The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-12-13

scope of the second clause of the 6lst sec
ton Of the tax bill.
And here, Mr.. President, I take occasion
to inform tho Senate that this morning
attended the meeting of the Committee or
Roads and internal Navigation, and in thu
interest Of my constituents requested then
to consider, in order to report upon, the
bill offered by me. Although that bill was
on Tuesday last introduced by me and read
the first time and ordered to its second
reading, and referred by the Senate, as its
journal shows, to the Committee on Roads
and Internal Navigation, that committee
this morning, in their meeting, officially IN
formed mo that they would not consider
the bill unless the tax was first paid into
the treasury.
Although insist that the bill which
offered does not come within the scope Of
the second clause of the 6lst section Of the
tax bill, because it is a public, not pri
vate bill, still, to make my analysis of the
law complete and exhaustive, | proceed to
consider that second clause. II is as fol-
lows:
On every bill hereafter proposed In the Gene.
raj Assembly, which hall be of a p ivste Char
acter as distinguished from acts OF q public
character ana not to1 the incorporation OF q com
pany or the amendment Of q charter land not
for a cemetery OF an object purely charitahl-l
before the same shall be considered by the 9en-
eral As semoly, there shall be ,aid In the trea-
sury, for the use Of the Commons lth, such
sums as shall be decided by the commit Q. TO
whom It Il referred, to be chargeable under this
acr, and the count then paid shall be refunded
" the act applied for L. not passed
If the bill proposed be of private
character refundable tax, to be fixed as to
amount by the committee to whom the bill
may be referred, must be paid, unless
/. The bill is for the corporation Of o
joint stock company.
2. This bill is for the amendment Of q
charter.
8. The bill is for cemetery or az OBJ
ject purely charitable.
The purpose of the mind that dictated
or inspired this second clause is apparent
upon its face. Bills incorporating joint
stock companies are excepted from the dis
cretionary and refundable tax, because
they had been completely covered and
provided for by the absolute and irrefunda
bic tax imposed by the first clause Of the
same section.
A bill to amend an old charter was ex-
cepted because it was supposed that many
joint stock companies, both public and
private, heretofore incorporated by the
General Assembly might find it desirable
to ask for amendments.
Charities were excepted from taxation
for obvious reasons.
Therefore, l insist that the bills proposed
by myself last Tuesday, and by the sena-
tor from Richmond to-day, proposing
simply the amendment Of charters Of
long standing and which can be amneded
only by the General Assembly, are by the
terms of the law under consideration ex-
pressly excepted from taxation.
After good deal Of discussion by
Messrs. Cochran and Taylor, of Norfolk,
the President again reversed his descision as
to his construction of the law, and decided
that no tax would be required OH this bill
After the execution of the joint order,
(the election Of county judges. on motion
Of Mr.. Wynne, the rules were suspended,
and the bill passed. 1t now goes to the
Governor for his signature.