The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-18

to accept this proposition or Bellaire will
exempt them from taxes, We have got
either to build up them
Mr.. BLAIR-NOthing is said in the
resolution about BGllAire. ! wish the
gentleman to confnG himself to the reso.
luton.
Mr.. BoRING-As ] am showing, We
have to meet this question. We hAvcgol
opposition. There is other places. Bell.
aire will Gxempt-already has exempted
this Baltimore Road. Are We to vote
against this proposition and build up Bell
aire at our own folly, or any other place
If we adopt this proposition, that will in
crease their number of their hands here
two or three hundred men. 1t will in
crease the population some l 800 or 1000
All these men that come here will become
citizens; they will spend all they earn
here amongst us, You then put in circu
latiOn here some two or three hundred
thousand dollars You have got to build
houses for these men-sOmG two hundred
houses-and you get back three times lhC
taxes you here tax the Baltimore Road
II you vote down this proposition yOr
drive them to Bellaire, and only build W
another place ut our own folly, We have
all to gain by the operation, and nothing
to lose, by cXCmpting them from taxation
No member but will admit il is an advan
tagG- TO the city To exempt them from tax
es but if you don't you lose ali.
Mr.. BLAIR-l dispute it,
NJ IlnUFNn- far. ~ | hnpR nannF
tanned around the city, believe there /:
four out OF five taking the same view of i
| take.
Mr.. BLAIR-That is your opinion.
Mr.. BoRING-Well, 1have been aroun(
through the city and ascertainGd that
Mr., SCHAMBRA-I think quite different
from my friend Boring. | think, as Q
member from the Second Ward, agree
with my friend from the Island Mr.
Blairl. | am sworn to do justice for tht
city, and cannot vote for any company,
don't care who they are, TO clear then
from their taxes. They have right L
pay taxes rs well US we have. do mol
put much confidence in any company
We will have to look out for ourselves
and very strongly. They can sec further
than we can and / shall vote against It,
Mr.. STANTON said il he supposed there
was any probability OF defeating the pass
age Of this proposition, he should feel more
inclined to discuss it at length than he
did; but he took it for granted the pins
were all set and the votes counted by
which this proposition was to be passed |
and all discussion on the subject was per.
iCClly idle. lie did not however, feel at
liberty to let it pass without saying q word.
The Constitution OF the State provides
that taxation shall be equal and uniform
throughout the State, and ell property
both real and personal shall be taxed in
proportion to It's value, to be asCcrtained
rs directed by law"
do not find under that constitutional
provision any exemption in favor of any
corporation or Of any description Of pro.
perry that has any application to this case.
Mr.. WILSON called attention to tho fact
that certain exemptions were provided for.
Mr.. STANTON--Yes; the section further
provides that mo one species Of property
from which tax may be collected shall
be taxed higher than my other species oil
Of equal value; but property used
for educational, literary, scientific, reli.
gious or charitable purposes, and public
may by law, be exempted from
taxation
Is the Baltimore & Ohio Company a
Charitable" corporationY Is that the
gentleman's idGaY Docs he put II on the
ground that 1t Is a charitable" corpora.
ton or religious institution Do
gentlemen who advocate this desire to
put the power TO exempt the Baltimore
Il Ohio Railroad on the ground that it Is
authorized by any Of the exemptions con-
tanned in this sCCtiOng II they do, II Is
the first time ever heard anybody make
any such claim. ..
Mr.. WILSON suggested "public prop.
erty."
Mr.. STANTON-It Is not public proper.
ty. Ii Is the property Of It's private own.
Crs. It's dividends go into the pockets Of
itsstoCkholders. "Pubic property means
that belongs to the State, the
county, to the whole people, the profits
Of which go into the pockets OF tho whole
people Your court house is public
This city hall Is public prop.
erty, as is that purchased Mt thOpubllc
expense and by taxation. But no prop.
erly Of which the profits 90 to tho pri.
vatc stockholders Is in any sense public
property,
Tho Code of West Virginia, through the
fundamentally of influences that can
very well be understood has provided
that no taxes shall be levied for municipal
purposes on railroad corporations. This
is substantially the thing.
Mr.. $. read the section Of the Code re.
Gerred to, which after ehumcrAting that
State, county, township and school taxes
may be laid on Railroad property for.
bids any other levies whatever. lie did
not see why this did not nso contain IN
exemption from water tax, but no matter
about that. This provision Of the Code
was In effect an exemption oil railroad
property from municipal taxation. Now,
he said, we have no constitutional power
TO make this exemption. That l feel per-
Tectly well satisfied about, and that would
DO n sufficient reason for voting against IT,
Mr.. WiLsoN-Do Understand you to
admit the city has no power 10 tax rail.
road property?
Mr.. STANTON-The Code does exempt
Il, but II Is an unconstitutional exemption.
No doubt about that at all. The cXemp.
lion Of il Is n violation OF the con-
rs bold aud pAlpable
as anything can be. The fingers Of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and Of the
Chesapeake Is Ohio Railroad, are in the
Code, and they procured the exemption
No doubt about that at all.
But IL Is not merely on that ground. |
10 not put my opposition to this on any
ceiling OF hostility or opposition to tho
Baltimore Is Ohio Railroad or any other
Railroad. II 1t is necessary to induce the
Company to establish workshops here |
an willing to make them donation out
Of the riLY rnXnnlina=n lihnrnl nnp