Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-08-14
BACK EAGA

Net Q little dissatisfscdoa has mauifsstsd
itself among the property holders Of the
county. on account OF the long list Of delin-
quent taxes recently published, which extends
back In time to . period long anterior to the
war. This proceeding IL in accordance with |
requireme nts OF Sec. ~, "a, -. 40 aud
81 Of the Revenue law passed. at the last adj
journed session OF the Legislature. Sec. II
Is as follows:
"The interests and costs due or
unpaid on any real estate which has been re- |
turned delinquent, and which has not been
offered for sale therefor. or, which having
been offered for sale, was forfeited to the
State, and any back taxes which should have |
been assessed thereonI under the law Of this
State, and which have not heretofore been
paid, shall lie deemed and held to be back
taxes. and are hereby made aud declared to !
he n lien, in favor Of the state OF Missouri on
each Of such tracts and lots OF renl estate, to
the amount OF the taxes, Interest and costs
due thereon"
Sec. e.s and 70 simply provide for the
time anu manner OF making out the delin-
quent list. Sec. go provides that the col
lector shall obtain judgment at the next
July term (the last) U the County Court for all
back taxes then unpaid. aud make sale Of the
land against which the same are assessed, on
the first Nc nday in October. The law has
no Limitation as to time. except that 1t pro-
vides that the County Court may, by an Or
der entered OF record. direct the collector.
not to advertise any lands for delinquent
taxes previous to 1868, \ provision which
the County Courts of other counties very
promptly took..advnntnge OF Our own Court,
with it susunl regard forthe convenience and
welfare OF the people, has seen fit SO far to
quite ignore. it. 1t wss mt the good
fortune of our last Legislature to do much
to entitle it to the thanks aud COOL will OF
the people. and less than all in this "back
taxi imposition. To the people Of Laft yette
county especially, burdened with an enor-
nous debt, with business OF every kind
PROSTATE. and the taX-gatherer making his
continual rounds, it seemed = piece of wan
ton oppression. or, ut least, Of cruel. indif-
ference on til. part of their law makers, to
ransack the records Of the County Court for
twenty years. and drag out State claims,
which if due from one individual to another
would have been barred years ago by the
statute OF limitations. The illconsiderative-
ness and injustice Of the law become yet
more apparent when we re1ect that during
the four terrible years of war which swept
over the State, thousands of men had their
private papers mislaid, lost or destroyed,
and are consequently left to the mercy
of the miserable records Of our county col
%lectors, who for many years past have been
VIGOROUSLY inefficient, II not corrupt. Our
Democratic Legislature certainly had too
much..knowledge of tile pestiferous set OF off,
cials that infested this State from the begin
ming Of the war down 10. 1870, to accord to
their acts the presumption OF fair dealing.
Scolding is not our ~favoritc occupation, but
we M help Indulging in 1t sometimes
when We see how little the welfare Of the
people is looked after BY the men they have
honered with an Office. II private agents
were one tenth rs negligent of the Interests
of their employers rs are public servants
generally, they would lie cashiered instantly.
We trust the people will adopt and rigidly
enforce the same rule hereafter with regard
to their officers. But grumbIe as we may,
the law is passed and must be met. We
advise all property holders to come up and
see to the matter without delay. We under.
stand the County Court has passed All order,
that when a party has lost his receipts.
or where he has purchased land since the
year for which it was assessed and returned
delinquent. and can make oath TINT lie has
paid the taxes in the one case, or believes
that the former owner has paid them in the
other, he shall receive a quietus for all taxes
charged against his property from the
county clerk. The gcntlcmanly deputy
clerk, DIR. Dulin, is very accommodating Ill
furnishing parties with al requisite infor.
nation.