The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-09-21

THE CITY TAxEs-CARD PROM Mn. Bos-
wELL.-Mr. Y. A. Boswell, tax collector,
publishes the following card In answer TO
the cards Of Mr.. Morgan and Mayor Bowen,
noticed yesterdays
IA, EDITOR % VA. SSrssi p c. Sept TO- 1867
sIR l find In the Snnddy Chroniclc com
munication from sayles !. Bowen, Mayor,
requesting that letter from William Nor
gan, tax clerk, be published, so that no
wrong impression may prevail In the minds
Of our citizens respecting the time when the
taxes will be received. do not know who
constituted the Mayor Of this city tax col.
lector In addition TO the position Of Mayor,
and, for ono, I do not propose to recognize
him a. such, having been myself elected TO
Now, desire briefly to call tho attention
Of the public TO the letter from the tax clerk
After giving his reasons why the taxes can
not be collected for some weeks after they
are due by law, he says that the collectors
Of taxes have heretofore taken the books un-
finished, together with the numerical book,
and proceeded with the collections, the tax
books being completed In the meantime.
Here ask special attention 10 the second
page Of his letter. He says, "the tax-books
for the current year will not be complete by
October first, for reasons already stated, but
sufficiently far advanced to collect taxes
from on or about the FIRST Of November, q
presume the word November is q mistake
Of the types, and that the month intended
to be named was 'October,) aftcr which
time there will be no cause Of delay that
am aware Of"
It Is said generally that consistency is q
jewel, but certainly II docs not appear any
where In the tax clerks letter. He calls at
tention 10 the fact that other collectors have
| taA h~ r,AstahaI t.x
books and the numerical book. IL happens,
however, that the numerical book Is not
complete, and according to his letter, will
not be until October 1. The tax clerk fails
to add, however, that every collector who
has attempted TO collect taxes from the nu.
merical book has gotten himself In trouble
financially; and according to his statement,
repeatedly made at the City Hall, the errors
and damages arising under Collector Bos
wells administration was caused by making
tax bills from the numerical book. an
also creditably Informed by one OF the clerks
of William Dixon, late collector, that during
his term, one year, he made bills from the
numerical book, and that he has been pay
ing claims arising from errors made ever
since; and from the tone OF the tax clerks
letter to the Mayor, (Which, II II means any
thing, yet do not think Il docs that he
would wish me to place myself and bonds
men In the same position Others have who
have collected from the unfinished books
There Is q law governing the collector
| office, and that law requires the collector Il
collect the taxes from the tax books, ant
there is nothing said about numerical books
1t may not be generally known that tn,
numerical book has TO be made before tn
tax book eau be completed. A law wa
passed and approved by the Mayor on tn
2lst of November, 1865. The order was no
given for this book to be made until the lat
ter part Of February, 1860. II it had becl
given out on Its approval, the taxes woul'
now be ready for collection. This work doe
not come under the collector nor tax clerl
properly, but under the Mayor, who up
points the person to complete tho book.
say the taxes would now be ready II tn
numerical book had been given out In No
yember, 1868, and SO says the tax clerk, ant
he and the Mayor ought to have known tn
delay; but how nicely they try to get out Of tn
responsibility Of the non-collection OF taxes
A letter Is gotten up which says the take
can or cannot be collected; or, IN fact, tn
letter is made to suit all sides.
The law requires the collector to give notlc
when he Is ready to collect taxes, and tina
notice means when the tax books arc com
pleted and turned over to the collector, an
so, knowing the law and intending TO Gu
force II as Il Is, shall not collect one dolla
Of general tax for the year 1869 until tn
law Is compiled with.
do not propose to place myself and bond:
men at the mercy OF this corporation b
bowling to any man In violation Of law, or
satisfy any man or set Of men. None OF
belongs to this office, nor do intend to AZ
cept any OF II. When the books arc con
pleted by the tax clerk and turned over {
me, !, as collector, will notify the citizen
when TO pay their taxes, and not till then.
Very truly, +. A. BOSWELL,