Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-27
WASHINGTON.
The Right of Cities to Tax Ma
tiOnal Banks.
Gen. Wright of Georgia as a
Ku.Klux Witness.
Damaging Revelations about
Gov. Bullock.
The Mobile Middle.


bams politicians. Senator Spence con-
tinues the pressure for Collector Warmers
removal. He had an interview with Sec
Rotary Boutwell, this morning upon the
subject. Ii is reported that in case War
ner is removed from the office of Collec-
tor he viii be offered the Commissioner
ship Of Indian Affairs.
National Bank Tax.
| Nearly all the national banks have sent
in their ssmi-snnual payment of tax divi-
bends, circulation, etc. BY law all these
taxes must be paid by the first of August.
The cash in the Treasury will be in
creased from this source about So, 500 900.
How Taxes have been Multiplied.
The report on tariff, just prepared at
the Bureau of Statistics, contains sixty
| five acts relating to tariff. These are so
| digested that each law has all articles
enumerated and arranged in alphabetical
order. The progress of legislation shown
in series comparative tables and arrange
ment of tables will show at glance that
| the tariff history of every article as first
| introduced in law and subsequently
amended. There were but few enumera-
tons in the early tariff laws commencing
in 1889, never exceeding 200, while the
enumeration in the present laws amount
| to over 1900
ELATER-The report on the tariff, which
the press has stated had been prepared at
the Bureau of Statistics, has not even
been commenced. The chief officer, Rev.
DR.. Young, does not contemplate making
a report on the history of customs and
tariff legislation before the next session 1
of Congress. Comparative tables, show
| ing the rates under each tariff, from
1879 to 1870 inclusive, are, however,
ready for the printer. ....
The Municipal Right 10 Tax Prop
erty ImpartialIy.
An important question has arisen re-
specting State and municipal taxes on the
capital of bank officers of banks in
Louisiana. They have written to Secre-
tsry Boutwell,, stating that the city au-
thorities in which the bank is located
have assessed q tax of three mills on
dollar on their capital. They claim ex-
emption from the payment of this tax on
the ground that their capital is repre-
| sented by bonds of the funded loan, and
are consequently exempt from taxation.
The matter has been referred to the At
| torney General, and his decision will set
at rest numerous inquiries upon the sub
ject, which are daily received st the
Treasury.
Ku-kIux Testimony of Gen, Wright
Gov. Bullock as n Pardon Seller.
Gen. A. R. Wright, before the Ku-
Klux Committee to-day, said he was
practising lawyer and one of the editors
of the Chronicle and Sentinel, Augusta,
Ga. He further testified that the people
of that State were peaceful and law
abiding, and that the laws are as fully
enforced as they were before the war.
The witness said his law practice ex-
tended TO ten counties, and from his per-
sonal observation and knowledge of the
State he could say the negroes enjoyed
ali the privileges in the courts accorded
the whites. In fact, jurors seemed to
lean no little towards the negroes, from
an apprehension that they might be sus-
pected of injustice to them.
In reply to question whether he knew
Of white men having committed offences
against negroes, he replied that he prose-
cuted q white man for the murder of a
negro, and he was convicted of mau- |
slaughter ard sentenced for the full term
allowed by law. 10 the same court, in |
the same county, q white man charged
with the murder of negro was found |
guilty and sentenced TO be hanged in Sep
t,mbeT. While these two trials were in |
progress twelve white citizens of Wash |
ington county were arrested under the
Ku klux law, carried one hundred and |
thirty miles, and tried by United States |
Commissioners for assault aud battery on |
negroes. They were kept in Jail several
days, but on investigation before Gen.
Swayne and carpet Dagger named Lee
they were acquitted.
The witness said he had no reason to |
believe there was sny organized band of |
Ku-Klux in Georgia for political purposes,
nor had he ever heard ofany. He, how |
ever, knew of band of marsuders, like |
MurTell's gang, that extended through
portion of the counties in the district in |
which he lived, and two white men, con-
victed in Washington county, were sus-
pected of belonging to the band.
A man named Noes, who killed ne |
gro, was found guilty by military COM |
mission, but was pardGned by President |
Johnson. This same man, not long ago, |
killed another person, was tried, found |
guilty and sentenced 10 be executed on |
the All of August. Gov. Bullock re-
proved him, and his friends said in order |
to hsve him pardoned it was necessary to |
make some arrangements. In answer to |
q question as 10 the nature of the sr- |
raDgements, witness replied that they in |
volved the raising of sufficient amount |
of money in the furthersnce of their de- |
signs.
Having been asked what effect dis |
franChisement under the Fourteenth |
Amendment had on the public mind, the |
witness replied that it was cause of |
complaint among the people against the |
government. The people murmured be-
cause those heretofore accustomed to con-
duct public affairs were kept out of Office
while their former slaves are now law
makers. If the disabilities of the people |
were removed, and they allowed to select
their best men for public Offices there
would be nc cause for complaint against |
the government.
The relations Of the white and black
races are perfectly harmonious. The
negroes have been neither cheated nor
swindled, but fairly treated. Difficulties |
frequently arise because the negroes
could not tell in calculating the shares of |
crops whether one-tenth or one third was |
the most. Frequently arbitrators were
called in to determine the question for |
them.
The witness having been asked wheth- |
er he knew of any persons having been
whipped by disguised persons, replied |
that white man named Ferguson was
seized by bend of negroes, stripped ard
nearly whipped to death by them.
A negro man was prosecuted for living |
in adultery with white woman. He |
was tried and convicted, but pardoned
by Gov. Bullock. Frequent pardons pro-
duce much mischief.
A little while after the above named |
conviction, white man was convicted
for living in adultery with negro
woman, but through the efforts of Gov. |
Bullock's prosecuting officer, the man
was discharged on technical defect in |
the proceedings.
The citizens whipped the white man
and negro woman who had been living in
shame. There were no politics in these