Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-03-05
A BOMBSHELL AMONG THE TAX
PAYERS.

!
Charge of all License Collections.
aod Enioin Payment In Greenbaeks
How the Thing Went Through the
Legislature
Great excitement was created in finan-
cial circles Yesterday hy the announcement
that the Metropolitan Police Commission
| ers had taken into their hands the control
Of all moneys paid the city or county as
taxes on sales or privileges, in accordance
with amendments to the Legislative bill
! providing Metropolitan Police fund for
| Memphis. These amendments provide
that the law made for Memphis shall be
equally applicable TO Nashville, and were
! passed on the fourth Of last month.
Shrewd engineering on the part of the
Police Commissioners got the amendments
| tackled on and hurried through the Legis-
lature, very few Of the Solons of that a,-
gust body realizing what was going on
while they we're voting. The thing then
hung fire until the dismissal of the Metro
politan Police case in the Supreme Court
on Tuesday, when the Commissioners set
about taking steps for carrying out the law.
Yesterday Commissioners Sparkling and
Davis waited upon the Recorder and show
ing the documents from the Legislature,
enjoined him to hereafter pay over to them
all moneys collected from licenses, and
forbidding him TO take any more corpora
ton checks in making such collections.
They also waited upon p. L. Nchol,
County Court Clerk, serving the same
notice upon him.
These bold and unexpected measures on
the part of the Police Commissioners were
received with very i'll grace By the parties
interested and strong effort will now I'M
doubtedly be made to abolish the Metro
politan Police system and restore the city
police. No less than. thousand dollars
in checks was paid to the Recorder for
licenses last month, and the indignation
among holders of corporation scrip, who
have been go long paying their taxes with
it, but who are now completely shut off
from this mode Of relieving themselves, is
unbounded.
The following are the papers presented
to the Recorder and County Court Clerk
yesterday by the Commissioners, the first
being the amendments;
An act TO repeal an act passed on the 18th day
of November. 1866; entitled AN act to dis
pose eff the records of the land office of the
State, and for other purposes"
Section 8. Be it further enacted. That
the provisions of section TO II inclusive,
| of chapter 46 of an act passed May 9,
| 1867, entitled IAN act to create an addi-
| tional number of Justices ofthe Peace and
| Notaries Public for the city of Memphis,
and for other purposes" be and are hereby
extended TO and made applicable to Nash
vile.
Sec. 4. Be it further enacted That this
act shall take effect from and after its pass
age.
Passed Feb. 4, 1868.
| The following are the sections of the
Memphis bill referred to above as made
applicable to Nashville.
Sec. 9. Be it further enacted, That the
charter of the city of Memphis be amend
| ed as follows That all revenue arising to
| the city of Memphis from taxes on sales
| or privileges shall constitute a special
! fund, to be known az the Metropolitan
| Police Fund.- which shall be applied to the
| payment of the expenses of the Metropoli-
tan Police force within said city, and to no
other purpose whatever, except az herein
after provided.
tax shall be collected by the City Tax Col
lector on privileges, who shall pay over to
| the Financial Commissioner Of the Metro
| politan Police, within the first days of each
month
Sec. H. Be it further enacted, That no
appropriation for other purposes than TO
defray the expenses of the Metropolitan
Police force shall be paid out of this fund.
The Fox Holloofor ebalI t,of racciVa in
payment of said taxes, any warrant drawn
by virtue of any appropriation by the
Board of Aldermen, or for any indebted
ness of the city of Memphis, other than
the expenses of the Metropolitan Police
force.
See. u. Be il further enacted, That all
appropriations for police purposes shall be
made by the Board of Police Commission
ers, by Yirine of an act entitled Gan act to
establish a Metropolitan Police District,
and to provide for the government there
Of" passed MAY IA, 1866. ANY warrant
drawn by two or more Of said Commits
sioners. by virtue Of such appropriations,
shall be received by the Tax Collector in
payment of said tax on privileges.
Sec. l3. Be il further enacted, That i n
case the Board of Mayor and Aldermen
I
| and privileges authorized by law, or shall
| fix the same at smaller amount than the
/ State tax on like sales and privileges, the
| Board Of Police Commissioners are hereby
| authorized to levy such tax, which shall be
| levied in like manner az those levied by
| the Board Of Mayor and Aldermen.
Sec. IA. Be it further enacted, That in
case the City Tax Collector neglects or re-
fuses TO collect the tax on privileges "a
| provided for in this act, or neglects or re-
fuses TO pay over the amount collected to
| the Financial Commissioner of the Metro
Pblitan Police Board, as herein provided
then the Board of Police Commissioners
shall appoint a proper person TO collect
said tax, who shall take the oath pre-
scribed by law, aud give such bond as may
be required by the Board of Commission
ers, not less than $4,000 nor more than
| $4,000, and such persons shall be entitled
| to the same compensation as is now al
lowed to the City Tax Collector On privi
leges.
Sec. Is. Be il further enacted, That the
Board of Mayor and Alderman is author
lied to increase the tax on tipping housees
to two hundred and fifty dollars per annum,
and in case of neglect or refusal, to increase
it to at least one hundred and fifty dollars
per annum, then the Board of Police Com
Is hereby authorized TO levy said tax, of not
less than one hundred and fifty dollars,
nor more than two hundred and City dol
lars, the same to be collected by the Tax
Collector as in other cases.
Sec. l6 Be it further enacted, That any
surplus remaining in the hands Of the Po-
lice Commissioners, after defraying the
expenses of the police, inclading the
amount advanced by the State, and other
Indebtedness already incurred, shall be re-
ported TO the City Comptroller, and paid
over to the Treasurer of the city Of Mem.
phis.
Sec. II. Be it further enacted, That no
Injunction shall be granted by any Judge
or court in this State upon any bill al
leging or involving the unconstitutionslity
Of this act, OF of any provision thereof, or
Of an act to establish Metropolitan Po-
lice district, aud to provide for the govern
ment thereof, passed May IA, 1866, or Of
any of the provisions thereof, whereby any
person or officer shall be restrained from
performing the duties required Of him by
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