Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-17
ALABAMA.
nc Governors Message-IFIs views ON
Current Questions Of General INFER
est.

The Alabama Legislature met in reOul,
session at Montgomery, on Monday las
Governor PATTON sent in a very length
message, embracing very full review
the situation Of the State, and It's interest
we subioin extracts upon general toni,
which viii be read with interest:
PROTEST AGAINST yIE COTTON TAX.
This tax is SO unjust and so oppressiv
IN ITS operations upon the productive Iaho,
OF the cotton States, that think memoria
should be sent 70 Congress in favor of its re
peal, or, at least its modification.
The oppressive injustice Of this extraordi.
nary tax may be easily illustrated. Upou
bale OF cotton weighing five hundred
pounds, the tax Is fifteen dollars. In add.
ton to this, the cotton-grower has 10 pay the
ordinary income tax of five per cent. Az
suming that cotton is worth thirty cents per
pound, the gross value Of the bale Is one
hundred and fifty dollars. In computine,
the cotton as income, the expense of produc.
ing the article is, of course, deducted. SIM
posing this expense TO be one-third Of the
gross value Of the cotton in market. the in
come would be reckOned at one hundred
dollars, which would involve tax of five
dollars This added to the specific tax.
makes an aggregate Of twenty dollars as the
amount assessed upon a single bale.
Ihe illustration here given is not at all
exaggerated. II is plain statement of the
Practical operations Of the law Such an
enormous tax upon agricultural labor was
perhaps never before assessed by any Gov
ernment. Even at the present high price of
COTTON, II IS actually a tax Of twenty per
cent upon the profits Of the producer With
decienslon m the price Of cotton, there
""hid, as matter OF course be a CORES
ponding increase in the per centum of the
taxation. But at the rate Of twenty ner
cent this tax is more than feur times as
heavy as is levied upon any other branch of
industry. Should Alabama produce this
year no more than two hundred and fftv
thousand bales the United States tax upon
the crop will amount to FIVE millions of
dollars.
But there is still another very extraordi-
nary feature in the law respecting this
specific tax. Upon all cotton fabrics or
yarns, manufactured for export, the MANN
facturer receives from the United States
Treasury gratuity Of three cents per pound. |
1t Is thus in the power Of the manufacturer
70 draw from the Treasury every dol |
lar paid into il from this specific tax.
Therefore IL cannot be pleaded in extenua- |
ton OF this oppressive burden, that it is de- |
manded by the necessities Of the Treasury. /
IL Is nothing more nor less than a bonus /
offered for the manufacture Of cotton goods 4
for expectation. II is a munifcent bounty /
ruthlessly wrung from the hard earnings of /
the toiling freedmen, and given to those
who are prospering in business which al /
ready yields enormous profits, and who in
many cases, are in the full enjoyment Of in
dependent fortunes.
THE FREEDMEN.
Under our laws as modified since the slaves
we're emancipated, the freedmen have made
contracts; and as general thing, so far as
this Department is advised, the contracts
have been faithfully observed on both sides.
There has been little, If any, difficulty in
regard 10 engagements for labor on farms
and plantations. Where the freedmen have
pursued the occupation 10 which they have
been accustomed, they have obtained ready
and prospered, as well at least,
as could be expected from the unfayorable |
season.
Those, however, who have lurked about |
towns and cities have not done so well. This |
is particularly the case with those who have |
left the plantations. This class has suffered !
greatly by the change Of homes. They know
nothing Of trade; aud Of that kind Of plain,
lnsllilled labor which alone they could per-
form, there is not n sufficient demand to en- 1
able them 10 make a support. The natural
have been, unthriftiness much
idleness and suffering; some vagrancy, and
no little crime, as well as much sickness and
The right to testify in courts in certain
cases, was extended 10 freedmen at your
last session. The law authorizing this kind
Of testimony was necessarily experimental;
but experience has demonstrated that it is
productive Of good results. ColOred per
sons are permitted 10 testify in cases where
hey are interested, and where there is every
nducement for false swearing which may
be reasonably supposed to influence this
lass Of witnesses. But even with these
,trong temptations to commit perjury, the
Of freedmen has been found valu-
lble in the ascertainment of truth. With
his experience before as, ! think that the :
public good would be promoted by removing
III restraints upon the competency Of freed
nen to testify in our courts. Their evidence
ike that Of all other witnesses, would be !
carefully weighed by the courts and juries,
md estimated at its proper value.
Now that the negroes are free they are re
luired 10 pay taxes. This is right and
proper. But they pay very little beyond
he poll OF capitatiOn tax. The education j
lf lfcolored children involves a question 10
which we should not be altogether indifler-
mt. Il might be the true policy TO set apart
he revenue derived frem taxes upon freed
men, or portion Of IT, 10 be applied 10 the
ducation of their children, and the support
4 the INDECENT, aged and infrm Of that ,
population.
SUPPLIES FOR THE DESTITUTE.
Up to the 30th of September last, pc !
iod of eleven months, the aggregate number
f rations issued was three million seven
hundred and eighty-nine thousand, seven !
hundred and lightweight (37SQ,7SS.) ,
These figures are taken from official statis- I
les. which have been reported to this De ]
,artment They show an average distribu- |
ion of about eleven thousand five hundred c
ations per month. OF these persons {
yho have actually received supplies, the :
average per month is twenty-one thousand q
even hundred, (2l,7O0.) The number Of $
white recipients exceeds those Of the blacks !
n proportion Of more than two 10 one.
Il was fondly hoped that the crop of the
resent wear would have been sufficient TO ]
ave ss from another destimtiOn. But un- =
ortunately this is not the case. The season .
las been exceedingly unfavorable; and the
rops are lamentably short. 1t is the opinion
4 the Commissioner for the Destitute ex-
,ressed IN his official report, that there will I
lot be half enough Of grain raised 70 sub
it the population Of the State. From in
ormaiion received from Probate Judges, :
nd various other sources / am inclined TO ,
,eieye that this opinion is but too well
ounded.
Gen. SwAYNE is authorized 20 purchase },
upplies for distribution for the next three
months 20 the value Of one hundred and :
wentv thousaad dollars. Tie has an agent !,
.ow employed ia making purchases, which !
ne To be confined 90 corn and bacon. by :
furnishing these articles OF food, instead Of
he regular rations formerly issued, it is
hought that much more good will be ac-
,omplished.
MANNED AND DISABLED SOLDIERS. n
We have a large number Of maimed and
lisabled soldiers, for whom provision should
~ made bv the State. Those who have lost
limbs. and are unable TO procure artificial i,
mes should have them supplied by the 4
state. This is due them for their gallaniry !,
md patriotic sacrifices in the States ser !;
ice. 4
TIE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT. a
am decidedly Of the opinion that this s.
L ~ IHl-f fr..-f .