The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1869-01-16


owned by the State for the school
seminary and redemption of the
State debt funds.
The total floating debt Of thu
State is estimated By the Treasnr
er at 81, 1926, 800 50, for the entire
payment of which the Legislators
at its last session passed an ACT
levying special tax one per cent
on the movable and immoyahla
property of the State, to be cOI.
lected upon the the assessmentOf
1867, the latest assessment at tia,
time completed. In payment a
this tax it is provided that Al
State notes, past due coupons and
the warrents of the Auditor an
the Treasurer shall be receivable
1t is expected that enough win
be received from this tax to dis.
charge the entire floating debt
and leave a surplus of $500, 900.
The estimated receipts from all
sources for the year 1868, based
upon the assessment rolls of 1867
amounting to 1921, 0OO, 900, under
the present rates of taxation viii
amount to S1,SS2,75O, while the
expenditures, including interest
on bonds according to the general !
appropriation bill, win amount to
Isl, 945, 7S8, leaving deficit at the
end of the year of $63 O38, which
tits expected will be liquidated BY
the special tax of one per cent.
which, if realized, will entirelyre.
lieve the treasury, and enable the
State in future to meet its liabih,
ties and pay current expenses for
support of the government with
out resort to an increase of taxa.
ton.
A disposition has been mani
tested by some Of the people not
to pay this special tax, and, in.
deed, there was an association or.
ganized to resist its collection;
but it was soon ascertained that
the president of association, him
self q very large taxpayer, with a
large number of the leading mem.
bers, had been most prompt in
paying it, and the opposition sud
| denly died out.
The mode of enforcing the col
lection of taxes is very Imperfect
and inefficient. 1t is one of the
firstduties of the citizen to prompt.
ly pay his assessment to support
the government. When the State
has to buy on credit it has much
more to pay in the end. fla cit
izen does not pay his taxes accord
ing to law, his property should be
seized and sold to some one who
will discharge the obligations due
| to the State.
Our debt is smaller than that OF
almost any other State in the
| Union. With a tax roll OF $751;
600, 000-with bonded indebted.
ness which can be at once reduced
to $4,000, 000-there is no reason
that our creditshould not be ut par
except the turbulent disposition
manifested by large portion of
our population. This will grad
ually snbside. The recent good
crops will increase the value Of
our property, and the wealth Of
the people. Our inviting soil and
climate viii stimulateimmigration,
so that we can safely predict that
within two years the Slate will be
restored to something like itsfor-
mer prosperity.
THE LEVEES.
| The levees are in a bad condi-
ton. Wholly neglected during
the war, cut by the army in many
places for military purpose, it viii
require large sums to restore them
It's believed that the general gov,
eminent may be induced to aid in
the work, either by subsidy or By
lending its money or credit to th'
State. The levees must be rebuilt
and kept i'll repair. The value Of
the lands protected by them from
overflow in inestimable, and great
interests, State and national, cen
ter in the crops produced by them
The report Of the board OF public
works will show the progress they
have made in this department.
am sure. their efforts will be ap
preciated by the Legislature am
J the whole people. l shall hav
occasion at an early day to az
| dress you more fully on this i'm
| portant subject. 81