Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-03-04
Especial cor espondence Of the HERAlp).
THE LEGISLATURE.


est. They paved the way, however
Tor a general field day next week
All the railroad bills come mp under
a special order next Tuesday morn
ing. and their consideration is 10 be
continued until they are disI osed of.
A resolution to this feet passed
each house last Thursday. 50 the
ight Is coming, and from present in-
dications it will be long and bitter
one. The Milwaukee &c St Paul
have amended their bill %
one particular which has given it
considerable additional strength.
They propose to build the Monroe ex.
tension as far as the Mineral Point
railroad, in lafayette county, with
in two years. The North Wisconsin
have made no material mendmen' 3
in their bill, and probably y ill not
As far as the final result is concerned
on this question, there have been no
new or important developments
since last week, and no change l
hink, except the strength which bas
been secured to the Milwaukee and
st. Paul in Lafayette and Iowa
counties, by the amendment above
spoken Of l have no doubt that the
bill will pass the Assent bly,, and there
is certainly very fair prospect for
its passage in the Senate. There is
no telling. however, what day will
bring forth Legislative bodies, like
petit jarors, cans be bet on at all
times.
THE LIQUOR LAW
Tue next thing in importance to
the land grant is the temperance law.
This bill, with many others, has
been postponed until next week for
final consideration. The select com
mittee having the bill 10 charge mad Q
majority reports as follows:
A bill to repeal chapter I2T of the general
laws Of 1872, entitled an act TO provide against
the evils resulting IRON the sale of intoxcat-
ing liquors
Have had the same under consideration, and
in view Of the facts that the tendency of the
temperance law passed at the last session OF
the egis sture is o lessen crime; and provides
a penalry for the crime OF intoxication, that
in the opinion oil our committee wherever the
law has been enforced il has conduced 10 So
briefly and morality, and 10 reduce the expense
Of pauperism and crime in The state a, large,
as well as the never.ending expenses which Ia.
temperance entails upon its victims, and IN
view of the fact that there has not been suiFi :
cient lime to fairly test the merits of the law,
no decisions having yet been made upon it by
any Of the courts OF last resort, and that from
decisions Of some rRihor local icisls, IL has
not bsen observed by SOM Of the larger cities,
and in view of The fact that The people Of WIS
consin are now peilioning this body BY tehs
OF thousands 10 let the law Of the last session
remain on the statute books unimpaIred, we
are therefore in favor Of the indefinite post
ponement Of said bi !, No. 50, A which pro-
poses the repeal of the laws passed at the last
session.
II isa we'll settled fact that the bill
will rot pass. The Senate Judiciary
committee have been requested TO
report on the same subject, ard q
majority Of them have reported IN
favor of repeating the bill, and pass
ing a law coditying the laws q the
State on the suhject of temperance
A majority reported 10 favor of the
present law.
TAXATION.
The troublesome Questic of the
exemption of property from taxa
ton, has not been settled yet, and
tho prospects are it will not be this
session. 1t is full Of intrIcacies, and
cannot be adju.ied equitably with
out vast deal of patient study, and
the exercise of wise discrimina ion.
The report of the Senate select com
mittee on the subject | herewith en-
close, and is worthy Of being read, as
it is the result of close Investigation
The Assembly committee on the as.
sessment end collection of taxes
make this report:
From the numerous petitions, signed BY
many of the prominent taxpayers of he state,
submitted 10 the committee, it appears that a
strong feeling exists Ia the community that
too much property escapes taxation. We ieel
that il 10 easier TO discover the evil than 10
provide a remedy tina. vi | comp etely correct
The wrong.
Your petitioners set forth that OF the a.
Sill $50 acres Of land in the state. only 90 O9t,
$40 acres are taxed. This, doubtless, is IS.
seniially correct. But when we consider the
millions Of acres that belong to the United
States, TO the state Of Wisconsin, held as
Indian reservations, railroad land grants, etc d,
we come 10 the conclusion that but a compar-
alive small amount Of land escapes taxation,
that is properly taxable.
That abuses OF the assessment laws 10 exist
we do not deny, but we believe that most If
those unjust exemptions arise from some loo al
exemption laws, or is due TO a wrong con-
strnciIon of the general laws BY assessors.
The committee has also referred 10 them a
large number Of remonsirances against the
taxation Of religious and educational institu-
tons.
O0E VI Tic IuFsuOHs DtADTS tue COM
mittee Is The one involving the taxation of
churches and educational institutions.
II seems to have been one OF the fundamen-
ial principles OF our republican government
that the property invested in churches was a
sacred fund Sc; apart by the donors for the
purpose Of intoxicating correct moral and re-
ligiouS instruction, which is an important e'e-
meni ia the general prosperity of;he common
wealth; that property thus Sc; apart for the
public good should be exempt from all taxa
ton.
II is therefore our opition that this time
honored, and, as we believe, wise policy,
should not be materially departed IRON al this
time. The education of the masses Of our
people has been Justly considered one OF the
great bulworks OF American liberty; hence
that policy should be pursued that vii tend
best to fully develop the higher nature OF man
and give the people Of this country tie most
perfect system o. education.
II is also justly claimed, as we believe, that
thorough education OF our citizens is one of
the best means Of preventing crime and pau
perism, thus relieving the tax payer of great
burthen.
We are of the opinion that if taxes were