Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-06-17
NEW ASSESSMENT LAW.
Explanations by Gen. NJ. Il. William

From the Memphis Register, June 5.
At the meeting of the Board of Assessors
for this county, on Monday, Gen. NJ. T.
Williamson, one Of our members of the
Legislature, was called upon to give such
explanations of the new assessment la.W as
might occur to him.
Gen. Williamson said be had been asked
several questions ny the assessors and 9TH
ers in regard 30 the assessment law. He
did not come forward to expOund the law,
but briefly to give is views in regard to it.
For himself, he could see no more difficulty
in the way of assessing property or of re-
turning property under this tGan under the
old law. This law was taken from and
based up the old Law, and many of its
sections and provisions were identical. The
items, as specified for taxation, we've some
what changed in order TO make it C D.
sistent with the constitution of the State.
The constitution of the State plainly says
that all property, real, personal and mixed,
shall be taxed, but $1,000 in the hands of
each tax payer shall be exempt. That was
all this law proposed to do. If this princi-
pie was wrong, then the constitution was
wro. g in requiring it, and the framers OF
the constitution were at fault, and not the
membe' of the Legislature.
His observation had oeen that vast deal
of personal proper'y has heretofore oscar ID
taxation, by which the burden of tax' ton
had been thrown upon the holders If roa
estate. The agricultural interest yas there.
by made to suffer and stand al uniIst hnr
den OF tsxation-the same NJ marks annIied
with equal force to the lot ',olders in cities
As general principle al capital should
pay its just and prop r proportion of Stat,
and county CSAes' aud in whatever invest
ed, Shouio De u sessed for taxation.
The item eaded call other persona
property v as intended to reach any CAPT
tai inVasF I'd in business, and any propert.
not CO. cred by the preceding enumerations
Eve v person was allowed an exemption O
5 900. This seems fair and just.
:, la regard to this 81 900 exemption, b
would say there was no more difficulty q
to its allowance under this law than unde
tie Old law. If allowed TO a person on hi
individual return, it could not to the hrI
Of which that individual was member.
Each assessor shall attend 10 The propert
il his own ward or district, and need TX
bother hi self about pr perty in anoth'
ward or district. In regard 10 the sche,
ules furnished by the comptroller, be woul
say that they were horrible things, and COZ
tanned things and required things not in t!
law. The law says nothing about note
due bills, etc, or parties not solvent
simply says and reads, con solvent parti
or parties believed to be solvent" The la
, says nothing about sewing machines, libr
ries, pictures, 2nd the long list of articl
/: specified unuer the "tO wiz" of the 10
: item after the words, ''all other property
Most of the trouble and prejudice 2ris
, from these tunglng sch sduies. The com
troller has himself said that the law is bt
ter guide than the schedules which we
hast y prepared.
, The only difficult point in the Ia
, and The only inconsist sncy is in referen
: TO the merchants lax. The sect'