The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1870-07-28

fA'fCatt vi bEc ihiuictGi Vi tue tSi tDhh
Methodist church. aud that it has been
assessed and sold for non pay ment of taxes.
We know of no law by which Mr.. Wagner
can claim to have his property exempt from
taxation, though the sspient writer in the
onion evidently thinks there is, because he
bought it OF a minister with the understands
ing that if the ministers congregation should
ever want to buy it back, they should have
it. 1t is not the general impression among
property owners that if they buy OF
preacher, their property is ever after eN~
etnps from taxation; nor is it generally
underst cd that the proserty OF preachers
even Is exempt from taxation but tina: il
may be so is 10 stranger than other things
in Law and government, of which the Union
has recently assured its readers, and we
therefore suggest that the matter be investi-
gated and fully reported on by the learned
land commissioner who ia in the empty
meDt of that paper.
II the property mentioned belongs TO
chnrch-but the statement shows that it does
mott is one of the strangest things in
titles which even the CaioH ever recorded,
that private person and resident Of Mo
l'ae should feel himself called upon TO re
deem it aud then whine to the Council for
the redemption money. Most people, upon
the statement which the Union would have
It's readers accept, would conclude that #
- I
mad got into scrspe By the alleged wrong
/ fai assessment and sale, that Mr. Bromley
the purchaser, would be the unlncky indi
viduaI, and that if anybody should complain
TO the C.;y Council Mr.. Bromley would
De the man, as having paid his
money TO the city for something which
the city had no right to sell. IF
the Cardiff Giant, or any other mgn
excep, the owner should make bill OF sale
OF the Cnjon Office to some man who would
believe him to be the owner, according to it's
complaint in this case we should eJpec to
see tbs redouthble little captain with cane
in hand and great drops Of beer oozing from
every pore OF his classic brow, making
about town in search of the innocent man
who had bought his printing office, with his
hand full o: green backs 10 buy ii back; ana
shen We should expect him to present MS
bill to the Cardiff Clan. for the money so
paid out in redeem ming his office from q void
sale. If the property sold WAS church pro
perry the sale was simply void. aud the
church need no; have disturbed itself about
IL, but it would have become Mr. Bromley
to present q petition 10 the council request
ing the money paid TO bs refunded, aud it
certainly would have been done under this
state of facts. As to tbs statement that
the city attorney addressed Mr.. Wagner to
redeem the property, 1t is simply absurd AID
therefore false The city attorney had
nothing to DO with it, and gave no advice
about it.
We think we understand this matter,
however, aud will explain II to the editor of
i the Union SO that even he can comprehend
/ 1t. Mr.. Wagner knew that church property
ia exempt from taxation, and he therefore
bought with the condition mentioned by the
/ Union for the very purpose OF avoiding the
payment OF his taxes on the very plea he
has pat il at the council, just as the right
ioya! Alderman Sage recently loaned out
$1,000 IN government oouds,to be paid back
III government bonds with interest added
taking mortgage to secure the same, and
when the assessor comes round. in the ex-
cess OF his loyalty and fondness for paying
taxes, he forgot to return his $4,000 loaned
at high interest and secured by mortgage,
but when the assessor found record Of the
mortgage, aud promptly assessed him 81 900
more OF personal property, be, the loyal
Sage, and republican councilman, rushed up
to the council room and demanded of the
board Of equalization that this item should
be abated entirely on the ground that it was
really government bonds loaned out to be
returned when he knew the party to whom
he had loaned them had cashed them. and
somebody else had the bonds exempt from
taxation. Failing to get the abatement by
the board OF equalization, he even had the
affrontery to appeal to the council, and
there failed also.
/ The statement of the Union shows an
exactly similar attempt to defraud the city
of its legitimate revenues by q loyal citizen
of Moline. Such are the complaints of the
Union, and such is loyalty.
THE GIRLS WITH THE CALICO DRESSES -
an exchange gets off the following. We
recommend the spirit of the subjects men.
toned
"At the com mencement exercises of the
Mt. Pleasant Iowa. female seminary, few
days ago, the young ladies of the graduating
class, eight in number, instead of being
dressed in silk and satin, as is CUSTOMARY
on such occasions, wore neat calico dresses
made by their own hands. This is another
step IN the right direction, and indicates an
amount OF common sense and Independence
mat ought, and We have no doubt will make
Tue matrimonial fortune of the fair posses
SPALDING's GLUE" mends Fnrn;ture
Toys. Crockery, all ornamental work