The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1873-10-10

The following letter from Governor
Kellogg was published in the New
York World of September 80:

York World of September 80:
New York, September 28, 1878.
To the Editor of the World:
Sir-YOur issue of the tNenty-seVenth
instant contained an editorial treating
upon the matter of tax collecting in
Louisiana. You call attention to the
published list of delinquent taxpayers,
amounting to several hundred, in st.
Mary parish, as an evidence of the as
serted but unfounded fact that the
taxes are not being paid to the present
State administration. 1t is true that
there is a large number of delinquent
but throughout the State. This delin-
quent list is entirely composed of those
who failed or refused to pay taxes for
previous years, due and payable to the
former State administration. When
the present State government came in
to power we found an immense delin-
Quent taX-list.
A powerful tax-resisting association
had existed during the last two years of
Governor Warmoth's administration
which has now become extinct. 1t was
evident that the whole burden of
government had been borne by a pOr-
ton only OF the taxpayers. Thus the
amount of taxes collected in 1872 on as
sessment rolls'to the credit of the sew
eral funds for that year was $685.
ITO u, while the amount really collected
in that year was $3,229,5 65 70, and this
amount was paid principally by those
who paid taxes willingly, while the
delinquent list of taxpayers an the
State shows that a very large proportion
of those who failed or refused to pay
taxes to the former administration were
large property holders, and thus able to
ncv 4hnr, II rroe aIoo41v ~ mellow oc
it was u duty to compel the delin-
Quents to share the expenses of the
government by the payment of these
taxes, hence the necessity Of the Law
you refer to, and the publication of the
delinquents in accordance Herewith.
You more than imply a doubt Of the
truth of the statements heretofore made
regarding the collection of taxes by the
} present State government. Permit me
to verify these statements by official
data showing the amount OF taxes col
lected since January l, 1873, as COM
pared with the collections of my pre-
decessor, and also the rate of taxation
and the amount of the bonded debt of
d the State. I am quite confident that,
being q reliable commercial journal,
, you will cheerfully publish it, not alone
/ for the information of the commercial
community, who are more or less in
terested in the securities of Louisiana,
I but as a simple act of justice to the
people of that State: Amount of taxes
$ collected in 1872, $3,229,5 $50 70; amount
3 of taxes collected during 1878, to Au-
gust 81, a period Of seven months,
50, 701 ,921 38-showing an excess of
!, taxes collected during the first seven
: months of the present year over cor
y responding months of 1872 OF $S42, 1856 SO.
: During the month of July, 1872, the
previous administration collected $542,-
1873 so. The present government col
lected for the same month in 1873
81 ,459,6 5 36.
I Returns of collections from the coun-
try parishes are made quarterly, from
the city of New Orleans monthly, hence
the foregoing statement does not in
+ clude collections made in the country
parishes during the present quarter,
ending October l. It should be borne
in mind that during the first quarter OF
my administration, owing to political
complications, but comparatively a
n small amount of taxes was collected.
e In the country parishes, during the last
quarter of the year, collections r al
f ways largely in excess of the proceed
a ing ones. owing to the fact that plan
tiers have been enabled to realize upon
their crops. Yet the amount OF taxes
collected and paid into the treasury
u during seven months of the current
q year is only $527,6A 80 less than the
; whole amount collected during the yeal
4 1872, or about one-third as much as was
y collected by my administration during
the month of July of the present year
y The rate of taxation in Louisiana II
t~wenty-one and a half mills-State ta1
q four mills, school two mills, interest OF
: State debt eleven and a half mills, anC
+ levee construction and repairs foul
y mills. The total actual bonded deb
Is of the State is 2 ,302,800; annual i'll.
d terest thereon, $1,493,358; assessed
% value OF property for 1872, $~3,228,666,:
2 653 90. The amount of debt thus STATED
:; does not include the bonds issued tt
y the Citizens Bank several years since
T. upon which the State has neve pail
., interest, and no apprehension exist
y that she will ever be called upon to d.
d so. The amount Of bonded debt inGlu
NJ ded in the statement above, which /
1, affected by recent injunctions-th'
Il. validity of which is to be determines
u bv the courts-is 3d. 94 900; amount 0
l. interest on debt so enjoined, $447,
20 $50. This interest has been sdeposite'
&c with the Fiscal Agent to await the de
10 cision of the question of validity
Amount of interest due by former ad
D. ministration for the year 1872, and PAL
re by the present one, $271 $3.50; amount o
current interest paid since January ]
III 1878, up to and including September
E 800, 1898: total interest paid by tn
u present administration to September
81 ,O3322, 707; amount of interest yet t
Ill be provided, for, accruingi in the month
of October, November and Decembel
2S4 ,970. On September | we Wer
ny enabled to pay our August interest, an
n Notwithstanding the present fnanclf
II, embarrassment we confidently expeG
as to paw our interest for the preseI
Er. month. and continue to do 30 as it az
ct crues. The: above official data | hay
as now before me, certified to by the AT
We ditor Of the State. No n in Louislan'
ne even the bitterest partisan OF the oppt
sition, will, / am sure, question the
10 accuracy. If e0rrOboratlve proof be 90
II, sired, / refer you to j. II. Qglesby, Esq
It. who is president of the Chamber I
ut Commerce of the city of New .Orlean
ed and also president of the Louisiana NJ
no tional Bank, who is the Fiscal Agent {
the State of Louisiana, as well as Of til
Ise city of New Orleans, and who is no
lis in this city to WinsloW, Lanler &c
ng of No. 81 Pine street, at whose bank oil
Il interest coupons due here are paid,
am thus particular In as much as, IN Il
air editorial referedto to, you have d1gnlt1ed
characterized the statements pubilshe
sd. from New Orleans, regarding Il
:. amount of taxes collected by the pre-
ent State administration, as " lmpuqel
"a. T;or II Tf 4our ctatamant* that Renuhl