Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1870-02-11
ARTICLE X
TAXATION AND FINANCE.

county, or corporate bodies, shall be equal
and uniform, and all property, both real
and personal, shall be taxed in proportion to
its value, to be ascertained as prescribed by
law. No one species of property, from
which a tax may be collected, shall be taxed
higher than any other species OF property OF
equal value.
Sec. 2 No tax shall be imposed gu any
of the citizens of this State for the privilege
of taking or catching oysters from their
natural beds with tongs, in the waters there
of: but the amount of sales of oysters so
taken by any citizen in any one year may
be taxed at a rate not exceeding the rate OF
taxation imposed upon any other species OF
property. !,
Sec. 3. The Legislature may exempt all
property used exclusively for State, county,
municipal, benevolent, charitable, education
al and religious purposes.
Sec. 4. The General Assembly may levy
:. tax on incomes in excess OF (oOO) SIX
hundred dollars per annum, and upon the
following licenses-viz., the sale OF ardent
shirts. theatrical and circus. companies,
~menageries, jugglers, i%tinerant pedlars and
all other shows and exhibitions for which an
entrance fee is required, commission mef-
chants persons selling by sample, brokers
and ~pawnbrokers and all other business
which cannot be reached by the adj oalorem
system. The capital invested in all bushes
operations shall be assessed and taxed as
other property. Assessments upon all stock
shall be according to the market value there
of.
Sec. 5. The General Assembly may levy
q tax not exceeding one dollar per annum on
every male citizen who has attained the age
Of twenty-one years, which shall be applied
exclusively in aid Of public free schools
and counties and corporations shall have
power to impose a capitation tax not exceed
ing (50) fifty cents per annum for all puf-
poses.
Sec. 6. The General Assembly shall pro.
vide for a re-assessment of the real estate OF
this State in the year 1869, or as soon
thereafter as practicable, and on every nth
wear thereafter Provided, In making such
assessment, no land shall be assessaf aGore
or belor its uatue.
Sec. 7. No debt shall be contracted by this
State exceptto ectcasual deficits in the reve-
nue., to redeem a previous liability of the State,
to suppress insurreetion, rcpel invasion, or
defend the State in time Of war.
Sec. s. The General Assembly shall pro-
vide by law a sinking fund, to be applied
solely to the payment aad extinguishment of
the principal of the State debt /, which sink
ing fund shall be continued until the extin-
guishment of such State debt and every
law hereafter enacted by the General Assem-
bly, creating a debt or authorizing a loan
shall provide a sinking fund for the payment
of the same. f
Sec. 8. The unfunded debtshall not be funded
or redeemed at a value exceeding that estab-
lished by law at the time said debt was con-
traeted, nor shall any discrimination hcreaf-
ter be made in paying the interest on State
bonds which shall give a higher actual value
to bonds held in foreign countries over the
same class of bonds held IN this country.
Sec. 10. No money shall be paid oat of
the State Treasury except in pursuance of
appropriations made by law and no appro-
priation shall ever be made for the payment
oeaaay debt or obligation created in the name
of the State of Virginia by the usurped and
pretended State authorities assembled at
Richmond during the late war and 20 coun-
ty, city or corporation shall levy or collect
any tax for the payment Of any debt created
for the purpose Of aiding any rebellion
against the State or against the United
States.
See. IL. On the passage Of every act
which imposes, continues, Or reyiyes any
appropriation of public Or trust money, or
property, or releases, discharges, or COM
mutes any claim or demand Of the State, the
vote shah be determined by ayes and noes,
and the names of the persons voting for ard
against the same shall be entered on the
journals of the respective Houses, and a ma
Sority Of all the members elected to each
House shall be necessary to give it the force
Of a law.
Sec. ~. The credit of the State shall not
be granted to Or in aid Of any person, asso-
citation or corporation.
Sec. 10. No scrip, certificate, other evil
sience of State Indebtedness, shall be issued
except for the redemption of stock previous.
" issued, Or for such debts as are expressly
authorized in this Constitution.
Sec. IA. The S ate shall not subscribe to
or DCS0ltc IltCICStCo IL nv oLOGh VI lily
company, association or corporation.
Sec. is. The State shall not be a party
to or become interested in any work of inter-
nal improvement, por engage in carrying on
any such work otherwise than in the exoen-
diture of grants to the State of land or other
property.
Sec. 16. Every law which imposes, con-
tinues, or revives a tax, shall distinctly state
the tax and the object to which it is to be
applied, and it shall not be sufficient to refer
to any other law to fix such tax or object.
Sec. II. The State shall not assume any
Indebtedness of a county, borough, or city,
nor lend its credit to the same.
See. IS. A full account Of the State in
debtedness, and an accurate statement of re-
ceipts and expenditures Of the public money
shall be attached to and published with its
laws passed at every regular session of the
General Assembly.
provide by law for adjusting with the State
of West Virginia the proportion CT the pub
lie debt Of Virginia proper to be borne by
the State of Virginia and West Virginia,
and shall provide that such sum as shall be
received from West Virginia shall be appli-
ed to the payment af the public debt Of the
State.
Sec. 20. No ether or gTeater amour Of
tax Or revenue shall at any time be levied
than may be required for the necessary ex-
penses Of the government, or to pay the ex-
listing Indebtedness Of the State.
Sec. 81. The liability to the State of any
incorporated company or, institution 10 re-
deem the principal and pay the interest of