The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-02-13
RALEIGH, N. c., WEDNESDAY,
REMARKS OF MIR. LOGAN.
OF RUTHERFORD,

OF RUTHERFORD,
In the House Of Commons, Wednesday, Feb
rua'y 9th, on the passage Of the Reuenue
Bill on its third reading.a q sadi asl-a
The revenue bill having been read, and the
question recurring upon its passage, Mr.. Lo-
gan moved to recommit to the finance com
mittee with instructions to them to report
bill adequate only to raise revenue necessary
for the ordinary expenses of the State.
Mr. Logan stated that he had had confer.
ence with the Chairman Of the Finance Com
mittee, to whom he hadsexhibited certain fig-
ures, which he now intended to bring to the
attention of the House. The Chairman had
agreed to their accuracy, and if they were
wrong in any particular,he desired correction.
He did not object to the articles taxed in
the bill-he thought they were the correct
ones from which to derive revenue; but he
did object to the amount of money proposed
to be raised by this bill, and he could show
that it was far beyond the needs of the
Treasurer, in order to defray the ordindryex-
penses of the State. That being so, he de-
sired to know whether the true friends of pro-
positions to relieve the people of unnecessary
, and oppressive burdens of taxation. &C.,
were prepared to vote for this bill For one,
he was honestly opposed to it.
In his report the Public Treasurer says
"that Table ID gives a list of those subjects
in regard to which can find no data what
l. ever, on which to found an estimate A con-
|. siderable amount ought to be raised from
these sources, but no more than will be need
ed to meet extraordinary appropriations,
which will doubtless he made by this General
Assembly"
Mr.. Logan continued. Here he said we
have the statement of the Public Treasurer
that he has now fund set apart to meet any
extraordinary appropriations or expenses of
the State. These extraordinary expenses
therefore are already provided for; and it
only becomes us to look to the ordinary ex-
penses of the State government: and this
revenue bill should be accommodated only
to the fulflment of that object.
What are the ordinary expenses of the
State government? According to the report
made by the Treasurer to the Hon. R. Y.
McAden, Speaker of the House, du eng the
present General Assembly, it will be found
on page of said report, that the ordinary
expenses of the State for the taco fiscal years,
ending Sept. 3Oth, 1868, will be s49O,535
But let us look little farther into this
Public Treasurer this revenue bill will raise
annually $685. which added together for
the years '67 and '6S, will amount to the sum
of $61S, S,7S4-(see page g. of same report.)
In the same report the Treasurer says there
was on hand, on the 1st of October, 1866,
S113,205 93-also additional taxes since Sep
| tember 30th, 1866, under revenue ordinance
of the Convention, $6.346 10; also, under
| the revenue act of General Assembly, 1865,
| &c, fifty nine Counties settled, add remain
| der, estimated total, $2SS,1S6 S5; also, pro-
| bable receipts from other sources 10000
| These amounts. added together, show that
| the resources of the State will be on Oct. 1st,
| 1868, 81, 1,036,527 s7-it being $545,9S7 81
more than is required to defray the ordinary
| expenses of the State government for the t,co
fiscal years ending Oct. 1st, 1868! However,
to deduct the expenses of the present Gen
eral Assembly, say 100000, from the forego-
ing amount, there would still be in the State
treasury surplus of s465,9sT 81, above the
ordinary expenses of the present government.
1t appears also in the Treasurer's report
that the interest on bonds due from the 1st
of October, 1867, to July 1st. 1868, amounts
to $3.50, TAG. which if added to the ordinary
expenses of the State government, as per
same report, is 81 ,344 ,2S1, money due, to be
| provided for. The Treasurer furtherstates the
resources of the State to be only $717, ,130 81,
making it necessary under his calculations
to raise $617,150 03, provided we agree to
| pay the interest on these State bonds. There
being, however, no proposition before the
House to pay interest due on State bonds
from October 1st, 1867 to July 1st, 1868, the
above calculations of the Public Treasurer
fall through, for we only have to raise enough
money from our impoverished people to de-
fray the ordinary expenses of the State gov
eminent.
Just here is another point to which I
would direct public attention. In his state
ment of the resources of the State, the Treas
urer has omitted the taxes to be raised for
the year 1868, amounting to 5000, 392-and
which added to $727, ,130,97 increase the re-
ceipts of the Treasury, properly STATED, to
| $1,036, ,422,97, leaving not six hundred thou
sand, but only about 1907, 758, ,03 to be raised,
provided we agree to pay the interest due on
bonds aforementioned. pause for an ex-
PLANTATION, if any can be given in relation to
these incorrect calculations.
The Chairman of the Finance Committee
| stated that the taxes for 1868 were included
in the report
Mr.. Logan recapitulated his argument, and
showed that they were not, and the point
was yielded.
He continued. As has been shown from
the Treasurer's report the ordinary expenses
of the government OF the State will amount to
$490,535, for the two fiscal years ending the
30th Sept, 1868. And the resources of the
Treasury, independent of raising taxes under
any revenue bill, for the same years, amounts
to $417,73S Thus it will be seen that only
72,797 is necessary to be raised by taxation
in order to defray the ordinary expenses of
government to Oct, 1st, 1868. tits plain to
all, Sir. therefore that we need no revenue act
at all for the year, 1867, and one for 1868,
which will raise only $72,797. Ea
This was the conclusion to which he had
arrived He favored propositions for the re-
lief of the people, and held that the defeat Of
this unnecessary revenue law would grant
them effectual and speedy relief. For from
the calculations of the Public Treasurer, from
his own official statements, it was plain to
all that the resources of the Treasury indie
pendent of taxation were ample for the pre-
sent year and fell short only S72, ,T97 for the
coming year; while if this bill were passed,
it would place surplus in the Treasury of
nearly $50O,0O0, when it was not needed nor
could any one tell why it was desired. When
the people were crying for relief, and legis-
lators seemed anxious to give it. he asked
them were they willing to pass this bill and
tax their constituents unnecessarily or
der, itseemed, merely to have surplus in the
Treasury9
uMr Jorau r understand Won said sold