Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1873-10-25

The bill requiring County Commits
.ioners to publish their proceedings,
was laid on the table.
Mr.. Ping moved to reconsider the
vote by which Council bill repeating the
act exempting certain railroad property
from taxation passed. Motion carried.
The bill being announced upon its
third reading, considerable discussion
@sued in relation to its merits.
Mr.. Ward gave the bill his most cor
dial support. He was opposed to bow
ing and scraping to nabob carpet-bag-
gers who come her to feast upon the fat
of the land. Rich corporations were
entitled to no exemptions denied to the
poor and for which they did not even
ask. The people humbly beg that this
unjust discrimination shall exist no
longer.
Mr.. Van Vleet thought that the gen.
tleman and his constituents must enter
tain very dissimilar opinions on the sub
ject of railroads, they having just voted
on the subject and by decided majority
declared in favor of taxing themselves
to get one. He believed the law was i,
proper one, justified by precedent, and
cited the act eXempting materials used
in shipbuilding as an instance.
Mr.. Henry said that one of the main
arguments advanced by the friends of
the railroad enterprise at the late cleo
ton in ThurstOn county, was that the
value of the railroad property would
greatly augment the aggregate value of
assessable property. The people and
their delegation he believed were unit
in favor of the bill.
Mr.. Cation declared that the law was
wrong principle, ruinous in policy and
unconstitutional in nature. It ought
to be repealed. Why should he be
obliged to pay taxes on his law library
while railroad ties and iron and its roll
ing stock are exempt. A citizen OF
Walla Walla, for instance, erects fine
hotel; it stands tenantless and unpro-
ductive. Should. its owner be COM
PEELED to pay heavy taxes upon this pro.
perty while railroads are exempt
Where is the sense, the justice or hon
esty of such laws? He was in favor OF
making the same laws for the rich as the
poor. Besides such distinction was in con.
fiict with the Organic Act When any man
sworn to support that instrument voted tol
such bill he did wrong. Previous Lcgisla
lures may have done wrong but that will not
Justify this: Let us repeal also the act ex-
empting shipbuilders materials, since it never
ought to have had place on the statute
books of our Territory.
Mr.. Clark said that he had no friends to re-
ward or enemies to punish. lie simply want
cd to do what was right. He held as Il law
yer that the provision of the Organic Act did
not apply to restrict this exemption. II rail
road property in all parts of the Territory i.
placed in the same condition, the operation
will be general and the distinction not mad,
prohibited by the Organic law.
and Messrs hudson, Eldridge and othcr
| in its favor after which the final vote wa.
taken, with the following result:
| Ayes: Messrs. Bryant, Clark of Clarke
Cook, Crockett Eldridge, Favorite GOsnel II
Hartman, Henry, Hodgis, Hovey, Ju,lson
Moore, Ping, Russell, Ward, Yantis and Mr.
Spcaker-1S.
Noes: Messrs. Abbott Bush, Brazce. Burk
| Cline, Clark of Pierce Gle, Kuhn, Lacy
| Rodgers and Van Vlcet--11.
On motion, House adjourned.