The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1867-02-21


present:
His Honor D. n BaUrows Mayor, Thomas
Green, James Tapley, A. Nirden, John Mel
son and NJ. Mclaughlin, Aldermen.
The Board having been called u order the
proceedings of the last meeting were read,
whereupon the Mayor presented .he follow
ing communication
To the Board Of aldermen:
GENTLEMEN Il regret that , am con-
strained by a sense of duty to Withhold my
approval from the resolutions AMI proceed
ings of your last meeting on the 9Th INST,
allowing exemption from taxation, dc, Tor
ten years to the Bowman House company
The charter of the city reads: The Mayor
shall have power to withhold hISassenU TO
any ordinance, rule, Or~OTuer. that may De
passed by said Board of Mayor aid Alder
men, if III his opinion il is in an. respect
inconsistent with the constitution OF this
State" BY an extract from the opinion of
the High Court of Errors and Appeals, here
with appended, and to which your at
| tention is especially directed, 1t vii be seen
that this question is clearly settled, and IS
now the law of the land and we cannot
avoid it if we would. The opinion was de-
/ livered in a similar case which involved pre-
cisely the same questions. This decision
from the highest legal tribunal IN the state,
declares such proceeding as the one
I now under consideration to be UnConstitu-
tional l am obliged by my oath of Office to
respect this decision, and l believe it correct,
and however much may wish this improve
ment made cannot set aside my oath to
assist in its accomplishment. | have always
been opposed to the grant of any exclusive
privilege to one citizen in preference to the
rights of all. | believe such action wrong
in principle. / have always thought so and
my former actions as a member Of the Board
show this fact. 1t is no new question with
me the subject of special privileges having
been before the Board many times for differ
ent purposes and my vote has always been
against the power of the Board granting
such privileges 10 any one 1t this request
is allowed to the Bowman House Company,
upon what principle ofTight and justice can
you refuse the same exemption to all who
may ask for it. 1t viii produce endless
trouble and litigation. l am we'll convinced
that there are quite number of our citizens
who will resist the payment of their taxes,
if any one equally liable IS exempted from
the same duty. All our people have lost
largely during the war; the city itself has
had her full share of loss. 1t now needs
money to rebuild its school houses, repair
its City Hall and market house, improve its
streets and grave yard. There is a large old
debt also to pay, and with the strictest econ
omy, our expenses are necessarily large, and
certainly no impediment should be thrown
in the way of collecting what is assessed
The Government, County and State have
overbuTdened our stricken people with tax
es almost too heavy to bear, and had hoped
the city would soon see its way clear to re-
duce its taxes. | am in favor of reducing
them to the very lowest amount required to
carry on its government, and in favor OF
/ requiring every person to contribute his
prOpOTtiOnatu share according to the value OF
his property / am not in favor of class
legislation, but in favor of placing the bur
dens of taxation upon those most able to
bear them. l cannot sanction a course
which gives immunity to the rich and leaves
the burdened poor unrelieved.
/ assure the Board that | am very an
xious to see the Bowman House rebuilt. ]
/ know a good hotel is much needed in that
part of the city | think it would be a
public benefit to the whole city iudiyidu-
ally it would be a source Ofpride and indi
rectly matter of benefit, to me to have the
/ house erected, for whatever tends to i'm.
prove the city will also enhance the value OF
property generally. l cannot believe that
! the mere hope of obtaining this special priv.
/ ilege was the only inducement to embark in
/ this enterprise, | trust that the Company
/ will view it in the light of public principles
and reconcile it to themselves that in justice
to all citizens this request cannot equitably
be granted, and l trust a refusal to grant
the privilege Will not deter the Company
from supplying a want which is now so Sc
verely felt IN that portion of the city. and
from realizing the profits which are certain
to accrue from so good an investment.
L cheerfully accord to those who differ
with me in this matter purity of motive
and integrity Ofpurpose IN the maintenance
of their views, and acting under sense of
the responsibility which rests upon me, ]
ask that the same degree of allowance viii
be extended to me in the construction Of
my action in the premises, aud in the per
/ Torrance of what / believe to be my bound.
en- and imperative duty to the whole citi
zens of Jackson.
d. n. BARROWS. Mayor.