Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-10-17
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Taxation isi TaI. rsHssOgeE.

........ II.
Lilesvil:e, \. G, Sept, 25tll, 1873.
Fer the journal.
Taxation ia Tat. Hanover.
hIEssT:s EDIroRS :-fhe delay in Civ
ing reIef TO tle oppressed taxpayers
drags Its slow and painful length along,
IS you perceive, IN common with the
many hundreds who arc waiting upon
the County Board. Why vas the day,
9th inst.) put of 50 long? Was there
no friend of the people on that Board
last Monday night TO rise up aud de
mand an earlier day tor considering
the rights OF those who are oppressed?
Was the delay OH purpose to prevent
an appeal To be taken TO the Superior
Court, which meets IN thrce DAYS after
the night fixed upon by the Board 10
hear complaints? How stands Com
missioner Morris, who hats expressed
SO much sympathy with the movement
OF the taxpayers when talking with
those who Sustain it, and who has re-
! prdiated any paternity IL the increase
OF assessments over the recommenda-
tions Of the township assessors He
is one OF the three members OF the
Board of County Commissioners whom
| Mr.. Thomas Williams of Holly town
! ship told rs III his communication, had
! declared 10 him that they had no part
or lot i'll fixing mp this extraordinary
/ increase OF assessments il the eight
overtaXed townships. Let this be re-
| corded for future rs well rs present
use. Neither of these three members
has made pubic denial + this
public charge OF an honorable ard re-
liable gentleman of Holly Township.
The failure to disprovc The charge Of
| Mr.. Williams, shows, with other rea-
sons, that the tax books now n the
! hands OF the Sheriff cannot be shown,
| in fact u. il 1ut", IL hc Ms p.-1d.lrf cf
! the EO0fH At fnHfA3i~&iylcl-~ NJ N'Cu
! Uutto,'cr rp,s0tp. Whose offspring
/ then are they?
! II s:ot thus enlanatiEg, if not the
| produce ot the Board, where is tic law
TO compel the taxpayers therein nam
| ed TO pay the taxes which the Sheriff
| now calls upon them to pay? Whoever
! heard OF such a mUddic as the Board
OF County Commissioners have got
| themselves into about these matters oi
taxation The end Of this difficulty IS
not yet reached by a long ways. This
tampcrinG with sacred rights OF the
people, this violation of right ;uI
justice and law, Will receive is rltri-
button, for law must be y;rdicltcl and
the people must be respected hy their
chosen rulers. Why should relief II,
delayed because OF the absence uf Mir.
Martin? Has lie such control and DO
ninion over the Board that they dare
not act i'll his absence? or
was tie object to defeat the
ends Of law by preventing an appeal, !
as before said, to the Superior Court |
from any decision the Board may
make? Suppose when the Board .
meets on the 18th, that all complaints !
are referred to u Committee. Before |
that Committee can report Superior /
Court will be IN session, when 1t will t
be too late TO appeal to the first term |
after the report of the Committee, even |
if it is not TOO late to appeal to the
first term. directly FROM the Boards |
above decision, If made, on the 18th.
The SEorlf, 100, it is presumed, will |
advertise all lands upon which taxes
are not paid on the goth instant, and |
this delay Ii. hearing complaints is
considered by some to indicate dis
position TO exact the amounts of the
present assessments whether right or
wrong. lawful or unlawful The ex-
cuse given that the Sheriff can refund
all moneys improperly paid to him by
those whose taxes are reduced. after
paying them, shows 10 disposition to
accommodate either that officer or the
taxpayers, but readiness to throw
obstacles III the way OF both the Sheriff
and those over-taxed. It was in the
power of the Board long ago to have
avoided all this trouble and relieved
the people. They have otherwise dc
clded it seems. Let us see what they
will 10 on the 18th instant. There is
certainly a day of reckoning. The
people are in earnest now, rs all along,
since this war upon their rights com
mencsd several months ago.
The Treasurer of the State, as well
as the Attorney General and others
high IN authority, do Lot look with
state Of things now existing III New
Hanover, as regards taxation, and the
Revenue laws OF North Carolina,
krown as the Machinery Act. They
are not indifferent to what is going on
down here. The State Treasurer ex-
pressly and unequivoca'iY declares,
that SAID act was framed i'll accordance
with the provisions OF the State Con-
stitutiOn. He is emphatic in the dec
llratiOn that monies on hand or on de-
pOsit, and solvent credits, as clearly
defined in subdivisions under section
9th OF sail act, must hc listed and
the taxes pad. In the very face of
this requirement OF the Legislature
and the opinion OF the State Treasurer,
backed mp by the highest legal author
ity and decision of the State, not one
cent of taxes for monies on hand OF
on deposit, or on solvent credits,
stands upon the books of the Sheriff
for collection Brunswick, our neigh
bor, has listed, small rs is that county, |
about forty Thousand dollars OF this
taxable property, it seems, but New
Hanover not one cent
October 10, 1873,