, 1873-03-17
HOUSE BILL NO. 10, FOR THE COLLECTION
OF CITY TAKES,

authorize tho collection of city taxes for tho
Tho professional ta4-1ghters made their boasta
oponly, when tho bill was introduced, that they
would dofeat 1t, US they have no intontion to
pay thoir city taxos Of 1872, or any prior yoar II
they can by any nleaua avoid it. Some Of thom
have not paid dollar sinco 1868 Of city, county,
or State taxos. In this dishonest and quasi
criminal business Of swindling tho city
and State, they hayo m actlvo md zoal-
ous organ in tho Chicago Times. 10 attempt
to collect tho delinquent taxes Of 186o-70 and
II, or any Of them, It calls "a dovico Of tax
eating rasoa1ity Of the worst possible character"
It's position il that any real estate spcotlator
should DO allowed to cheat the city out Of its
taxos for the current yoar by appealing payment;
and il to succeeds in postponing payment this
year on some technical dodge, or by appeal to
the suprcmo Court, be should mover ngain be
cailed on for such tax because it would DO e.
post .facto to do go Such is the argument, If It
can be called argument. Tho Times aees no
wrong or hardship in compelling tho honest
c1asa Of Taxpayers to make good tho amounts
which tho professional tax-6ghtors avoid
paying. A certain sum Of money is necessary
to support tho City Government and pny the in
torest on its bonded debt. Tho property OF tho
citizens is asseased according to value, Say,
fifteen mills, toraise thatsum. Four-afthH Of tho
owners pay their taxeB; one-hfth roaiBt md
Escape On some quibble or preto1t, error Of form
or miBdeacription. The result is, that thoro will
bo deficiency Of, say, throo mills in tho amount
collected to meet tho appropriations, which must
bo added to tho Bum needed, making eighteen
mills for noxt year. Hence, eyory honest tax-
pryor ia called on for three mills moro than thoy
equitab]y should pay to make good tho deficiency
of tho previous year, causod by the escape Of tho
professional ta1~1ghtors. People, then, very
Justly complain Of tho incroase of their taxes,
and ask, Why is it? We hnvo given tho roaaon.
City taxoa, for tho yeara 1868 and 1870,-par-
ticutary the lattor,-we Appended, to the aggre-
gate amount Of half 4 million Of dollars, by the
professional tax-HghtorH. We refer to tho gem
oral taxes and not tho special assessments. Tho
poals in favor Of tue city, and romandcd tho
caaes to tho County Court for Judgment. But
the groat fro Of October, 1871 which burned the
Court House, consumed the original textbooks
aud warrants Of tho Collector, And when tlo
city law-oficers, last fall, applied for Judgments
boforc tho County Court, OH thono delinquent
taxeR OF 18G0'70, tho point was made by tho at-
tornoys for tho delinquent ta.-hglters TINT, under
tho enabling act Of March az, 1872, transcripts
Of tho appeals wero not sufficient to warrant tho
Court in giving Judgment, but the original war;
rantB which woro burned must bo produced.
Tho Court sustained the point, aud tho city WAS
again benton out OF its just duos.
House Bill No. 10 contains section which ia
intended to obviato this objection. It makes
certified copios OF tho transcript aud assessment
rolls, together with certified copy Of tho ordi-
nance levying tho tax, primo jacte evidence that
such tux ia duo and unpaid. Tho city can produce
| this evidence beoause it is preserved on tho
| records Of the Supreme Court. THE tax
| fighters have Themselves preserved 1t by
carrying transcripts Of the original tax-warrantB
and proceedings to tho Supreme Court when
tley appealed thereto. Tho city desires now to
avail itsolt OF this proof to compel thoao dishon-
eat persons to pay thcir delinquent taxoH, rathos
than be obliged this ensuing summon to assosu
the deficiency on tho honest citizonH.
This provision OF the bill Ia What tho men,
aclous Wells-atreot concorn calls ia rascaly tax
eating dovico OF IN er.poss yfacto character" It
will only soon, 80 to thone who owe the back-
ta1os, aud insist upon making their noiglbors
pay tlonl
The aame concern asserts TINT uulor this bill
uIouso BILL No. 10) "tho city authorities may
institute proceedings for tho collection Of taxoa
paid dozon yoars ago." Wo suppose they
might institute proceedings independent Of tllA
bill for all tlle ta1oa that woro ever aaHossol
slco tho city was organized, II thoy wore foolish
enough to do 80. But institutlng proceedings 1t
one thing, and getting Judgments III quito an.
other. In tho present case tho purpose OF tl,t
city authoritiea ia. to institute proceedings tt