Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-11-08
STATE FINANCES.
Pay State Warrants as well as Legis-
IatOrs-A Voice from the Country.

IatOrs-A Voice from the Country.
To the Editors of the Union and American:
LAwRENCEBURG, Nov. 5, 1S71.- have
looked forward to the meeting of the pres
ent Legislature with much sOlieitude, hop
ING that something would be done to raise
the credit of the State, and advance the in
terest and prosperity of the country, sup
posing that the short space of time now
allowed by the Constitution for the sitting
and deliberations of that honorable body
would prevent, or. to some extent lessen,
the number of resolutions heretofore intro
duced in that body to give the members an
opportunity to make Buncombe speeches
and reports, showing their great love for
the dear people, and the deep and heart
rending sorrow which they feel on account
of the heavy burdens imposed upon them
by high and oppressive taxation; but it
seems that am, to some extent, disap-
pointed. How much longer is the unjust
and OppreSSiUe distinction to be made at
the State Treasury in the payment Ofclaims
against the State? What is the financial
condition of the State of Tennessee to-day?
Right now, in the city of Nashville, where
every claim upon the State Treasury ought
to be cashed on presentation, and where
hundreds of thousands Ofcapital are seeking
for profitable investment, warrants upon
the State Treasury are quoted at the shame
full, low price of SeUeHty,tue cents in the
! dollar, and unless you are member Of the
Legislature or some high sdlGried official it
will be very hard for you to get one dollar
out of the Treasury, notwithstanding hum
dreds of dollars are daily being paid into
the Treasury. Go to the Treasurer with a
school warrant and he will tell you, no
money here to pay school warrants, We are
receiving but little money now, and most
of that in Tennessee money, and we must
keep what greenbacks we get to pay other
| claims that hare precedence. The Legisla-
ture is in session and we are compelled to
pay them, and then we must pay the judges
and other State officers. Now, what right
has the Legislature to say that one set OF
individuals shall be paid, and that another
set or class shall not be paid until they,and
some other favorite classes are first paid,
and then if some other man was fool
enough to buy the claim of this man who
was uniustly denied pay at the State Treas
ury, he ought not to be paid at all,
he is SpeculdtOr. Is that the
sentiment of the Tennessee Legislature?
The Constitution of Tennessee, article IL,
section 8, is expressly intended to prohibit
fuUOritiMl and unjust distinctions in legisla-
ton. 1t expressly says that ''the Legisla-
ture shall have no power to pass any law
for the benefit of individuals inconsistent
with the general laws of the land, nor to
pass any law granting to any individual
rights, privileges, immunities or exemptions
other than such as may by the same tGlC be
extended to any member of the communi-
ty who may be able to bring himself within
the provisions of such law, which seems to
me to prohibit such unjust distinctions
against one class, and such JdroritiSs to
another class, as is now being made, and
by some sought to be perpetuated at the
State Treasury. The Constitution further
| declares ''that government is instituted for
N, common ben.tt," and never was in
tended to be run for the interest Of few at
the expense of the many. But it seems
that the unjust and oppressive distinc-
ton heretofore made in the payment
of claims is not sufficient to meet
the views of some men, for l notice that
resolution has actually been introduced
to Instruct the Comptroller and Treasurer