Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1871-12-08
THE LEGISLATURE.
Proceedings of Both Branches Of the
General Assembly yesterday.
Special to the Appeal
.---r


Mr.. Merritt presented 8 communication
1 from hr. Watson, truEtes OF the Bank o
Tennessee, respecting the plates on whicl
notes Of the Bank of Tennessee had beer
printed. They had been IN the possession
OF the American Bank Note C0mpsny a
Philadelphia He had received them OF
the I'd instant, and had petitioned the
chA3csry court At Nashville for a decree
10 have Them destroyed.
The senate bill 20 abolish the superin.
tendent Of the capital grounds was taken
up on the third reading. After a long and
tires0m5 discussion, tins bill failed for the
1 want Of g constitutional majority,
Mr.. TOily entered a molten to recon-
| slider, and the debate was renewed,
On the third reading Of the house bill to
| modify an sct 20 establish the criminal
| court Of KnCx county, and also TO create
| the office of district attorney for the di.-
trict Of Knox sthe discussion was scri-
moni0us and unprcdtabls. The bill was
finally passed without amendment; ayes,
| I6: noes, 3.
Af5er recess the tax bill wss taken m
Mr.. Porter moved s non concurrence in
the report of the committee fixing the
tax st thirty-hve cents on the SIOO, five
cents Of which should be appropriated for
school purposes.
Mr.. DuB0se said thst the COMMITTEES
had reported s reasonable rate, and which
wss SIMPLE to inset the demands of The
State and provide g school fund
He believed the privilege tax should in
certain CASES hs reduced. It could be
done without impsiTing the revenue tc
any CREST extent, and the time had coma
when the people should be relieved of
some of their burdens. At the rate of
thirty-hve cents, in connection with the
privilege taxes, etc, there would be a
revenue Of 81, 400 600, of which $500 600
\ Hsas- rrra5- "a L.
tbs State government, leaving $500 900
tor other purposes, but there were be-
sides outstanding taxes to the amount.
IN round numbers of 81, 500 600
There was, therefore, no necessity for a
tax eKceoding thirty cents sd valoresa on
syery 500. II it was proposed to pay in
terest on the debt, be could not give his
support 70 the proposition. The people
did not demand it So the hsnds OF the leg
islsture. Thsy desired 20 let it 90 for
time, and 81 s more &C avenient season thew
could provide for j.. The Senate had e.
the outsst OF the session declared them
selves in favor CT low taxes, and the
house had no right 10 dictate TO them
what should be ths amount of taxes
assessed on the people.
Mr. Sharpe said there were outstanding
warrants to the amount Of S7S2 900: old is
sue of the Bank Of Tennessee. $40 600:
loan account, S306 90; current expenses
for the balance Of tho year, $50, 600; cur
rent expenses Tor 1872, $500, coo; making
the total demsnd 81, SIS Az There was a |
revenue to meet this of S900, 600 ad valorem |
tsx at three dnsills On the dollar; $3.50. 900 |
privilege tax; snd even If the tax on priyi- |
lsges were abolished, revenues from this |
source would not be materially altered, |
Il collected in the shsps Of an sd vslorem |
tax. Then from srresrs OF the tax there |
would be about one and q half million |
dollars collected under the stringent laws |
enacted this session. From these and |
other sources there would be q total relis- |
bic revenue OF 1855. .456. Deduct from |
this expenditures IS be had stated them, |
and there would os 3 surplus OF $40 600; |
but while he was convinced that three
mills on the dollar wss more than enough,
be was willing TO vote for four mills. He 1
would 90 this because hs Wss aware that /
the session Wss fast drawing TO q close,
and he knew that there were members in 1
this Legislature who would leave for home l
the very day their per diem closed. This /
would reduce both houses bslow quo /
rum aud leave tbs people crippled with /
-he rste Of six mills on the dollar. That /
would be the inevitable result of attsmpt-
ng TO reduce the rate lower than that /
liked by the housa, and he would there
tore vote for the bill As it stood. While /
40 approved OF msny il not sll the amend
nents proposed By she committee, he
would ts sgsinst the whole Of them for
he reason he had given, becsuse it was
,Oo late DOw to eftscs g change.
Mr.. Porter said it woald seem that the
igures we're wholly unreliable in this
,sse. They were shaped to suit the ar
guments Of al parties. He was op-
posed to every amendment offered
by the committee, and could give
good and substantial reasons for his oppo-
iition, but he did not intend to debate the !
question. l. would De 3 mere loss OF
lme, for every member had made up his
mind on the suti5cz. The motion to non
concur ia the report Of the committee wss
,srried.
Mr.. Green moved to strike out "forty"
md insert thirty
Mr.. Staley moved to lay the motion on
he table. Csrried-yssss 20; nays, 8
Messrs. DuB3se, Gibson snd Green
-oted in the negative.
Mr.. DnBoss moved to strike out ''forty"
nd insert "thirty-iyaN He expressed
urpriSs St the action Of the senate at vO-
ing sgsinst their honest convictions,
imply because they were sfrsid that the
essiOn would be closed before the bill
Ould be passed. Tasy TeFs simply al
owing the hoCss to dictate TO them. Sup |
,ose the ssnsts should amend the bill, il
would be sent back 70 the house, and they
/
oncUr In the amendments, II they should
dept the latter course. the bill could be
eng back % tbs 55nzte, and they could |
hen recede from thelr action and leave |
he tax at forty cents
Il had been demonstrated that tbs high |
ak men were largely in the minority,
nd even Il they should so home, there
would still be q quorum lett to transact
BUSINESS He hoped the home gentlemen
7ould not be frightened by such spssches
S they had heard into voting for mess
ne which did not meet with their sp- |
,roval.
Mr.. Gibson said that he admired the
Jack of the ssnstOr rom shelby county
2 standing up for mis- constituents under
n circumstances, and in that respect, he
aibsOc) was bis sdmirsT snd his follower.
te was satisfied thst tho taxable value of |
roperty in the State wss nearer three
undred and fifty million than three hun
red millions. At thirty-hve cents this
would yield one million net rev.
nue., snd that was all that property |
olders should be required to pay. |
axes meant price protection, while pro-
erty received but little protection, 1t
aquired but little while privileges de-
lBnded by far the largest share. He
approved OF taxing privileges.
.et those who caused the tax pay it, and
aoss who did not cause il be relieved. | 4
hat was tie principle adopted by the
5ntrel government, and be approved of
s adoption in Tennessee. That would be |
lore sagaeiOus snd more ststesmsnlike
1urse shan to register acts of the house
-hieh they did nOs approve Of Hs was
,w-tsx man for the farmer and poor man,
ut bigh-tsx man for privileges and the
ch man He did not participate in the
ssrs expressed that the senate would be
1t without q quorum If action should
8 delayed by amendments in the senate.
II. Coulter spoke In favor of tax of /.
,Fby cents, and th5 senete rose for recess
AT the evening session of the senate the
snsiderstion CT the tax bill was re-
lned.
Mr.. DuBose's motion was rejected. and I
le drst section, fixing this tax st 40 cents,
1opted. Other section we're amended. I
The senate continued in session till q :
to hour.
HOUSE.
The house bill 70 provide for the more 6