Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-02-11
GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
EXECUTIVE offieE,

u
IsssatstiFes Of IsIas'
In compliance with my duty IN
der tho Constitution, ! now trans
nit the customary statement OF u
condition Of tho State, with recon
msndatlon Of measures thought o
sufficient Importance TO DO present
cd specially 10 your consideration
Since tho last annual message
had the honor 10 send 10 your bous
es, the work Of reorganization o
the State under the new Constitu
tiOn and tho laws enacted by yoI
| in pursuance thereof, at your late
session, has been largely perform
cd. The officers for whom proVis
ION was made, and in tho various
judicial districts, judges, and dis
trict attorneys have been appoint
ed, and these officers have proceed
ed to the performance Of their du
ties. II gives inc pleasure TO state
that tho people have, believe
generally seconded the officers In
their efforts TO re-estsblish order
and that an improved condiaon ol
stfairr Is quito manifest. II is toe
early TO speak from practical eS'
perience in respect TO tho working
Of many Of tho new features Of our
Constitution and laws, but such
defects rs have been observed will
be pointed ont to you, and the ap'
propria,e Legislation asked to rene
dy the same.
The laws providing for rcye'
nuc and its assessment and collcc'
ton, are always Of irstiinportance
and present the greatest difficulties
There must, however, be a revenue
provided sufficient for tho just ne
cessities of the government, and the
only questions 10 be solved relate
TO it's assessment in tho manner
loaet oppressive Of the poor, and SO
AS 10 prevent evasion. A number Of
defects have been found ia the law
recently enacted somo of them are
pointed out by the Comptroller in
his annual report, and he therein
sugges,s many amendments, but /
do think the law in it's present
shape can be so amended as TO make
il practicable, and | recommend
that it be substituted by r. less com.
plicated statute, which, in brief
terms, will embrace the most nee
cssary framework, and leave, un-
dor proper limitation, the minor
details 10 tho regulation Of the
Com ptroller and Board of Revis-
ion. AT my request, the Attorney
General has carefully prepared the
draft Of s9ch a statute, and it will
be submitted to you for tonsidera'
tion.
1t is dimcult 10 make a close es-
innate of the revenue Of the State
for the present and ensuing fiscal
wear, for the main reason that the
assessment and collection of the
taxes has been conducted very ir-
regularly and ineficiently since the
war, and wo have, therefore, no
certain basis for cacplaticn. Thus,
while the total value Of property
was assessed in tho year 1867 at
sI70,574,442 it was only Sl44 ,26o,-
244 in 1868, and s149,665,3o6 IN
1s69-the last assessment of which
returns are complete-sn apparent
decrease of more than twenty mil
lions in the value of property in
the State after 1867. Tho occupa-
ton taxes, also, which are easily
collected, do not show the increase
that might have been expected, be
ing, for 1867 s133,101 80, while tol
1869 they wero only s145 ,G2a 80
There is no question bnt that the
population, taxable value cf prop
erty, and taxable occupations of The
State had greatly increased during
the two years from 1867 TO 1869
and that tho apparent consid cradle
decrease in the one case, and only
slight increase in the other, is th'
result of the causes above indicated
The Comptroller, in answer to IN
auiry from myself, estimates th'
value Of property liable to taxation
as at least s250,0O0, ,0o0, or more
than one hundred millions beyont
the value as returned by the las
assess mont. Ifthis estimate is cor
rect, and think it is, then larg'
portion of the property Of. the STATE
escapes taxatioE, to the detrimeht 0
| those who arc too honest to evade
and are thus compelled to suffer an
undue share Of the public burdens
The extent of the private lands
which have been sold to the Stat
for taxes gives some idea Of the val
no of property on which tho pay
ment of taxes is evaded. Up t
1868. inclusive, the land sold to th'
State and ~unredeemed, amounted
to 31,524, 800 acres. But further
than this, while the total titlct
lands of the State arc estimated a
about 9O,O0O,O 900 acres, it appear
by the returns to the Comptroller
that only Al, ,272, ,2O1 acres were rem
dered for taxation in 1869. A rem
edy for this evil should be applies
without delay by yoGr body. L
has been suggested that provisio'
be made for extra clerk hire for tn
purposc of estimating and collect
inq the back taxes due the State
and at the close ofyour last session
a provision was made in the geneI
al appropriation act for the colle'
ton of these taxes. This part
the act / was compelled to disaI
nrove for the reasons havo give
in nv message returning it TO th
House wherein it originated. o
mature reflection, | do not think
would be advisable to attempt {
bring MP and collect the back ts1'
from the commencement OF on
government, as has been recon
mended. 1t would cost sonsideri
blv. and might operate unevenl
and oppressively in many cases. j
lieu of this, I sugges that all prol
erty liable for back taxes be relis'
"A On psvment, in addition to u
1n-r 1r ar thrl