The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-09

to the Legislature communicating his
knowledge ofthe shameless abuses which
have been practiced By corrupt and in
competent officials under the Revenue
Law, and recommending some salutary
changes In the law. He further advised
a suspension of the tax with view to its
reduction. 1t is creditable to the Legis-
lature that this recommendation to post
pone collection has been practically car
I'D out by bill to postpone for sixty
days the operation of the clause adding
fifty per cent. for non-payment. This is
but the initial step. The main work of
relief remains to be done. As we before
remarked, ga suspension of the tax is an
"expedient which will delay, not prevent,
''the trouble-an anodyne, not cure
ga REDUCTION OF THE TAxEs-not their
suspension for few days, or weeks, is
"what the necessities Of the people abso-
'1utely require
VIII the Legislature go forward and
accomplish what it has commenced? If
it pause at this first step, it has simply
trihed with the taxpayers. 1t has given
them stone when they asked for bread.
But if in their perversity, and greed of
gain, the majority refuse to reduce the
taxes, fortunately it is in the power of the
Governor, aided by the members who
have heretofore sustained him in every
movement he has made in the interest of
the people, to afford the needed relief.
The mode is explained by our correspon-
dent, Taxpayer" who is not only what
his signature imports, but one of the first
legal minds of the State, whose name
would attach weight to whatever opinion
he might advance. We may reasonably
infer that the views presented by our
correspondent have not been foreign from
the mind and the intentions of the Exec
utive. His message of February 18th
vetoing the bill ''to legalize assessments
"of land and personally in this State for
''the year 1870" and declaring that he
would not give his consent ''to all the acts
"of the Boards of Supervisors in receiv-
Sing, equalizing and raising of said assess
'ments"-is conclusive on this point to
say nothing of his subsequent message
demonstrating the abuses which have
been perpetrated under cover of the law,
and the excessive and grevious burden of
taxation with which it has saddled the
people.
For The Clarion.
The Governors Message on the reduction
of taxes and salaries, is step in the right
QlEcCbIOAs w uCbuCE III OC u uucTG buD LuIOWu
to the popular whale remains to be seen.
If he means to have a reduction of taxes
and salaries, because it it is right, and to use
the legitimate powers vested in him by the
Constitution to secure it, a reduction can be
had. If he only means to try to persuade the
Legislature to relieve us of the burden, be-
ing careful t6preserve the harmony of the
Radical party, then all hope is gone.
1 say, that the power lies with the Cover
nor to secure reduction of taxes, and l
will proceed to show it:
The Revenue Act of 1870 requires the
Assessment Rolls to be made out, completed
certified, and delivered to the Board of Su-
pervisOrs by the I'd Monday in November
last and requires the Board, between the
I'd Monday in August, 1870, and LIST Novem-
Der of that year, to meet, examine and ana
lyze the Assessment Rolls. In no county, so
far as have heard, were the rolls completed
been certified and examined as the law di-
reefs. 1t would be safe to assume, that with
the general ignorance and incompetency,
which characterize the incumbents, there is
not legal Assessment Roll in the State. In
many instances the enormous county levies
have been made at times which are unau-
thorized by law. 1t is necessary, therefore,
land some bills of that sort have been pass
ed) to enact laws legalizing the assessments
and county levies. And wherever they are
illegal, no collection can be made, without
such an Act. Now, f the Governor .ciH reto
all such acts, unless they contain clause ofre-
dnctioa of both taIes and salaries, the people
tciU at least hGUs the opportunity Of resisting
through the courts, the collection of these tdxes
The Legislature must therefore either re-
duce the taxes, or their collection will be re-
strained through the courts.
The remedy is simple, efticacious and in
fallible. take it for granted that the Gov
ernor's veto, with solid support of con-
servatives, joined to such liberal Republic
cans as have heretofore sustained his vetoes,
cannot be overruled.
TAX PAYER.
We invite tax-Davers in the several