Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-10-04
Reading Matter on Every Page.
Passage of the Tax BIu.

The majority of the Board OF Common Council
who last evening voted - receJe from their
auencmen's ID the tax ILL which passed the
upper board. deserve the thanks of our citizens
for their action in the matter, as they have
thereby done much TO retrieve the CT edit OF the
Coz alton, and prevent embarrassment in the
administration of municipal affairs. The bill
will now become q law with the rates fixed by
the Board of Aldermen, which were agreed
upon In that board after careful consideration
by members who, opposed 90 each other on other
questiOrs, were unanimously In favor of emitting
down the taxes TO the lowest possible limit con-
sistent Nth the best interests OF the city. The
bill as passed levies tax Of $3.50 on every one
hundred dollars Of the assessed value OF real and
personal property in the city OF Washington.
divided ~ follows: General fand, . cents:
ward funds, 50 cents; gas. II cents; Met opolltan
Police, Is cents; public schools, (white and c,l-
ored,) . cents; redemption OF ten year bonds 10
cents; improvement or the Washington canal, Is
cents Ii Is made unlawful to divert any OF the
funds accruing from these specified ources to
any other objectt that for which they are col
lected- The Board of Common Council adj
hered to their amendment making the commits
sion Of the Collector OF Taxes one per cent on
the amount collected, and a. that rate is fixed
by Law, 80 that it cannot be changed during the
present Collectors term of office, the upper
board acceded to il, in lieu of the oDe-half per
cent fixed in their bill. The bill as passed pro-
vides that discount or ten per cent shall be
allowed by the Collector upon all tsxes &C.
cruing under this act that may be paid prior to
the 18th day of october, 1870, and of five Der
cent upon all such taxes that may BE- paid be-
tween the 18th day Of october aud the 18th day
of November, 1870; and that ftom and after
the 18th day Of November no discount shall be
allowed.
The eighth section OF the bill directs the Col
lectors Of Tayes ''to allow arg pcrsoa or persons
having texes to pay under the assessments OF
this act to pay fifth part thereof in the GER
tifcates OF this corporation, bearing date the
J0th of July, 1sIO, and that in receiving the said
certificates in payment Of ia YES they shall be re-
ceived at the nominal value thereof, with the
accrued interest added thereto, counting from
the date Of the certificates ID the day OF its pay
ment fer taxes, in settlement of the interest
which shall have accrued on the coupons" The
italicized words were an amendment OF the
Board Of Aldermen, made so as to enable NO or
more small tax payers to consolidate their bills,
so that they may receive the benefit of the paw
ment OF oDe-thirt of their taxes in certificates
Thus il two or more persons have bills which
amount in the aggregate to $50 they can by al
lowing one of their number to pay them get the
benefit of payment Of one certificate of indebt-
edneSs of the denomination of 50. This effect
ually disposcs of the argument made by the op-
ponentS OF the tax bill that only a small portion
of the certificates OF indebtedness would be re-
deemed by this proyisi of the bill. III advant
age Is generally taken of the provision, as it
doubtless will be, very nearly 500 900 of the GER
nhcates, certainly over $4,000 Will be re-
deemed in payment OF this year : taves.