Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-01-11

IL the owner OF taxable property thefeln,Ahd
should prohibit him from placing the name
| of any other person on his assessment lists
unless upon the personal appli cation Of per
| sons desiring TO be assessed, and satisfactory
proof OF his or her identity and residence IN
the hundred where he or she desires to be
assessed, and he should be required to give
notice. as at present, that he Will attend Al
the place and time prescribed by law, 70 cor
rect errors in and add TO his lists the names
of persons omitted, upon proof as Aforesaid
of their right to be assessed. The list thus
corrected, after being returned to the Levy
Courts Of the counties, should not be BY them
altered by the addition Of any name thereto,
except upon the personal application OF any
person who may have been left off, and salts
factory proof that the person so applying is
entitled TO be assessed.
The duties Of Collectors should likewise
be clearly defined. They should be required,
after the expiration OF a certain time,to give
notice of the times and places when ana
where they will attend for the purpose o. re-
ceiving and receipting for taxes upon their
duplicates remaining unpaid. IL; after such
notice given and opportunity Afforded any
person fails to appear and pay his or her TAX
the collector should not be required TO make
fur Their effort TO collect the same, but should
be at liberty to return such person ueln-
quent, and the name of such delinquent
should thereupon be stricken from the ASSESS
ment for the hund ed,and should not be again
placed thereon for period to be liked by
law To guard against the possibility Of
frauds, the collector should not be required
TO deliver the receipt for any tax TO any per
son other than the party assessed. This
would TO n considerable extent, prevent per
son tting and voting under assumed names
Laws such rs have Indicated would secure
to all persons equally the means OF qualify
ing NJ electors by becoming assessed and
payiug thelr taxes II any person should De
omitted from the assessment, or fail to pay
his tax within The time prescribed for such
payment. the fault would be so clearly his
nwn that lie could not complain. While
sHrh laws wnuid thus secure TO every one the
Of . % ttt b IL as plprtUr they would al
500 % in,HfiuI protect the office Of the
stale h1yin- du'ies to perform In eonnee,
.rn Hiih ~ t..cssment and collection OF
tts"a tom prosecution la the Federal courts
70, rllariy d"iuing asd limiting the duties
thus 10 be Performed.
RESIDENCE.
I also recommend TO the Legislature tho
enactment Of u law defining clearly what
shall constitute legal residence emitting
any one to u right 10 vote. and the evidence
by which residence shall be established. In
my judgment the existing provisions OF law
on this subject are too vague and uncertain
and leave FOO much TO the discretion of those
whose duty II may be TO pass on questions OF
this kind. arising under the provision OF the
fourth article 1.-THE Constitution of the State.
| The acts of person, and not hit intention,
furnishes the true rule by which to determine
his residence ; the former ere facts susccpti-
bic of proof the latter can only be established
hy inference from facts or the declaration OF
the party himself. 1t is certain that many
persons now vote In this state who have no
actual residence in the county and hundred
| where they claim the right TO vote, II, tn-
decd. they have any actual residence in the
state. Having no fixed abode in the hun
bred or county, and transacting no business,
and performing no labor therein, they claim
the right and arc permitted to vote on no
other ground than having once resided there.
such persons say that they have determined,
in their own mind, 10 regard 1t rs their resi-
dence. Notwithstanding their absence there
from for months at a time, and their actual
engagements IN business or service In an
other county or another State. Thus an act
| Of the mind is made the test of their right TO
vote. 1t IL dOubtful.at least, whether proper
proper Interpretation of existing would sus-
tain the right of such persons TO vote but II
is clear that no such questions ought TO be
left in doubt and no rule which hy any con
struction would sustain such right ought TO
remain upon our statute book. The law
should he plain and unamhiguous, and ought
to require an actual and not merely q con-
structive residence In the county and hum
dTed TO entitle any one 10 vote therein. other
wise frauds are liable to be perpetrAted by
migratory persons who can, If they see pro
per, claim residence In different localities
! IcOmmend this subject to the consideration
of the General Assembly and hope that al
the present session a law will be passed
which will protect the just rights Of all In
| against the possibility OF frauds upon the
elective franchise in this State
These suggestions are made from no desire
to see any one legally entitled TO vote de-
priYed Of his right to do So On the contrary,
while believing the elective franchise has
been unwisely extended 10 the negro race,
and that the experience of the country will
At no very distant day prove the folly Of such
extension, | desire to see all protected in
every right conferred upon them by law,
This duty, however, is not more imperative
than the obligation to guard against the
preparation Of frauds, such as In some States
Of the Union have brought reproAeh upon
our elective system of government.
