Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-09-23


andindueatial mestink OF merchants q
the Chamber Of Commerce last evening
to listen to the argument OF Gen. Humss
against the one per cent Import tax i'm
posed by the Legislature Of this S,ates
Gen. Humes explained the object Of the
meeting 10 be that Of inducing our mer-
chants 10 unite % one man in legally TO-
sisiing the illegal portion Of the present
onerous tax. 1T wasa matter" he said,
Involving several hundred thousands Of
dollars, nhich the merchants can save If
they but make the effort Several months
ago number Of merchants. deeming the
tax on imports illegal, employed him TO
resist il. He succeeded in getting up an
agreed case, which went into the Supreme
Court, but on which no decision could be
obtained. AfterwArd the matter was laid
before the County Commissioners, who
responded by relieving the merchants Of
The county tax one fifth Of their entire
taxes. This decision was on legal grounds.
On behalf of Messrs. Toof, Phillips 4 Co.,
be brought the matter before Judge
Pierce, Of the Law Court, whose action
reduced their tax from 1886, paid
the six months before, to $685.,
thus saving them 5000 in that time"
The speaker then gave illustrations show.
ing that in consequences Of the injustice
country merchants we're compelled to
seek other points for purchasing. On
| bagging worth $l25OO there was an i'm
port tax Of $l25, and country merchants
prefer to rid themselves of paying it BY
going elsewhere. The import tax on
-four alone last year was $4,000, yet in
no other State is o, tax imposed. Let
the merchants,' he continued, make a
report Of the merchandise on which they
are legally taxed; then that on which
they are Illegally taxed offer payment
for the legal tax. The County Court
Clerk will refuse payment except of the
whole tax. That.being the case, refuse
TO pay, upon which the Clerk will issue
distress warrants. Meet this action by
fling bill in the Courts, which will
grant mendamus. This will settle the
question until, then, should the decision
70 against the merchants; forever, other
wiseps The General then briefly alluded
to County Attorney Woodwards report
| to the County Commissioners in favor Of
relief, but Mr.. League refused to recog'
nize it; also to his visit to Nashville or
the same business, and to the result o.
his efforts. The matter being referred
to the Attorney General, the only salts
| faction obtained was an insulting letter
| in which that official alluded to Memphis
as place where there was no virtue, etc
After returning home, Gen. Hume made
arrangements with Attorney Genera
Thorne about an agreed case. Mr.. League
refused, however, on the ground that al
ready many merchants were coming for
ward and paying the tax, but that actor
would stop if a case were agreed on
Here" said the General, us where al
the trouble lies. 1t is to meet and over
come it that / have called you together
Nothing is proposed that's illegal. 1t il
simply test of manifestly illegal law
want you all to unite; by doing SO YOU
can be legally relieved of the heavy tai
which is SO materially ipjuring ou
material prosperity. But if SOM
| 20 ahead and pay, it will be impossible
to effect anything" After some re
marks by Mr.. VIM. R. Moore, the follow
ing resolution was adopted:
| Resolced, That we, the merchants o
Memphis, having no disposition to disc
bey or set at defiance any of the STATE
laws of Tennessee, do nevertheless deter
mine that inasmuch as we are oppressed
beyond endurance by the present tax OF
privileges and its construction by oul
County Court Clerk, we will unanimously
refuse to pay that portion which we be
| lieve to be illegal, until we can get de
cision from the courts as regards its le'
gality.
| The meeting then adjourned.
o. =