred, they would be compelled
| to pay premium of from SIT to 500 on the
hundred TO obtain it else capitalists wouldn't n-
vest in it.
To conclude, see by the last County paper,
| that the old Board of Commissioners was re-nom.
mated. Four other names were before the Con.
venton among which was mine. did not per-
| nit il to be offered expecting to succeed. But if
the citizens Of the County are willing to give the
foregoing a trial should like those favorable, TO
select new Ticket and test the matter. i am
opposed to the practice of the present Board.
called on this board several years ago with refer
ence to the matter, but received no further salts
faction than Pay your taxes on your mortgage.
| therefore call upon all those favorable TO the
movement to assemble at the Court House in
Towsoutown, on
| Wednesday,, October 18Th, at o'clock, p. H.,
to take into consideration the best remedy tobe
applied. JOHN FOX,
Eleventh District
"a