The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-11-10
IEEISLATURE.
Minority Report on the Tax-Ques-
ti0n.

ing ten members from the COMMITTEES
Of Ways and Means, submitted Il {
following able and conclusive report
Mr.. Speaker and gentleman ofthe House o
Representatives:
The undersigned members of you
Committee on Finance, Ways, anC
Means, being unable TO agree to the
bill, in all its details, presented by tn.
msjority of the committee, beg leav,
TO submit this report, embodying theil
objections TO the same, without COINS
into lengthy argument in support
of their views.
In the first place, they are of opin.
ion that the sum of fifty cents on the
one hundred dollars worth of taxable
property, fixed as the rate of taxation
for the year 1872, is more than should
be collected from the people in thu
present embarrassed condition of oul
finances. In support of this opinion
the official documents submitted e
the present session of the-General As
sembly are referred to. The Comp.
troller's Report, page %, showsa tota
revenue due from delinquents, (which
includes the tax of 1871, ofS2, 0S3, 440,.
g.. The majority of your committee
agree that the privilege tax, tax OF
suits, etc, provided for in their bill
will yield revenue of about S559, 900
AID that the advalorem tax, estimat.
ing the taXable-property of the State
at $500, 000, 900, at fifty cents on the
hundred dollars, or five mills on the
dollar, will yield revenue of 81 500.
OOo. These sums foot up grand totai
Of revenue available during the pres
ent and ensuing years of 81 1873 440. 90
Now, it will be seen, by reference tC
the Governors Message, page 3. thai
the balance of expenses, for 1871, art
estimated, by him, at $3.50, 000-cur.
rent expense, for 1872, page Z, at $780,
Notwithstanding warrants, page Z
S552, AZ, 2S-old issue of Tennessee
morey, STl0,0tJ-Loan Account
SA6, CO 70 liking total, for The pay.
payment of which the msjority
propose TO provide, of S2,5lS, 4l7.27
This latter sum, taken from the total
available, as per Comptroller's Report,
and the rates. of taxation insisted on
by majority of the Committee for the
ensuing year will leave a balance,
on hand, OF Sl,5l5, 023. 35-out OF
which, it might well be presumed, the
uneXpended balance ofCapitol Ground
appropriation, and the expenses in
CURED in selling delinquent railroads,
could be readily realized if the same
were deemed absolutely necessary IN
der the existing circumstances.
The minority of your committee,
though agreeing to provide for the ex-
penses proposed to be paid by the
msjority when 10 fact they are in
doubt as 10 the justice ofpaying out,
standing warrants, ct present, mas
much as they are generally held 10y
spectators who bought them nj a de
preciated rate and occupy no higher
grounds than coupons from bonds is
sued according TO law, and now over
due, are of opinion that thirty cents
on the one hundred dollars of taxables
Will meet-and more than meet-ev-
cry demand which should he paid al
this time. Take the estimate of the
majority of S2,5lS. iI7.27 as the sum
Necessary 10 meet the demands of the
majority for le1l-2, a. a basis, then
estimate the taxable property at SIM,
WO,nn, a do the majority Of your
committee, and by levying a tax OF
thirty cents on the one hundred dol
lars worth OF taxable property, we
have S.Hn, 600. Add To this $50. G1
arising from privileges, tax on suits,
etc, and the balance due from delin-
qucnts, rs per COmptroller's report,
page D, and we have a total Of - ,:533,
40. By AL estimate il will be readi-
ly seen that this sum, raised by n tax
of three mills on the dollar, exceeds
the necessary expenses, Including
balance for ISL, loan account, old is
sue nf Fenn9ssae money, outstanding
warrants and expenses fur iH73, by
the handsome sum of II ,Ui1, 5s3. This
latter sum, we may reasonably sup
pose, will pay collections, cost, losses,
etc. These figures convince the mi
marty of your committee that three
mills on the iLli!3r j. sufficient, and
therefore they earnestly protest, in
the name of the taX-ridden people of
the State. against a higher rate a alb
sOluteiY EGnecf7saTy and unjustifi-
able under the s.isting circum-
stances. They are anxious to see
every dollar of Just and legal indcbt-
cdncsS discharged a. soon as possible.
but think the time has not yet arTiv-
ed when steps should be taken 10 eff
feet that object. Your Committee
are fufthoT, II the opinion that the
net income of corporations, which
the majority propose to tax five mills
on the one hundred dollars, should
lie three mills, for the reasons already
given. ani fnr the additional reason
that under our Constitution, unifuIm-
ity IN the assessment of al rdiOrem
taxes should he preserved.
There are other points of difference
between the majority and minority
Of your committee, but it is deemed
unnecessary TO refer TO the same, a.
the mGT2 Objectionable features have
been pointed out. believing we have
discharged our duty 10 our constitu-
ents, we leave the subject with this
House in full confidence that our con-
duct vii! meet iho hearty approval of
the people of the State,
Respectfully submitted,
J. A. NACALL,
w. ID. LUMPKIN,
J. NJ. CREWS,
w. T. HINCKLE,
J. L. MCGLOTHLIN,
b. w. PADGET,
CHARLES LYNN,
]. II. MAdILI,
b. A. ENLOE,
NJ HaRDTG