, 1870-06-11


memory, and sweet tho rest, Of Charles
Dickens. He may have had his faults,
since he surely had his troubles, along with
his great joyous fame. But one who has
taught the world 30 many leRsons Of love,
and. mirth, and charity, viii, never fade:
from the remembrance Of his pupils.
RAILROAD AID IN MICHIGAN.
The Governor of Michigan has yielded
to the importunate demands of the holders
OF railroad bonds and mortgages already
issued, and of persons wanting to issue
more, to call an extra session Of the LeRis-
lature Of that State, to propose an amend
ment to the State Constitution, to legalize
that elasa Of Indebtedness. Under q 1ery
questionable act of the Legislature, coun-
ties and towns in Michigan have issued
bonds in aid Of railroads to the a1nonnt of
81, 500,0 600, and have voted, but not get
delivered, other bonds for the same purpose
to the amountof &6, 6,0O0,0 600. The Supreme
Court of tho State has decided that the
issue of such bonds Was illegal, and, there
fore, roid and now the Governor calls the
Legislature together to propose an amend
1nent to the State Constitution which, it is
supposed, viii cure the legal difficulty
If VIC understand the decision of the
Court, no constitutional amendment can
meet the case. The objection to debts Of
this kind rests upon principles Of personal
right, which arc above and beyond the
reach Of constitutions The powers Of
governments have limitations, which need
not be written in constitutions and which
no constitution can destroy OF set aside.
Chief among these powers is one that taxa-
tiou must be for public purposes alone;
that taxation for private purposes is rob-
berry and extorhon, and that no government
can haye the rightfnl power to transfer the
properly Of A to D, or to tax A to enable B
to engage IN OF prosecute any p1ivate busi-
ness. This is not matter OF con-
stitutionsl law, but one of indefeasi-
Bile right. It is right which gov-
ernments may not ignore, and which
majoHties cannot vote away. The right Of
property il indestruchble, except for public
purposes. The State may ta1 even to the
extent Of condscation, provided that tai be-
for public purposes, and what constitutes a
public purpose is not within the declarntory
discretion of Legislative acts or cousdtu-
tons. :. 1t must be public purpose, In fact
as we'll as in law. Judge Cooley, Of Michi-
gan, in delivering this Judgment, was par
ticularly clear in his definition OF the source
and extent of the power Of taxation. He
thus asserted tie fundamental principle
governing all taxation:
" 1t must be Imposed for public, and not for
ralsne % reSenues for public % purposes only % Ind, es
is said In some OF the CASES. where 1t is prostitused
to objects in no way connected with the puolc in-
ferest or welfare, II ceases TO be taxation and be-
comes p1under."
The same law has been affirmed in Iowa,
IN Wisconsin, and in Pennsylvania, in all
of which States the people have pissed
through the excitement Of railroad aid, in
supportable taxation, and, eventually, SUBJ
stantid repudiation of all these debts-
The question, however, il one which is
addressed to the people Of Michigan, and,
to them, it is Of deep importance. Before
they, by solemn vote, open the door, now SO
efectually closed, to this most dangerous
form Of debt, they should read the history
of other counties, and cities, and towns in
other States. In Wisconsin the mania for
railroad aid resulted in covering half the
real estate of many counties with mort
cages, which stand to-day, with accumu-
lated interest, equal to the whole value of
the land. Townships have been rendered
bankrupt, md rising cities have been COM
PEELED to purchase exemption from de-
structire taxation by refusing to pay either
interest or principal.
In this State, out of numerous instances,
We refer to once fiourishing city whose
Mayor and Council have been in legal Gus
tody for year because Of their failure to
taise tax to pay judgments on the bonds.
The bonded debt of that city was it4 ruin;
all the capital that could be moved was
taken away, and there is not ta1nhlo prop
erty enough in the place now to yield rove
nue. sufficient to meet the demand ct the
judgment creditors.
In Iowa there are some dozen counties
and cities now practically in the hands Of
the Sheriff, who has seized upon all the
taxable property, and is collecting there
from sufficient money to pay judgments on
interest coupons This thing is to go on
for years, and then viii come the levy to
pay the principal of the bonds. In some Of
these counties the tar to meet these debts
viii be practical contiscation.
The people OF Michigan should bear in
mind that any Eaairoad which can be made
to pay it's running expenses will be con-
structed just as soon without this county and
town AID as With 1t and all these bonds are
IN fact e1toshons- much net gain to the
corporations.
Let farmers remember what vote OF
this Kind means An Issue of 500, 900 of
twenty-year per cent bonds in aid nf o
railroad is mortgage ur"- Ill tho real and
personal proper.J u that township. Prin-
cipal and interest together will amount tn
3z",ooo' equal to mortgage OF Slo per
acre on every acre OF lano IN inc township.
" III lne construction OF tne 1oaa naa Sio
per acre to the productive value OF the
lanas 1t may facllltate getting to market,
hut not any sooner than would have been
obtained had no such bonds been Issued
One OF the greatest errors is the assumption
~that immigration and settlement will be en-
couraged~ Persons seeking land to pur-
chase and settle upon will avoid, and very
naturally, that township OF county which has
Incurred such debts, and whose lands arc
mortguged to bondholders to the extent of
$40 per acre. Every farm of 1eo acres is
F.. A@