Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-09-26
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
The Meeting Yesterday--RepOr from
W. r. Moore.

A special meeting Of the Chamber Of
I Commerce was held yesterday afternoon
President W. II. Cherry in the Chalr' tne
object being to receive eport o. INC
Commfttee appointed on the 18th OF july
TO -co-operate with the merchants OF the
state in an endeavor to remove the exist
ing oppressive merchants tax law.
Mr. Wm. Il. Moore, from the Commit
tee. Submitted the following;
Al ACT TO AMEND THE REVENUE LAWS OF
THE STATE.
SECTION l. BE Il Enacted, BY the General
Assemble Of the State Of Tennessee, That
! the taxes on sales and purchases of mer-
I chandise heretofore leviedin this State, be,
and the same are hereby abolished; aud
sections 4S2 and SIS ofthe code are amen
| ded by emitting therefrom the word
merchandise"
Sec. ,. That hereafter each stock of
goods kept for sale by any merchant shall
| be taxed upon its value, in like manner as
other personal property, such axes to be
assessed as hereinafter provided, and col
lected by the tax collector in like name
as other property taxes: pr0Uided that this
act shall not affect the collection of privi-
! lege taxes upon the svOcatiOns declared
by section $50 of Code, or subsequent
laws, to be privileges, except the business
/ Of selling merchandise upon commission.
Sec. 3. That section 54l of the o be
/ and the same is hereby amended, so as to
| include in the taxable property of the
| State. 18th, all stocks of merchandise kept
| for sale by merchants.
Sec. T.. That section $40 of the Code be
and the same is hereby amended, so as 10
make L the duty Ofthe Assessor to enter
in the assessment book, in a separate col
/ umn, all stocks of merchandise kept for
sale by merchants, as designated by the
] ,T.A--.-,n~nl nv~.uluna,Nu - za-Af,, EfT
OF the Code.
Sec. 5. Tha every merchant doing bus
mess in this State shall render to the As
SCISSOR on or before the second Monday of
February in each year, a written state
ment under oath, showing the true value
in money of the largest amount of goods,
wares and merchandise held on hand by
him for sale at any n time during each
month Of the preceding Year in which he
was engaged in merchandising, M the
aggregate Of said sums divided by the
number Of months shall be entered by the
Assessor as the taxable stock of goods of
such merchant for the year.
Sec. 6. That the Assessor shall admins
ter to each merchant the following oath,
| to be affixed to his statement, and signed
by him and certified in due form by the
| Assessor, tO-wit: u, a. B., do sOlemnly
swear that the foregoing statement is a
full and correct statement of the true val
/ ne in money of the largest amount of
goods, wares and merchandise on hand for
sale -, at the time therein specified,
so help me Cod
Sec. Z. That the Assessor shall return
all such sworn statements by him received
| to the County Court Clerk, with the as
sessment books, and the Clerk shall file
and preserve the same in his office.
Sec. g. That if any merchant shall neg
I lect or fail to render to the Assessor the
III a@-~.--a.H 49, 18th - #ha 1.w
h~eFeinbefOre provided, it shall be the duty
Of the Assessor to examine the stock of
such merchant, and value the same, using
the best evidences and information At
~tainable, and return the same with the
other assessments.
sec. 9. That the term " merchant" as
used If his act, includes every person
trading and dealing in goods, wares, mer-
chandise, groceries, jewelry, drugs or
medicines, whether the trading and deal
ing be lone on land, or at any steamboat,
WharfbOat or other craft, stationed or ply
ing ia the waters Ofthe State; pr0ridsd,
that each mercantile firm or eOpartnership
Of merchants shall be required 70 make
but one report yearly to the Assessor for
such firm, which may be sworn to by any
member thereof.
Sec. 10. That the provisions Of this act
shall apply TO all stocks of goods or arti-
Giles of Merchandise heldEor sale on com
mission, and each commission merchant
snail report TO the Assessor the amount Of
such goods held for sale in like manner as
all ather merchants Pr0Uided, h the
I provisions of this act shall not apply to
any productions of this State, nor 10 any
articles of merchandise manufactured Of
the produce OF this State; and preceded
further, that farmers and planters resid-
ing in adjoining states may bring into and
sell in this State, by themselves or their
-.~Fg tho nrnHrraFTana of thu soil uufaaH
By rhemselves, without paying q tax
thereon, or taking out a license as mer-
chants.
Sec. II. That Sections 67e, e7e, ESQ, 6sl
and 6S2 of the Code be and the same are
hereby repealed.
Sec. u. That no merchant or mercantile
firm shall engage in business without first
taking from The Clerk Of County Court
a license therefor, which shall be issued
IN the name Of the State, upon the appli-
cant entering into bonds, joint and sew
eral. before the Clerk. with at least one
good surety, IA tho penalty of one thou
sand dollars, payable tc tbs state of Ten
nessee, conditioned thst he wall, on or be-
fore the second Monday of February next
ensuing, render to the Assessor a sworn
statement Of the true value in money (by
which IL here meant the circulating medi-
am generally uSed in business transac-
tions) Of the highest amount of goods on
hand for sale 1t the times AID in all re-
speots as required by law and the Clerks
zee Of one dollar for taking the bond ana
issuing the license shall be paid at the
time OF issuance.
Sec. Is. That each merchant or mercan-
tile hrm continuing IN business shall re7
new such bonds and license annually.
See. II. That no Boensa shall snthorise
merchandising oUt Of the county where
issued, nor for q longer period than ans
year.
Sec. 10. That the license bcRd Of any
merchant or mercantile firm shall be fOf-
feited by bis or their failure to render a
statement to the Assessor as h~ereinbefOre
required, or by rendering a false state
ment as to the amount of goods on hand
az any time, or during any period, or by
failure to pay the taxes assessed at tbs
time and in the manner required by law
and il shall be the duty of the States At
torney to bring suit In the proper court
on any forfeited bond, to recover any de-
iciency In the amount Of either State or
county revenues, or other damages accru-
ing by reason Of the forfeiture.
Sec. Is. hat any person engaging in
business as a merchant, without giving
bond, and taking outsicense as heTeinbe-
fore required, is guilty Of a misdemeanOr,
and shall be subject to prosecution for
each days violation Of the Law; and on
convection shall be fined five hundred
dollars for the first offense, and n hum
dred dollars for each subsequent offense.
Sec. Il. That all laws and parts of laws
which are in conflict with the provisions
Of this act, be and the same are hereby re-
pealed,
Sec. IS. That this act shall take effect
from and after its passage.
The report was discussed by Messrs.
Nelson, Cover and II. @. Smith, the latter
of whom gave an elaborate statement of
tax statistics, and of the manner in which
they bear unjustlY upon his city.
Upon the close of 1Ir. Smiths remarks, |
Mr.. John B. Robinson offered the follow
ing, which were adopted:
ResolUed, That this Chamber do APP
prove OF the general features of the bill
presented by the Committee, to modify |
the Law known as the merchants tax.
ReSoLUed, That said Committee be re-
quested by this Chamber TO confer with
merchants and citizens of each town n
county in the State, and present the re-
suits of their abOrs 20 the next Legisia-
tgre, for their consideration and approval.
The meeting then adjourned.
BEAUTIFUL plaids opening.
Hnnynn 3 Pm /