Baton Rouge tri-weekly gazette & comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1865-18??, 1868-02-20

Mississippi Convention, {"Constitu
tional," SO called, but politely dubbed
in that State "the polecat conven
toni" have resorted to the passag,
Of an ordinance similar to the on,
adopted by the Louisiana affair fol
!. gouging the people by means Of ,
special tax in order to foot the ex
| penses Of the menagerie. From gen
eral indications. in Mississippi we
should think the tax collectors ii
that State will have nice time of i,
trying to collect or enforce the col
lection Of the odious tax, and some
Of them have already declined to un.
dertake the unenviable task. We
learn from the Natchez Courier that
"the convention tax collector OF
Rankin county, wishing to preserve
his character, positively refuses to
accept the appointment"
The Brandon Republican in speak
ing of the subject, says:
If we all stand together the tax
never can be collected. If they at
tempt to sell your property, sue out
writ Of injunction, and club to-
gether and carry the case through
all the inferior courts, and up to the
Supreme Court Of the United States.
If they offer your neighbours prop
erty for sale, notwithstanding the in
junction, don't bid on it, unless some
dirty Yankee scalawag bids, and
then run it to double its worth,
and after the sale is over refuse to
take it."
The same rule should be followed
in Louisiana, and, indeed, has been
already. inaugurated in the parish of
Jefferson, where the people have
shown a determination to have this
tax business legally tested before the
courts, rather than submit volunta-
rily to the abomination.
The merchants at Vicksburg, we
perceive, have determined to resist
the collection of the convention tax
on this as we'll as upon other grounds:
that the present body was not le-
gally elected under the provisions of
the bill which called it into life. 1t
is believed that an investigation Of
the poll books would show that a
majority Of the registered voters did |
not vote "for convention"
Since penning the above, we have
come across the proceedings Of the
Louisiana Convention on the 18th
inst, (the Goth day of the SESSION., |
from which it seems that an ordinance
proposed by Cooley has been adop-
ted, granting an extension of time to
taxpayers Of the parishes of Orleans
and Jefferson for the payment of the
mill tax, and allowing handsome
bonbon in the shape Of five hundred
dollars each to the State Auditor and
the Treasurer for their services in
helping to make the tax machine
run more smoothly. .
The ordinance is as follows:
Be 1t ordained, That the tax pay
ers of the parish Of Orleans, Orleans
right bank. and Jefferson, have until
The LIST of March next to pay the tax
Of one mill per cent levied by ordi-
nance Of this Convention Of date
Dec. %, 1867; and that from and
after the said LIST Of March, all the
axes imposed as penalty by sub
sequent ordinances Of this Conven-
ion shall be exacted and collected
~ the different tax collectors and
'heriffs of the above named places.
That said tax collectors and sher.
ifs shall be authorized to pay out of
any moneys in their hands and be-
onging to said Convention tax, all
bills contracted by them for adver-
Using sales of property Of delinquent
ak payers, as provided by ordinance
# January 4tb, 1868, and said bills
hall be received by the Auditor Of
Public Accounts in settlements with
hem ;
That the said tax collectors are
authorized to receive in payment of
l. 80 clz,o,.:1