Middletown transcript., 1873-01-18

far more than was claimcd by their advo-
Gates before they were cpgraitcd upon the
fundamental law, that warrant q power 20
adverse to the theory Of tho Government.
as we'll a. TO oil the rights Of the States
over their own domestic Affairs. IL tho
Fourteenth Amendment ooufsrs upon Con-
gress tho fearful power assumed in the
enactment Of the law under which these
indictments were found, Il is difficult to
find limit to its authority. There Is but
one step between the exercise Of Federal
supervisory power over tho officers Of the
State and the power to appoint them. and
at no distant day Il may be found that the
exercise Of the one suggests, II il docs not
ncccssitatethc other. II is TO be regret.
ted that one BY one tho safeguards Of lib
crty arc disappearing in rapid succession.
and the limitations upon Federal author
ity so weakened or disregardcd as 70 form
but feeble defsusc against consolidated
dcspotism. But regrets are vain, aud
protests are unavailing. The strides Of
Federal power arc unstaycd, and its por-
teutious shadow casts . gloomy pail over
the future history q the country.
To protect the public officers Of tho
State from prosecution in the Federal
courts, under the act Of Congress referred
to, for the manner in which they discharge
the duties imposed upon them by the laws
OF the State. an act should be passed by
the General Assembly limiting aud de6n-
ing their duties. aud prescribing the mode
in which they should be discharged. Such
n law should direct the assessors Of each
hundred to place upon the assessment list
the name Of every person liable to pay
tax, that he knows to have fixed place
Of abode in the hundred. or who is the
owner Of taxable property therein, and
should prohibit him from placing the name
Of any other person on bis assessment
lists unless upon the personal application
Of persons 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 at the place and time
prescribed by law, to correct errors in and
add to his lists the names Of persons omit
ted, upon proof as aforesaid on 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 there
to, exccp, upon the personal application
Of any person who may have been left of,
and satisfactory proof that the person so
applying is entitled to be assessed,
The duties Of collectors should likewise
be clearly defined They should be re-
quired, after the expiration OF Il certain
time, to give notice Of the times and places
when and where they will attend for the
purpose of receiving aud reccipting for
taxes upon their duplicates remaining un-
paid If, after such notice given and op-
por,unity afforded, any person fails to ap-
pear and pay his or her tax, the collector
should not be required to make further cf-
fort to collect the same. but should be at
liberty to return such person delinquent,
and the name Of such delinquent should
lLercupon be stricken from the assessmcn,
for the hundred, aud should not be again
placed thereon for a period 10 be fised by
law To guard against the possibility Of
frauds, the collccto. should not be required
TO deliver the receipt for any tax to any
person other than the party assessed. This
would. to considerable extent, proven,
, personating and voting under assumed
names.
Laws such as have indicated would Sc
cure to all persons equally the means OF
, qualifying as electors by becoming assess
ed and paying their taxes. II any person
should be omitted from the assessment, OF
/ fail to pay his tax within the time pre-.
scribcd for such payment. the fault would
be so clearly his own that he could not
complain. While such laws would thus
secure to every one the right to qualify n'
: an clcctor. they would at the same tim,
, protect the officers Of the State. having
duties to perform in connection with the
assessment and collection Of taxes, from
: prosecution in the Federal courts, by clear
{ y defining and limiting the duties thu
to be performed.
The Message also recommends the enact
mcnt Of plain, unambiguous Law clearl.
, defining what shall constitute legal &c
0 tual, aud not constructive. residence in
hundred or county to cntitlc any one L
!, vote therein. His Exccllency closes hi
i Message with dissertation on
= FEDERAL RELATIONS,
: in which, after short rcgicw of the cx
travagance Of the Government and tn
q burdensoms taxation to which the peopl
j. are subjected, aud tho inconyeniences an
= evils attending the workings Of the Ma
;. tional Banking System from tho curtail
). ment Of circulation, especially in the coun
# try he refers to the encroachment Of tn
# Federal government upon the powers re
= served by the Constitution Of the States
and concludes rs follows:
Is II would be folly to ignore the fact ,h'
Of the States of this union do not exercis
, A. u..... ,a.o.vn1 IN tLn,o kx tho rou