The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-03-19
THE UNITED STATES LAND TAX

THE UNITED STATES LAND TAX.
1t seems that Gov. Pierpoint has been in
Washington recently, looking after the inter-
ests of our citizens. The Land Tax had his
special attention, and as many of our citizens
are interested in this matter, we give the fol-
lowing statement of the result of his mission
from the Richmond Dispatch of the 18th:
In regard to the land tax, the matter stands
thus: The Secretary of the Treasury, Mr..
McCulloch, and the Commissioner Of Inter
nal Revenue, Mr.. Rollins, are both anxious to
get rid of the trouble and expense incident to
the present mode of collection, and have al
ready done all that lay in their power to re-
Iieve our people. The Secretary has ordered
that there shall be no sales of land Tor this
tax until Congress shall have had time to pass
upon the question. And if Congress should
refuse to pass an act such as is needed, then
long time as possible in which to pay the
tax; and the Governor will not fail to use his
influence with the Secretary in this behalf
So that we are safe in assuring the tax payers
that they need have no fears on this point.
The Governor is confident that there is no
reason whatever to apprehend any compulso-
ry collections. Only those will pay who do
so voluntarily. -
Governor Peirpoint went before the Commit
tee Of Ways and Means, of which Mr.. Morrill,
is chairman, and represented that our people
are all in state of comparative poverty; thai
there is but little money in circulation, and o.
this the land owners have only small share
that it would Cypress the people very much to
compel them to pay this tax now; that the col
lection of it, in the present mode, necessitated
the employment of three commissioners, at a
cost Of some $4,000 per annum, besides the
expense of corps of clerks in the State, and
another corps in Washington, to assist the for
mer in keeping matters in due form and order
that the Secretary of the Treasury was very
DESTROYS of getting the collection of this tax of
his hands, involving as it does great annoy
ance to the x-payers and vast trouble to HIM
self, growing out Of the dissa tsfaction of the
former, in many instances, with the proceed
ings of the commissioners and their assistants
and the consequent numerous appeals made tc
him for a revisal of the same These and othe,
reasons were enforced by the Governor upon
the committee-the Governor hopes to some
purpose
Mr. Morrill, said the committee, as we'll as
the House, were very much pressed for wsnt
OF time, and by the numerous bills befor,
them, but that they would attend to TIN
matter.
Governor Peirpoint subsequently, saw Mr.
Morrill,, and furnished him with the heads O.
the bill which be wished to be passed. Its
chief features are, first, to authorize the Sc
cretary to withdraw the commissioners and al
their agents; and secondly, to allow the State
or, if Congress objected to recognizing Virgins
as a State, at least to authorize some perso
or persons, or officials of Nayiaia, to assum
the payment of the tax in three instruments
to fall due on the LIST day Of January in eacl
Of the years 1868, 1869, and 1870, the Score
tary to have power to enforce the collection O
all upon the failure to pay any one of the in.
stalments.
Our readers -nes~know as much as we O,
Governor Peirpoint on the subject The mair
point we would call their attention to is the
fact that they cannot and will not be compelled
to pay this tax until Congress shall have actet
upsn the subject. What the prospect is TO
the passage of Governor Peirpoint's bill, W,
know not. Mr. Morrill, said there was mucl
prejudice against our people, growing out O.
our newspapers, and that we were all though
to be rebels, Governor Peirpoint denied the
impeachment, asserted that our people were
mot disloyal, and again pressed the passage o.
his bill. We take credit to ourselves for the
unmistakable loyalty Of the Dispatch, fo
which the Governor will vouch, and publish
this declaration of Mr.. Morrill, in the hop,
that the Times, the Enquirer and the Wing
will "mend their ways"
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