Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-02-11

ton, Carter, Coffin, Cypert, Deaderick
Droomgoole, Fentress, Fielder, Finley
Fulkerson, Garner, Gibbs, Gibson, Hen
derson, Hill, of Warren, Hill, of Gibson
| Iyie, Jones, of Lincoln, Jones of Giles
Kirkpatrick, Kyle, Mabry, Martin, Meth
erland, Nicholson, Parker, Staley, Taylor
Thompson, of Davidson, Thompson, o.
Maury and Warner-33.
| On motion of, Mr.. Garner motor
to reconsider was laid on the table.
The Convention now took up the %
paragraph of the committees report,
which was read as follows:
"All property shall be taxed accord
inc to its yalue-that value to be ascer.
tanned in such manner as the Legislature
shall direct, so that the same shall be
equal and uniform throughout the State.
No one species of property, from which
a tax may be collected, shall be taxed
higher than any other species of property
| Of the same value.
After some little discussion, the Con-
vention took recess till q P. NJ.
Afternoon Session.
Mr.. Gardner proposed to amend the
second paragraph of section % SO as to
make it read as follows:
'sAll property shall be taxed according
| TO its cash market price-that value to be
| ascertained in such manner as the Legis-
lature shall direct, so that the manner shall
be uniform and the rate of valuation shall
be equal throughout the State. No one
species of property, from which a tax
may be collected, shall be taxed higher
than any other species of property of the
same value"
The amendment was received, after
which the paragraph was adopted.
On motion of Mr.. Williamson the vote
adopting the paragraph was recOnsidered.
Mr.. Williamson proposed to amend so
as to make the paragraph read
'All property shall be taxed according
to its value, that value to be ascertained
in such manner as the Legislature shall
direct, so that taxes shall be equal and
uniform throughout the State" etc.
The amendment was adopted, after
which the paragraph as amended was
adopted
The third paragraph was then read as
follows:
''Capital invested in the buying and
selling of merchandise shall be estimated
for taxation at the highest value of the
stock of merchandise on hand at any one
period in the year preceding its assess
ment, and merchants shall pay in addition
to an ad valOrem tax thereupon specific
tax, which shall not exceed $500 per an
mum, to be graduated as the Legislature
shall direct; but peddlers and privileges
may be taxed in such manner as may,
from time to time, be prescribed by law"
Mr.. Jones, of Lincoln, proposed 10
amend by striking out the words Give
hundred dollars per annum, to be gradu-
ated as the Legislature may direct " and
insert (Which shall not exceed the ad
valOrem tax"
After some discussion, Mr.. Jones modi-
fed his amendment so as to strike out
nothing from the paragraph, but to insert
after per annum the words, ''and which
shall in no case exceed the all valorem tax
assessed upon the same person"
Mr.. Kennedy spoke strongly in favor of
the report of the committee. He said it
would yield more revenue to the State, and
would be fairer in every particular.
The amendment was rejected, bya vote
of 81 to So
Mr.. Brown of Davidson, proposed to
amend by striking out the word priv
leges in the last clause, and insert the
following: "Such occupations as are not
permanent in their character, or special
in their nature"
Mr.. Brown said they had got to taxing
merchants, lawyers, doctors, etc, under
the head of privilege. He thought this
was stretching terms. He did not object
to paying the money, but did object to
being levied upon as pacticing privilege.
Mr.. Carter offered the following in lieu
of the entire paragraph:
''But the Legislature shall have power
to tax merchants, pcddlers and privileges
in such manner as they may from time to
time direct"
He thought that it was about time that
the friends of the farmer came forward.
II was not right that he should bear all the
burdens of taxation. He did not think
the agricultural interests should be OPP
pressed to shield the merchant, whose
capital was more productive, making him,
in consequence, better able to nay taxes.
Property ought to be taxed = accordance
with its prOduCtiyeness.
Pending action on the amendments, the
al