Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-18
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,.

FRIDAY, Nov. 1.-THE House met at
10 A. NJ, Speaker Richardson in the chair.
NEW BILLS.
By Mr.. Guild: To change the time of
holding the Chancery Court Of Macon
county.
By Mr.. Magill: To repeal section l Of
the act to amend the exemption laws, and
comprise them all in one act.
BY Mr.. Allison, of Smith: To repeal
sections 80 and 81 of an act prescribing the
mode of removing the seat of justice in old
counties.
By Mr.. Farmer: To establish the county
of Caswell, and for other purposes.
By Mr.. McNew: For the benefit of school
teaceers.
By Mr.. Givens: To amend section 1142
of the Code, so as to allow cities aud incor-
porated towns to levy a tax on 1-15 of all
taxable property in such corporations, for
railroad purposes.
By Mr.. Carr: To ratify the line estab-
lished between the counties of Washington
and Sullivan.
BY Mr.. Leach: Toamend section5 of the
act to amend the exemption laws.
By Mr.. Tillman: To repeal the act to pre-
serve the school fund.
By Mr.. Harris: To extend the time of in
surance companies to complete their organ
izations and change their mode Of voting
stock
By Mr.. Vaughn: To give the citizens of
the State ofTennessee preference over the
citizens of other States in awarding con-
tracts for the State penitentiary.
By Mr.. Vaughn: To prevent officers Of
turnpike companies, in which the State has
interest, from becoming contractors on the
roads of which they are officers.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSIONERS BILL.
House bill to enable the Railroad Com
missioners to complete their sales and
place the purchasers in possession was
taken up, on Senate amendment.
Mr.. Martin said it had been so materially
altered by tie Senate that it would be ad-
visable to refer it to the Judiciary Com
mittee.
The bill with the amendments was so re-
ferred.
THE TAX BILL.
The consideration of the first section of
tie bill TO provide revenue for the State was
resumed.
The Speaker announced that the question
before the House was to strike out fifty
and insert ''thirty."
! every hundred dollars worth of property
was more than was necessary, taking into
| consideration the ordinary privilege tax, for
the purpose OF meeting the necessities of the
State Government. Without indicating at
| present what insertion he might favor, and
relying on the generosity and intelligence of
| an honest constituency, one that would
| spurn the idea Of reputation as suggested
| by the advocates of the bill as a consequence
! of its defeat, he would vote in favor of the
! motion of the gentleman from Shelby to
strike out fifty cents in the first section of
| the bill.
! Mr.. Tilman said it was agreed that S.
| 61S,000 was the amount to be provided for,
and that in this was included the current ex-
penses for the year 1872. If we realized
from back taxes 81 100000, and 81, ,2O0,0O
from the ad valorem tax of fifty cent, aud
S450,00O from privileges, we would have
81, $4,000, which would give an excess Of a
| little over 100000. This would not be suf-
ficient to pay the current expenses of 1873,
until the tax of 1872 is collected. He IA
yored the cash system for nations as well as
! individuals.
A failure to provide for current expenses
was virtual reputation. If we did not pay
for the administration of government in the
interest of the people, others would pay to
have it administered in their interest. The
| flood gates of corruption would be opened;
the stream of justice would flow muddy
| from its source, and peculatiOn and fraud
would be the order of the day. They all
said they were not for reputation. Then
let them provide for the payment of press
ing and just demands so far as they could,
without depressing the people. They had
no right to shirk the responsibility or i'm
pose the duty of payment or dishonor
upon a succeeding Legislature. If
we were ever to resume payment of in
terest on the public debt, they should show
it by their action and vote upoA this ques-
ton. Not that they should pay it now, but
they should open the way for action by fu-
ture Legislatures. A tax of so cents would
discharge everything, except interest up to
the 1st of September, 1873. The richest
treasure, of State as Of an individual, was
a spotless reputation. Inability to pay was
one thing, and refusal to pay was another.
One was a misfortune and the other disre-
putable and reputation for the time. and as
| long as the refusal continued.
Mr. Gordon said he had not intended TO
say anything on this subject, if the advo-
Gates Of the 3O-cent tax had not applied the
epithet of "high-tax man" to every one who
supported this bill. He might retortb ap-
plying the epithet of "repudiators" to them.
He was low-tax man, but not one to vote
for tax insufficient to meet the require
ments Of the government. he had the hon
or to represent taxpayers, the farmers and
the working men, and they had told him