Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1872-04-15
ORDINANCE.
An Ordinance Regulating Taxation
in tho City Of Memphis.
MERCHANTS.

Derships engaged in trading in any kind O
goods, wares or merchandise, eltner on lana
or at or on any steamboat, wnarl-D0at, o.
other craft, stationed at or plying within thu
corporate limits of the city Of Memphis
whether such goods, wares or merchandise bI
kent on hand for sale, either on commission
or otherwise. or be purchased ana de CIV
ton shall not affect in anywise the levy and
. collection of privilege taxes upon the avoca
tioas declared by law TO be taxable as privi
leges. except merchants ana persons doinl
the business OF selllng mercnanuise upoI
See 3. And no merchant or commission
merchant shall commence or continue bust
ness in the city 81 &Remph,s' wlta aS o o.S
Memphis. a license in accordance with the
provisions of this ordinance. And every per
son and every copartnership who shall violate
the provisions of this section, shall be guilty
of a misdem eanor for each days violation Of
the same, anu shall be arrested as IN other
cases of misdemeanor. and on conviction be-
fore the Recorder shall be fined, for each sep
arate offsnse not less than five nor more than
fifty dollars, which shall be collected as other
fines are collected.
Sec. 8. Every merchant or commission
merchant and copartnership, before receiving
license, and at the he, end o. each d twelve se
the city Of Memphis. with good security to
be approved of by the City Tax Collector and
the City Register. in the sum Of one thousand
|
com mission merchant will render to the City
Tax Collector at the end of twelve months
| from the date of the bond true statement,
under oath, of the amount of capital invested
months preceding, and will pay to the Tax
| Collector the tax thereon, as provided by law.
And to fix the amounto of capital So invested,
| the amount of cash, or its equivalent, as
| bonds, notes, or other evidences or securi-
ties Of value in place or lieu thereof, op prep
| erty. real or personal. of every kind, which
may be or is used as the representative Of
capital or as a basis for the transaction OF bu-
| siness in each case respectively, shall be
considered and held as said capital.
Sec. 4. Upon applying for q license and ex-
ecuting bond as hereinbefore required,
each merchant or commission merchant be-
| fore receiving license shall pay to the City
Tax Collector the sum Of twenty-five dollars
| (S25) Az d when the merchant or commission
merchant pays the taxes that may be due
upon his capital as herein provided, the said
sam shall be allowed him as a credit upon,
and shall be deducted from, the amount of
the taxes due from him.
Sec. s. The I'D ralorem tax provided for
herein shall be payable as other taxes upon
| property are, and shall be collected in the
same manner; and for the purpose of ascsr-
| tanning the capital invested By each merchant
| or commission merchant, or copartnership,
which is declared to be taxable. 1t shall be
the duty of such merchant commission mer 5
| by the condition of his bond to report his tax
able capital, to fife with the City Tax Colloc-
| tor a statement, under cath. showing
First-All capital invested by such mer-
chant, commission merchant or eopartner-
ship in a stock Of goods, wares or merchan-
disc, whether owned by him. or held or of
fered for sale by him ON commission or con-
Second-AIl capital employed during the
preceding twelve (2) months in any, manner
Of trading, whereby no stock Of goods, wares
or merchandise is or has been kept on hand,
unless such business is otherwise taxed as
privilege. -
7 The statement herein provided for shall be
sworn to by the person or persons ma Slng IL,
or some one of them; but i shall not be con-
elusive upon the CITY OF Memphis as 70 the
actual amount Of, the taxable capital: but 1t
may be shown to be false, and. in such case,
the Tax Collector shall ascertain. by the best
evidence in his power, the actual amount OF
the taxable capital Of the merchant, commits
sion merchant or copartnership making the
false statement; and, when he ascertains
such actual amount of capital, he shall levy
and collect the taxes herein provided for
upon such actual amount. II shall pc NE
necessary blanks for the statements required
by this section, and he shall furnish the same
10 any person desiring to make such state
ments. :.
second section of this ordinance shall be is
sued for the term of twelve months, but shall
be, and become. forfeited in all cases by the
violation Of any Of the PROVISIONS OF TINS or
dinance. And at the end of the term of each
license, a new one shall be taken out as pro-
yided for in this ordinance.
Sec, Z. That every merchant and copart-
nership who is engaged in business in the city
of Memphis under existing ordinances. shall,
within thirty days from the passage of this
ordinance. make his report to the City Tax
Collector and pay the taxes that have become
due from him since his last report as now re-
quired by ordinance, and shall then surrender
his existing license and TessiTe from the City
Register o license in accordance with the pro-
visions of this ordinance.
Sec. 8. That the bond required by. section
three Of this ordinance shall be forfeited BY
failure to render the statement, under the
oath, as therein required, or by rendering
false statement, or by failing TO pay the taxes
assessed. or due, at the time or in the manner
herein provided; and it shall be the duty Of
the City I ak Collector to hand all such bonds
as become forfeited to the City Attorney, who
shall bring suit upon the same for the benefit
of the city. and. in case. OF q breach OF the
bond and such suit. the city Of Memphis
the penalty specified in the bond, and an
agreement to that effect shall be inserted
therein. And no recovery on the bond shall
in any way affect the right of the city OF
Memp to collect the taxes that may remain
unpaid and due from the merchant. commits
sion merchant or copartnership making 1t, or
any other right or remedy the city may have
against him by tho provisions OF this ordinance
or otherwise.
Sec. 9. That It shall be misdemeanor TO
violate any of the conditions of the bond re-
quired by section three of this ordinance. or
any Of the requirements, Of section I'VE. and
aod punt hment therefor. as in other cases OF
misdemeanor.
PROPERTY TAX.
Sec. 10 That all real estate. and all per-
sonal property, to-wit: stations, mares.
geldings. mules, jacks. jennets. cattle, sheep,
goats and hogs; also, all money secured by
mortgage or deed Of trust, money IN actual
or constructive possession, money due from
| solvent debtors, whether by bond, bill sim
| gle promissory note, bill Of exchange or
| Judgment; also. all articles Of agreement for
the payment Of money. and accounts on sol
vent parties bearing interest. owned or pos
sessed by any person or persons whatsoever,
| except notes or bills for work OF labor done;
alto, all shares Of stock in any bank. institu-
ton or company now or hereafter ineorpo-
State, or eny other State. or Of the United
States Of America. which bank, or institution,
or company, is located IN the corporate limits
OF the city Of Memphis. aad not elsewhere,
whether the stockholders. or any Of them, re-
/ side in the city Of Memphis or not; and all
public bonds or stocks Whatsoever. all IN
comes from bonds or stocks which by the laws
! Of the United States or BY the laws OF the
| state Of Tennessee are exempted from taxa
| ton all money loaned or invested at int
| rest in the city Of Memphis. or elsewhere,
including money of orphans. legatees and
| distrlbutees, under tWenty-one years Of
age; nlss, all household and kitchen fur.
uiture, including gold and silver plate; all
gold and silver watches and Jewelry; all
| pleasure carriages and buggies Of two or four
/ wheels; all salaries and emOluments OF fees
\ Of Office. and also all ether sources 81 rev
enue and all other property. real and per
/ s0nal. now taxable by the laws Of the state OF
/ Tennessee, shall be assessed, listed and val
ued and shall be taxed for all city purposes;
/ but specific property shall in no case be
taxed where the capital invested in such
property has already been taxed.
Il Sec. IL. That the following property shall
he exempt from taxation: All property held
/ By the State. or any county. or incorporated
| city or town Of this State which il used exclu-