The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-12-18

4 did not amount TO anything
He regarded this substitute as n ma
= chine by which they might escap
r taxation altogether. 1t had also beer
: there should be county taxation with
out restriction. Yet the report Limited
: this county taxation to the amount o
, that levied by the State. Under tina
: part of the substitute referred TO by
MIR. Steere, the speaker held that thu
Baltimore az Ohio Railroad could Sc
up that they made nothing ON that par
of their limo in West Virginia, that ali
their profits accrue on the Maryland
lines and that their property in this
State should be valued accordingly. l
such rule was Just for railroads, why
not for others? Why not say that men
shall not be taxed on their land and
Yet under such n rule half the proper.
ty in the State would go scot free.
Mr.. RIDDLE favored going back to the
chapter as ii came from the Committee
on Revision, taxing the road a. SO much
per mile.
Mr.. FERGUSON said the instruction OF
the special committee was that the prin-
ciple, not the details, OF the Ohio law
should be followed, and this had been
done. The report agreed on by the
| committee Mt it's first meeting had been
presented at the second meeting. 1t
was then agreed to modify 1t by
excluding taxation by townships
reporter understood him to con-
cede that the restriction of county
taxation to the amount levied for
State purposes had not been authorized
| by the committee; but with this excep-
tion the substitute as reported WAS pre-
Cisely the same submitted to the com.
mittee at its second meeting and np-
! Nr-ffI I,n
TO. He did not consider the limitation
OF taxation by the counties as of much
practical consequence, because so far
rs his knowledge extended the county
levies were generally less anyhow than
those made by the State, Replying to
MIR. Hervey's point that there was no
provision for compelling the companies
10 return valuation, he said there
was ample provision in that part OF the
substitute which in case OF such fail
ure authorized a commission 10 make
the valuation and gave them full power
to make II just what they SAW fit. No
railroad company would run the risk
of having that commission make an
exorbitant valuation, and this risk was
IA more fOrcible indictment for them to
make 1t themselves than any ordinary
penalty such us were imposed in Ohio.
He considered the assessment by a
commission an ample remedy i'll case
OF delinquency on the part of the com
pRuy. He denied that the provision
referred to by Mr.. Steere was any con
cession of grounds now contended
Tor by the State in regard to the
construction of the charter of
the Baltimore and OHIO Railroad. Such
II thing was not contemplated; il had |
not and could not have any such legal |
effect. This provision was intended 10 |
carry out the precise principle in the |
Ohio law, or rather .he practice of the |
railroad commissioners under that law,
who assess their railroads with refer |
ence to their earnings as compared with |
their cost. This provision meant that |
the value was to be ascertaIned by TAX |
lug the net earnings of the whole road |
and then the proportion which the net
earnings on that part OF the road in this |
State bears to the whole. The essential |
difference between the system now pro.
posed and that proposed by the Com
mittee on Revision, was that there could |
not he any constitutional objection 10 |
the first, while there might be to the
latter, assessing the roads at a 1ixed sum
per mile. He argued that there was an
essential difference between railroad
and other prOperiy-EreRter cost OF op-
Grating and greater risks of investment
and therefore the system OF taxing
them should be different.
The hour Of 12 o'clock NJ. interrupted
the gentleman's argument. aud the
House took II recess till p. NJ.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
Mr.. FERGUSON, Of CAbell, resuming
the floor, in reply to the suggestion of
Mr.. Hervey that there WAS no way to
compel IA railroad company 10 disclose
its property said there was no need of
anything, as the official reports &c. of
.he company would give the inIorma-
lion. AS proof OF this he read from
The annual report of the Baltimore S
Ohio Railroad for the year ending Sep
iamber 80, 1865, showing the total cost
ofthe main stem at $25 900 600, and the
net profits as follows: Main, stem ST.
i39. .9S3; Washington Branch, $3.50, 9i2;
Branch, S9l .Ss9.-Total So
81 ,S34.
MIR. FERGUSON concluded his remarks
md the discussion WAS continued by
uessrs. Pinnell and Stewart in favor OF
he substitute reported by the special
and by Messrs. Hervey aud
Sieere against.
In the course of the discussion Mr..
remarked that he hud been
'eported as saying that he WAS Tor no
ak on the railroads. lie said that so
ar as he was individually concerned,
)ut he did not speak for others. He
vas for fostering internal improve.
nents. The only fault he found with
he report was In requiring the valu.
ion with reference to The profits on the
BART of the road within this State. He
that part of the road Hs val
liable az any other, for the business OF
he road would be worth little without
t.. He was for valuing the road by di
'idinR its net profits between the diff
litterent States according to the mum ber
II miles in each State, and valuing II
With reference to its profits so distrib-
tied.
During Mr.. Stewart's remarks, Mr..
1eermHnS asked him how much he
would tax n railroad that paid no prof.
I. Mr.. Stewart replied that he would
AK it nothing for 1t would be worth
nothing,
Before taking IA vote Mr.. ueermans !
obtained leave TO read letters from the
Attorney General and from Stanton
nd Allison, counsel for the State in
he Marshall county suit. This cor
esPODdence apponrs elsewhere, ,-ED
TORS lNTELLIGENCER.
The question on substituting the ex- &
sting law in regard TO assessing rail- c
Dads for the section reported by the /
Decial Committee was then taxen by
feas and Nays and resulted: I
Yeas-Messrs, Armstrong, Barns, Il
;OlN, Davisson. dis, Ferguson, OF '
farshall, Gregory, IIeermans, Hervy, =
Howes, Jacob, Jarrett,
Miller, Morgan Parker, Steero. II
Ynggv and McWhorter lSpcaker)-20.
Nuys-Messrs. Adamsnn. Bender,
Sillmyer, Boggess. Boughner, Cham v
'ers, Crane. Huntington, Ferguson OF t
'Absll. Gold. uugar, Harrow. Hoffman, l
ameS, Mahon, Munn, McClAskey,
Richmond, Riddle. Smith,
Stewart, TAbier aud Wood
On tina lnyy CF lS6l VaS roirrtniI