Smyrna times., 1867-02-27
For tn q" Smyrna Times
Letter from Dover.


Inc JOINT committee on Ways and Means
have been busy at work to devise some plan BY
which revenue can be paid to the State for the
purpose OF reducing the debt A bill is belug
prepared which lays tax of 5 100 GU all victual-
ing and drinking saloons, and also specifying
to whom the tax shall be paid, and at what
times; and authorizing and directing certain
officers tn arrest and fine those who are detect
cd IN vIolatlong the provisions Of the act The
Legislature, to its credit be it said, seems to be
evllly disposed towards all venders Of spirituoul
liquors, and Is determined to make their i'm
moral business u source of profit to the State.
Ry many the tax imposed or the Delaware
railroad Is regarded as unconstitutional A
welltounded opinion is gradually growing that
it conflicts with Sec. . Article ". Of that in
strunent which saye, The citizeEs OF each
State shall be entitled to all privileges and i'm
munItles Ct citizens III the several States
! There can be no question a. to the right o.! the
State to tax Lrr own citizens, in any manner
she may see lit 81 TO do; out the greater por
ton of the tax imposed upon the railroad CON-
pany is collected from the sale OF tickets, which I
are purchased by citizens Of adjoining State. (
coming within the limits Of our own; and right
here is the ground tor belief that it is unconstI
. tutional. Perhaps the Legislature doubts its |
legality, and are arranging their Legislation SO
as to have other sources from which to derive
revenue to pay the interest OF the State debt,
2 than the one they have.
Efforts are being made by the agents of the
5 Baltimore l. Ohio railroad company to get q
charter from the Legislature, authorizing the
road to cut a canal from some eligible point
from the waters of the Chesapeake to the Del
n aware river; and along its bank they propose
to build a railroad. The construction Of such
work would be Of inCalcIable benefit to the
Il State, and would benefit our sister State OF
Maryland quite as much; for they cannot get
IS their products to the Fast 50 cheapy as by
II crossing our State at one place or another. The
al State, believe, is pledged not to allow another
L canal to be be built north of the AppOquinl-
d mink Greek for period Of years. If the one
ID proposed is built at all it will probably 20 to
tho mouth Of Mahon' river, where the water
ir is deep enough to allow vessels Of considerable
L tonnage to come and 60.
o. There is also considerable talk Of stipulating
We with the above Company, that for their charter
" they shall annually pay to the State a certain
an portion of their gross recelpts-say one-ttth.
Thus if $4OO, 900 can pay $1,000 each twenty
- wears, at the rate Of $lO,OOO per annum,
IN $4,000, OU0 (which is the estimated cost OF the
H. canal and railroad when built can pay -, 500,
70 900 during the same period, for the same priv
- ilegcs This is the ratio paid by the New Cas-
~ tie 4 FrenchtOwn K. Il.
o. Suppose we take the ratio Of charges made
by the State of Maryland against the Washing
~ ton branch of the Bait & .. K. r., running
re- through the State, which is one-ffth Of the
gross receipts. Thus 6 per cent. on $4,000
tel OO0 which we will suppose to be the cost of the
OF canal and railroad is $3OO,00G, which will be
OF the gross receipts. One fifth Of that sum, OF
the amount the State would receive under this
-. statement, would be $50 900 each year. This
c would very nearly pay the interest of the Stats
'u' ~ debt, while the tax on the Del. r. r., and OF
t[ liquors &c, under the new bill, could be made
m,.a m to 90 towards reducing the principal.
- ~ If we wish prccedents for this arrangement
:. we have only To look at the States of Maryanc
IL, and New Jersey, both OF which charge th
Io railroads passing through them. The Stat
& urcd, AiGlteH, and if We can get it in this man
lo pl ner, and it will be regarded as constitutional
w. ~ the burden will be less felt than by any othe
Im possible means that could be devised.
nJ M Mr. Paynters bill making the punishment
m m"u of whites and blacks for the commission of tn
- same offences the same, which | referred to i
=" my last letter. has passed the Senate, and wi
~, am probably pass the House. The passage in tn
on House of the Christiana Bridge bill, also toI
~, merly referred 10, will, it is predicted, be dc
,1' s5 teated in the Senate The bill introduced i
-. the Senate sometime since, making the clectio
ia Of School Commissioners tor three years, instea
,,n OF one as heretofore, has passed the Senate;
,,, also provides that the term Of the Clerk, or on
nr of the Commissioners, shall expire every yea
,r. making it necessary to elect one Of the Boar
, 'od annually.
leu The Joint committee of both Houses on ths
,,lf part of the Governor 5 message which refers
to-" M the subject of building pententiary, has r,
Ii" ported unfavorably, and assign as a reason tn;
Ie nc the financial condition OF the State will NJ
'sis dS allow it, Capital punishment and the Will
" uo ping post as a tenor TO evil doers will still
y 'o- followed until change in the Golfers of II
nro Treasury will allow the subject Of penitenti
p. rV to be SerIOuS lV considered
',nd ~, very important bill giving to married We
"' mb men greater liberties in controlling their maic
~ en- personal property, has been introduced
tbo the House. 1t modities and aeviates Il
tI tho stringency Of the common law on the subiec
ono ,,o and is document worthy Of the enlightenme
:. UEG - Of the age. LIBERTY
fare nv -, , :,