New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1868-08-23

| ti.t at Tax sale may perfect his
tltle' Aud, sir, poor men are likely TO he
as frequently interested in having suob a
Jaw US the rich. Poor men are fire.
quentiy purchasers at tax sales
ahd they will become more frequently SO in
proportion as our laws are made to protect
| such ssles, and provide speedy means bv
which they may be freed from the IiahiIity
to be upset by the technicalties which have
| heretofore rendered them such precarious
| investments. 10
therefore think, sir, that upon every
ground II VIII be wise and just for our Leg
!t lslaeuie 70 pass tnIs oili, and shall give my
voice for it accordingly.
MIR, Bacon: Mr.. President / am still or
| posed to this bill. have listened patiently
and carefully to all the arguments in its ia
Vor but in them all / have heard nothing
| which has changed or in the least diminished
my objections to this measure, This bill is
Intended, or if not intended, it is calculated.
| to enable the rich men ofthis parish, aud of
| al! other parishes, to stand around at tax
sales ana TOR a mere song, become the pos
SCISSORS and owners OF the property of poor
| widows and orphans and absentees
| 1t is customary for usurers to stand around
| at tax sales, and buy up the property of
| these classes of persoDs, and this bill is cal
culated to increase these inducements, which
have heretofore been too great for them to
| continue ano greatly increase the practice
| Sir, 1t is because | wish to protect the
weak, and the absent, and the married
women, and all those who are unable to
take care Of themselves, that ] oppose this
| bill. These are the classes / wish to take
care of by law. Other classes can take
| care of themselves without law.
am opposed to this bill upon any and all
grounds. And, sir, to dispose OF it move
| to lay the whole question on the table.
| Mr. Coupland | ask the gentleman to
withdraw his motion to lay on the table.
| 1t does seem to me that there is disposf-
/ tlOn nlSDnsp in fhaf
| will be against the best and true interest of
| the people. ], therefore, wish to say few
words before it is disposed Of Will the
Senator withdraw his motion?
Mr.. Bacon: Mr.. President, | will with
draw my motion if the Senator will promise
| to renew it.
Mr.. Coupland: Mr.. President, will re-
| new the geutleman's motion at the conclu-
sion of my remarks if the Senator insists
upon it.
Mr.. Bacon: Very well then, sir, / with
draw.
Mr.. Coupland Mr. President, am greatly
surprised at the objections urged against
this bill. The chief object of this law is to
protect the revenue, of which Just now
there is certainly the greatest need. It is
also to protect those who purchase at tax
sales, whether rich or poor, and, sir, they
are no less likely to be poor than rich, espe-
clally not when this law shall pass and rem
| der their Investments of this kind safe, and
|
technicalities for time almost without
limit.
But, sir, this is mainly measure to pro
tect the interest of the State, to secure the
revenue that is justly due the State, and TO
distribute the burden of taxation equally
among all the people according to the prop
erty they own, so that there will be no
shirking by part at the expense of the bal
ance.
If own piece of property am COM
PEELED TO pay taxes upon it or it is sold.
And this is right.
If faperson who owns property will not pay
! the taxes upon it, it is proper that some per-
son who will pay the taxes should buy it,
and make it bear the burdens which Justly
beloug to 1t.
, Poor men may buy at tax sales as well as
rich ones, and ii is to the interest of the
State that they should, for they are geBer-
ally the most prompt taxpayers, and there
fore the ones least likely to be injured
and most likely to be benefited by
I this law.
| Mr. Poindexer; Mr.. President, l have
the honor to ask the privilege Of making an
= explanation of my remarks in my humble
way. Two learned gentlemen, both lawyers,
G have favored and upheld this bill with their
learning and oily tongues, such as do
not belong to poor ignorant man like
I me. My speech may therefore have little
l weight in comparison with theirs. But, sir,
! all this shall not stop me from speaking my
D | honest convictions the best can; aud, sir,
S my honest convictions are against this bill
!, They were against it before l heard any
: arguments for it, and they are against it a
good deal more now than they were then.
l honestly believe, sir, under my conVic-
y tions that if this bill should have the mis-
y fortune to become law that in few years
II not more than two hundred men will own
y the whole State Of Louisiana. feel that
d there is q great sin at the bottom of this
e law. believe it raises the question whether
e the people of Louisiana shall live in the
! State aud own property in this State,
'l or whether they shall have theii
e property taken from them without recon-
IL pense, and be driven into the Cult of Mexi
CO ty about two hundred rich gentlemen
3 who always stand ready to take their prop
q erty. / believe, sir, that If ever bill should
y be laid on the table this is the one.
/ don't mean any harm, hIr. President, to
d any one, but l must be allowed to answer
@ these gentlemen according to their remarks
Is to me. And, sir, suppose am the owner
of just fifteen hundred dollars worth oi
property, and it is all have got IN the
0 world. Suppose this property is made uE
y of little house and horse; COW and {
y couple of sheep; and have not cent o
o money in the world, and my taxes are moi
0 paid. Suppose, then, wake up some morn
IS ing and find my home advertised for sale fol
taxes. Sir, how am | going to get the
a money? Why, sir, if the taxes were all,
|, might possibly sell my sheep, or my COW
s. and raise the money and save my home
., And suppose had done this, when | go Il
u pay the money one of these gentlemen, wht
has charge of the business, says to me, No. sir
rs that,won't quite do. This tax is not exactly
re the bill you have got to settle and pay, sir
or No, sir, 1t is not the big end of your bill a
=, all. Here Is this advertisement for the SAT-
III of this land, and the fees of these othceri
who have had the business in hand, winch
70 make the big end Of the bill which you, mus
ID settle before you can have your land PACK
~ And SO l find that though my sheep soid ioi
enough to pay my tax, ind that tue aover
x tisement and these other expenses cost lusl
five times as much as all my sheep, foul
~ times as much as my cow, and just exactly
as much as my sheep and COW and horse,
all together And so. sir, have to 60 and
- sell the whole thing, and have nothing II
w W the world, before can have my home back
"a a That is lust exactly the way this bill will
ns work. sir That is what it means, gentle
u - men, to my conviction, and SO / am goinI
~ ~ TO vote against the whole thing, as thinl
~ every man ought to do.
a Motion to reconsider laid upon the tabl'
y by rising vote of twelve yeas to nine nays
g HOUSE OF REPR RESENTATIER1.