Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-02-20

tax on dogs, if sufficiently heavy and
rigidly collected, and that such taxa,
ton, besides adding largely to the
wealth of the people, by the conse,
quent development of Sheep Husband
ry, will directly increase the public
revenue to a considerable amount
Your memorialists are happy in the
assurance that this measure of simple
justice, resting as it does on the funda-
mental principle of civilized society,
''that every man must so enjoy his own
rights as not to destroy those of his
neighbour" will injure no one, and will
provoke no justifable opposition.-
Surely all good citizens, (whether rails.
ing sheep or not,) who keep dogs, will
be as willing to be taxed for them as
for any other useful animal, and will
be as willing to be taxed for abating
the destructive nuisance of worthless
dogs as for abating any other evil hurt
ful to large public interests and prl-
vate rights.
/ Should your memorialists be mis-
taken however, and dog owners be a
verse to such taxation, it will 5e for
your Honorable Body, legislating for
the public good, to decide between pro-
lection of dog and protection Of sheep,
and whether dogs paying no tax and
adding nothing to the general wealth
shall destroy sheep, which largely do
both.
Your memorialists, therefore, re-
spectfully pray the enactment of some
stringent and effective law for taxing,
per capita. such dogs as their owners
may desire to keep and for the killing
of all dogs upon which taxes are un-
paid, within some short period after
each annual levy.
Vagrant Stock.
Our next subject is that twin curse
Of agriculture, Nagrant Stock and De-
fectiye Enclosures. The old and sal
utary doctrine, "that every man must
keep his stock within his own bounds" :"
is everywhere received as sound law
and pure justice. Is it not strange
that u doctrine so self-commending
and universally approved in theory,
meets with contempt in practice only?
Existing laws on this subject are
nOtoriously inadequate, yet that the
necessity for effective legislation is
both potent and pressing. appears from
the single fact. that if every farmer
was required to fence against his own
stock only, not his neighbors, to fence
one field, not his whole farm-the ex-
pense saved to each individual, would
frequently equal, aud sometimes exceed
the value of his farm.
Besides, ycur memorialists are well
assured that vagrant stock compared
with that carefully kept at home is as
improbable 10 the owner rs it is hurt
ful TO his neighbor, and that therefore
the present system of fencing, (cost-
ing in many cases the full difference
between competency and insolvency.
Is without single redeeming feature
or advantage.
Under existing laws farmer keep
ing little stock, and that in his barn,
must fence in his entire farm or see
his crops destroyed without possibili
ty of redress. Your memorialists are
unable to see reason or justice in such
a state of affairs, which, in very many
communities, (notably in those where
agriculture is best appreciated and
most successfully followed,) } would be
regarded as the grossest violation of
private right.
Believing these evils can be reme-
died here as elsewhere, by compelling
owners to keep their stock within their
own bounds, under penalty of fines,
and impounding and sale of vagrant
stock, your memorialists respectfully
ask the enactment of laws imposing
such penalties.