FEDERAL RELATION.
The relation of the state TO the Federal
government gives to our citizens AN interest
In the administration of Federal affairs. II
may not, therefore, be Inappropriate TO refer
to such action Of the general government AZ
touches the interest ANA affects the welfare
Of the people Of this As well AS other States
Of the niuu. As citizens Of u common gov
eminent, We share in the protection which
II secures, and are compelled 10 bear,
In part. the lurdenH which II imposes.
The economical administration Of the
government ~ u matter In which all have
direct Interest, and II the public ex-
i prndiiurrs a.e greater than necessary, all
, hryc q right tl ;uaist upon their eurtAilment.
! rhr interest up1a the public debt must be
, paid, aud the principal ought to be dtmiu-
q ished los a proper gradual reduction he
r ! yund THIS. the expenditures should not eN-
. | coed the absolute wants Of An economical adj
. | ministraiiOn Of the government. In my
. | opinion the people Of the country are
. | rnnit ihutiug At least one hundred milliont
# ui dollars more for the support OF their gov
y ernment than they should be required "a
4 pay. The citizens Of this state have TO hcni
a | their full share Of this unnecessary burden
N They pay, annually, into the Federal treas
nTy, by indirect taxation, in the shape OF
n duties upon imported goods consumed, and
!. n internal revenue taxes not much less
n than one million Of dollars. While this
a | amount may seem small. M compared with
J | amounts paid by larger States, IL h., never
g theless' a heavy drain upon the resources OF
q our pcople-at least double the amount re-
= qured for the support Of their own local
4 government The business Of this state g..
1 | principally agricultural, and the profits II
i affords, ut the low prices which have pre-
# vailed for some years past for such products
A. extremely meagre. Whatever dininishes
. unnecessarily, those profits is felt ms an op
pressivc burden because IL takes from the
NJ people part of that which Is necessary fol
I. their support aud comfort. The duties paid
u upon imported goods consumed are not only
a onerous but many OF them unjust. The
Al tariit rates are adjusted more for the pro
i, lection OF certain Interests in the cOuntr,
n | than 10 meet the wants Of the treasury; and
= the people of this, AS well As other STATE
n nrc not only paying large amount Of take,
70 for the support Of the government, but p
~ heavy tribute 10 the manufacturing interests
- Of the country. These eNactions are rendered
ir the more oppressive from the low prices OF
4 agricultural products, and the curtallmenl
~ Of accommodations irnW the banking insti
: tutions Of the State. The circulation of oui
y, state banks has been destroyed, and theli
y ability to accommodate diminished by The
~ National Banking System established O.,
@ Congress. The National banks, limited NJ
Ia ! they must necessarily be in any agricultural
40 community In the amount Of their capital
'n and circulation.l afnrd less accommodations
4" than heretofore furnished by our state banks
TX The consequence has been not only 10 lessen
he ability of our citizens to pay the eNac
Il. tions Of the general government, but also Ia
,r greatly diminish the value OF real property
Al within he state. However well adaptrd tho
40 National banking system may to meet the
wants Of commercial communities aud tlt
~ money centres Of the country, experience hh.
,y oven that 1t furnishes to the rural portiOns
4 Of the country tar less advantages than tho
"A state banks which il has superseded.
Ia lnJuriously, however, as the material In
io terests OF the people may have been affected
IN By the action of the general government, Il
N ~ mhttero Tar less consequence than the
h danger TO be apprehended from the Assump
- ton Of power by Congress over rights which
h. the people have heretofore enjoyed under
~ their local institutions. 1t would be folly Il
~ Ignore the fact that the States OF this Unior
A. do not exercise the powers reserved TO then
!. by the Constitution, Hs framed and INTERPRET
VI ed by the fathers of the Republic GRADUALLY
p hut NOT mperceptahly, the barriers against
T. eenitallystiun uf power and the safeguard,
b, OF civil liberty have disappeared, until II
II would hc ditirtlt to fix a limit TO the mower,
A. claimed sud exercised by the Federal gov
d. rrnt"nt. Within the last few years we have
4rrn ile dismVWherment Of State by Con
1. srrssi0utl sriion. We have witnessed the
I, Ntiihr0w 90 STATE governments and the
& subs tuition Ut military authority the most
\, absolute and dcspotic-the right OF Local
NJ -"iifoNernmtnt in some OF the States denied
III and ihe liberties Of the people made depend
ut nu the tenure Of congressional pleasure
Ia The qualifications OF electors have been de
y termincd in sovereign States, without Their
d consent and against their protest and loca