Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-01

and priyiIees' I see no reason why if re-
duced ON one it should not be on the other.
The interests of the merchants, mechanics
end farmers are identical, and you cannot
Cypress one without expressing the other
But we are told that to extend the tax or
keen it where it is will induce oppression
or reputation.
Allnsions have been made by the Senator
from Weakley to Mfr. johnson, and he has
Inv him been held up as an advocate of re-
pudiation. can't see why this Is done,
unless it is to identify some of us who
voted for MIR. johnson for the United States
Senate. with the reputation party. 1 am
free to say. sir, if l understand Mr.. John
son upon the national debt, l fully indorse
his position. If it is a choice between q
monied despotism or reputation, Twill take
the latter. l would sacrifice any mere
property interest before would yield my
rights to civil and political liberty and re-
p1blican form of government. This is, as
I understand Mr.. Johnson's position, and l
fnllv indorse it. have not heard of his
expressing any opinion upon our State
debt or the manner of paying it. But, sir,
Judging from this bill, that proposes to re-
duce the taxes so low as not to meet the
current expenses and past due debts
of the State, to say nothing of
interest upon the State debt, / would
think that. if Mr.. Johnson desires repudia-
ton. he could find a hearty co-worker in
the Senator from Weakley. To reduce The
receipts to this point is certainly equivalent
to reputation, or the beginning of system
that fails to provide for the payment Of the
liabilities of the State, which is practically
the same thing. 1 hope the Senate will re
consider the vote adopting the bill.
THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
The proper business under discussion
was suspended, in order to take up the
special order, which was the consideration
Of the action of the House in non-concur-
ring in the action of the Senate in striking
! out the two last paragraphs of the resolu-
ton in relation to the Agricultural College
scrip The Senate receded from its action.
REDUCTION OF TAXES.
The debate upon Mr.. Etheridge's bill to
| reduce the taxes was again resumed.
Mr.. Clementson-Mr. Speaker: I am
opposed to the bill offered by the
Senator from Bedford, on account
of Its trying to accomplish In three
years what l think, under the most prudent
and economical administration of our af-
fairs, cannot be done in ten years, without
hazarding the interest and prosperity of the
whole people; am opposed to it at this
early day from the fact that it is not def
nitely settled how many of the bonds (and
they form the main bulk of our indebted
ness have been illegally spent, and, until
this fact is fully made known from the re-
ports of the various committees appointed
for this purpose, We can have no Ineligible
idea of the amount of revenue necessary
to meet our liabilities.
am opposed to it because we came here
under pledge that, if it was possible, we
would relieve the people of this enormous
system of taxation that has been fastened
upon them by the most reckless and profit
gate system that was ever imposed upon a
free people. They are looking anxiously
to us for relief Every heart was buoyant
with hope when we were elected, In antici-
patton of some speedy relief. In view of
these things, are we, instead of making
every tax payer in the land realize the ex-
pected relief, to greet their ears with the
passage of this bill of the Senator from Bed
ford? 1t. sir, will fall upon the public
ear like a 'fre-bell in the night, and fill
the whole country with terror and alarm.
1t will have tendency to drive our own
citizens from their native homes to try
their fortunes in other lands; it will crush
out of existence what little of enterprise
still fingers in our midst it will bankrupt
our people. and render homeless our chill
dren, and when we are asked what we eX-
pected by thus imposing this unlooked-fOr
hr1FTh an 10 nFlr
we can make will be that we did it to ease
a restless spirit that existed in the minds of
those who hold our State bonds; bonds too,
sir, that were issuedby party that got into
power when more than nineteen-twentieths
of our citizens were disfranchisedand hadnO
voice in the affairs of the government that
has bankrupted them TO meet its de-
mands. l think, Mr.. Speaker, we
should stop and pause before we vote for a
law that is SO detrimental to the interests
of our people.
l. sir, am no advocate of reputation.
but will take this opportunity Of informing
| the friends of the measure to increase the
taxes (and | am fully aware of the odiun
| that attaches to one that even hints at re-
pudiation) that l will vote to repudiate pay
ment of those bonds that were issued when
the tax payers had no voice in the Govern
ment that issued them, before will vote
| for this or any other measure, the inevitable
| tendency of which is sure to bankrupt the
people, for the purpose of easing the minds
of those bondhOlders who, like vultures,
have been sucking the very life-blOOd from
our once prosperous State.
But, Mr. Speaker, before we resort such
| desperate means, let US calmly and dispas-
| sionately survey the whole ground, and as
! dark and gloomy as the picture may ap
| pear, let us hope that our vision may be
lighted up with some ray of encouragement;
| and by an examination Of the Comptroller
report, the receipts of the treasury for the
fiscal year ending September 30, 1863,
amounted to s., $40, 209.OG; disburse-
ments for the same year amounted to 81.
| S3i, 3iS.5 "A, making the receipts greater
than the expenditures $7,S6l. Now, the
| bill of the Senator from Bedford proposes
to contract the expenditures of the State as
follows: lie proposes to save the ex-
| penses of the State penitentiary, which,
he says, for the last three years
| land which is true according to report
has cost the sum of S5OO,000 conveying
| prisoners to Penitentiary S14, l03. So; re.
gistration of voters $2,073.S2; commits
sioners of claims against the United States
81, 2S8.07; Superintendent of Public In,
struction S2,GlG; interest on State debt
| 81, 491, 800. As; State Guards 1925, $50. ~
Judge Frazier's Impeachment $500; those
items are to be deducted from the expenses
on next year. Now the aggregate amount
of these items is 81, 24G, 232. -. BY
deducting this sum from the expense:
| of 1869, it leaves 5SS, ZIG, which vii
be the amount necessary to be raised fol
the year 1870, by way of taxation to beal
the expenses of the State for the ensuing
year Now, is it not plain to be seen that
we continue the present rate OF tax
alton for 1870 that we had IN 1853
we have only TO deduct SjSS, ZIG from
the amount that was collected IN 1869, a.
shown by the Comptrollers report, anC
which is 81, $40, 2O9. OG, and we have al
excess in the Treasury of 81, 25l, O93 left t.
be applied to the extinguishment of on
State Indebtedness but suppose we con
tinue our school law with all its presen
expensive machinery, which amounts t.
$436, 1917, and add this to the expense
of the State government under the above
system of retrenchment. and 1t makes tht
expenses of the State 1,025, 9O7.J7, which
with the school fund attached, would leavC
an excess in the Treasury of 81, SIG, 3O2. o.
to be applied to the payment annually o
the public debt.
1t will be seen that there is an error in tn
above figures, in this, the whole expenses
of the Penitentiary for two years are de
Quoted out of the expenses of 1869, but tn
school fund is not included, which make
the calculations nearly accurate as the bil
of the Senator from Bedford proposes t.
repeal the school law; hence this amour
should have been deducted. Now, Mr.
Speaker, if this calculation is correct, an
we can dispose of the Penitentiary so as +
make it lf-sustaining, and we can dispos
of the railroads in such manner as to Sc
cure the interest, say for five years, and b
this system of retrenchment we curtai
the expenses of the State over two million
| of dollars annually leavino only abonf one