The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-02-24

fortunately, the Legislature may apply
remedy. Article g. section ls, Of the
Constitution provides for commission
or Of the revenue for each town of 5000 in
habitants, but leaves to the LEGISLATURE !"
provide for many other town oihcers.
Whilst article provides tor township
assessors, but leaves the providing com.
missioner of the revenue for the county az
large for the Legislature, if it VIII Tor
in section 5 of this article is the following
| nroyision: "But nothing in this ar''cie
shall be construed as prohibiting the "enc-
ral Assembly from providing by law Tor
any additional officers in any Guy or
county"
This fully authorizes the Legislature to
create the Office, either temporarily or per-
manently. And as in this case the Consti-
tuition does not provide for commissioner
of the revenue for the counties, it would
seem at least to admit of doubt If the office
was not abolished as soon as the new Con-
stitution WAS adopted.
But, admitting that the provisional COM
missioners are fully empowered to act until
the township officers are elected, II Touiu
still be better to legislate so that under
general disappointment the incompetent
MIGHT he excluded and their places sup
piled with better mei,.
IF at future time it shall prove practi-
cable to divide the work OF the commission
ers of the revenue amo ug the several 'o"n,
shin assessors it certainl V cannot well aVai'
for the nresent year, and it would douotiess
be better to defer go doing for year or Two we
70 come which it is entirely competent ior
r m do.
The township assessors, Tltn the CON
,,;se;oners' books as a guide, might, "ltnin
= tow ds VS.. and at trihinls expense make
ont the township taxes, WhIch WORK mas
heretofore been assigned to the sher1u OF
commissioner Of the revenue:
So mav the assessors and supervisors
+oratber make the township levles within
day or two, as the county courts nave HWY
tofore made the county and parish levles.
IF heretofore, with commits lions ana ices
ronc;np from $500 to $780, it. has been
fonnd difficult to induce competent men 10
hold ON to the Office of commissioner OF the
revenue, how can it be expected that |hen
tb;s amount becomes to be parcelled out
among some dozen township assessors that
enual1v competent men can fol this pittance
M fonnd 20 divert their attentit TINS from their
a. cnstomed avocations in order to fill these
ofHcesa Can we afford to pay all these
assessors sufficient salaries to make the
Office an object with compesent men? or
can we afford to have incom petent men in
this Office?
# the commissioners or assessors make
complete assessment the sheriffs or COL
lectors are compelled to collect but where
is the remedy If the former fail to make
this full assessment
If the Office of Commissioner OF the Rev.
enue be retained the duties of the assessors
and supervisors will be light and may be
inexpensive, but not 80 if it is to be dis
pensed with.
1t will not do to entrust the important
duty of assessing the public revenue to IN
competent men. We need State onlcer lor
that !; the people will protect themselves
against exorbitant assessments.
Yours, respectfully,
SUBSCRIBER.