The weekly standard., 1869-09-15
STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA,
TREASURY DEPARTMENT., !.
'ssf.iei Raleigh, Sept. 9th. 1869.

G. Garland, Esq., Sheriff Mitcheu county IA
DEAR SIR :--Yours of the 26th ult re.
ceived I regret to hear that you fear diff
culties in collecting the taxes due the State
by the County of Mitchell, but believe that
when the matter is fully understood your
fears will be found groundless 9tsa
1t is entirely beyond my power, or the
power of any other State officer to suspend
the collection of special taxes to pay inter
est on Railroad appropriations which have
been decided constitutional by the Supreme
Court The taxes are imposed, they are Or
dered by law to be collected. Any revenue
officer refusing or neglecting to make such.
collections will subject himself to heavy PEN
alties 1t is true am required to retain
from certain companies bonds to enforce the
payment OF interest on some of the appro-
priations. But lam not authorized to sus-
pend the collection of the special taxes 90
The bill allowing such suspension passed
the House of Representatives, but failed to
psss the Senate. The General Assembly,
therefore expressly declines to authorize the
stay Of payment ,ser ai aEl 81
1t would be the height of presumption for
me to assume to do what the General As
sembly refused to authorize. Such conduct
would subject me to impeachment. had .
In conjunction with the Auditor, have
heretofore indicated what appropriations
have been pronounced unconstitutional.
Circulars have long since been sent directing
the County Commissioners to strike off on
this account seventeen-two bundredths of
one per cent. of the special taxes. .il';ilos.
Pardon me for saying and believe your
people will agree with me when they think
of it, that the citizens of Mitchell county
have more reason to be satisfied with the
collection of special taxes than perhaps those
OF any other county in the State The turn
pike to run from Marion to Asheville will i
run through the county of Mitchell Fifty
thousand dollars are appropriated directly
out Of the Treasury in money to this work.
Another road, from Bakersvllle, in Mitchell
county, to Sparta, in Allegheny county, has
likewise an appropriation of fifty thousand
dollars directly out of the Treasury
To raise these amounts special taxes are
levied, and are now being collected out of
the people of the State aa
1t thus appears that Mitchell county will
have expended in its limits large portion
Of one hundred thousand dollars, not in bonds,
but in gresnbaeks. ,ll5gaay saE |
Mitchell county soiU get from the Treasury
y the State many times as much as 1t ao6lI
pay into 1t. Surely your people do not un-
1erstand this. 4r r = ~ I'D ~
You speak of fearing that the law cannot |
be executed by the revenue officers. Of |
course such fears are groundless. The off
,ers can be supported, if necessary, by the |
militia of all the State, but 1 have not the
slightest apprehension that any serious diff |
,ulty will occur. Our people are law-abi-
ling, and when they understand what the
aw is, they will perform their duty. Espe-
tally will they be ready to pay taxes when
hey will get back much more than they
,ay. ..rl
Confusion has arisen from the fact that
many members of the House of Representa-
ives wrongly stated to their constituents
hat the bill requiring the suspension of spe-
ial taxes had passed the Assembly. No
loubt they were honestly mistaken, as such
bill did pass the House, but failed in tn c
senate, as have said .. Dr.
Explain this, and all will be right.
Very respectfully, -u |
D. A. JENKINS,
.,,...... wa. z. -e State Treasurer.