The Portland daily press., 1868-03-04

botn ailect our taxes. The probability is.
I'D one case as affects our larger towns, there
viii be no public or pecuniary loss In the
| cne case the proposition has lis origin from
| the legislature OF the people. Those inter-
| Iested or otherwise, are required by two
! Thirds vote to sustain the proposition before
| There is any burden, ii it should prove so.
| In the other, and the case now before us
the action is commenced and carried through
| all its stages i'm small constituencies, where
cities and lager towns have no representa-
| ton, and where considerations oil a public
natule may have but little influence, ana u
tnis KIND OF legislation is to be followed, IL
| the aciIon OF towns is to fix the wages OF
| sodiefs, only afterwards to be legaized and
endorsed by legislative action. without REM
| cay or ainendment, the towns become the
| legislative power, and it virtually establishes
m eject, III no remote degree that odous
| proposition aud doctrine taxation without
| representation" II bounties are wages, the
Legislature should have established it in adj
vance, and not the people OF the town, and
then require this Legislature by a sort Of &c
post .fdct0 law to approve it and make It
wages.
/ Constituencies who in one instance have
voice over their own property by two thirds
/ vote, where there is to be no loss, in this in
stance have their pOrpelty ,akent away from
them to pay other town debts than their own,
against their united opposition and protesta-
ton. am aware that the matter is now be-
fore the Legislature OF the people, but the an
ITDus and force of the whole subject is behind
the pale OF this organizations. Certain towns
had in view when they raised money to meet
theirindivldual wants and necessities, that it
1nally was to be levied, out Of proportion, on
other va.ua. o is than their o xn. Conse ment
" they were less economical; and now this
proposition Is to be carried through this Leg
stature by self interest, force and numbers.
which results from larger interest being rep
resented here by there towns that are benefit
ted, over those towns that are losers.
1T may be said that this is just claim for
war purposes Ha just claim for war purpos-
es, why do we have to 90 to the trouble to
change the constitution in order to allow IL Z?
why did the judge OF our court decide that it
could not be collected without such an extra
ordinary procedure? Our constitution al
lows us to pay all necessary war debts. This
is not one of that character. 1t is not a inst
claim to throw upon the valuation OF the coun-
ty, a duty that belongs to her population to
PERFORM l3atf18uus ssf..f T -.. sst...a
The true state of affairs is like this the en-
rolled men Of the country are the property Tor
the nations defence; for the safety aud secur-
ity OF life and property, the blessings OF civil
and religious liberty, the fun enjoyment of
free government secured by the toll and sac
riiice OF our revolutionary fathers; enrolled
men are prepaid when their services are de-
manded to defend this q eat birthright; and
wh en- communities do not respond, and mon
ey is advanced in exorbitant sums to induce
men TO do their duty, the obligation rests on
those who thus acted to pay the bills of their
own contraction. 1t is not wages, it is money
used to induce men TO enlist. Notice the eX-
trayagance that resulted from this procedure;
time and time again enlisted men have re-
ceived their three, five, or thousand dollars,
which my friend calls pdges, and the next
day deserted. They would go to another re-
cruitinS rendezvous, and, under new name
receive another bonnty, and again repeat the
same operation. The walls Of our recruiting
offices were lined with the photographs OF
these Jail Birds" Others would after their
enlistment, purposely wend their way to the
hospital, and there remain until discharged,
in order to appear again for another bounty,
and so on.
And this is the kind of lcdgeS that the tax
able property or valuation of the State, is re-
qured to respond to. 1t was an unnecessary
expenditure, and only allowable and to be
paid, where towns had voice in making up
the verdict, whether there should be draft
or whether men should be furnished by mon
ey. Where towns thus acted, they put a
mortgage on their own valuation, but not on
the valuation cf other towns. Nt
Much has been said about the law of 1864.
confess it has so much influence with me, as
to nduce me to vote for the original report OF
the Committee, as a matter OF eXpediency.
The expression of opinion OF that Legislature
was merely recommendatory; it could not
control the action and opinion of the Legisla-
ture that followed it. 1t was the resnlt of a
| judgment based upon state of things that
| then existed. 1t could not have been consld-
cred as always binding; towns at that tine
| had been moderate in paying bounties. In
| 1864 the whole expense of the State to that
| date, was less than three million dollars. The
| year that followed carried cur war expenses
| nearly up to nine millions. Did that Legisla-
| ture intend to justify such reckless expendi-
| lures of bounties, and to force the valuation
of the State to respond? If so, 1 must con-
| fess that some constituencies were poorly rep
resented. They intended no such thing; it
they did, it is our constitutional right to cor
rect such abuses. In my own county there
are lew, If any towns, that are suffering One
at least, that gains very largely by this resolve,
has entirely paid off its municipal war debt.
Much has been said about the burden of
country towns, that they are over taxed.
My experience and judgment does not war;
rant such conclusions; it is the practice to-
| day OF gentlemen of wealth and means to
| seek the country towns to escape the burdens
| OF taxation which exist in the city. 1t is no
uncommon occurrence for wealthy men to re-
move into remote towns for this purpose.
Whoever knew a person to leave the country
and so to the city to escape taxation? do
not think that there is single case on rec
| ord.
| have already exhausted your patience
and must clo7e. [ hope that the proposition
| will be defeated, and then let us return to
| the only judicious proposition, the original
report of the committee.