The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-09-24

Equity courts that u e wants of the county
may Justify, and thereby cut of all the ju-
dicia salaries Of redundant officers. If the
fees Of clerks, sheriGs, jaileIs, constahles,
or other officers of that class, are excessive,
the General Assembly can reduce them.
The tieneral Assembly can abolish the
office Of tax COLLECTOR, and impose the duty
Of collecting the revenue upon the county
trustee, and allow him one commission
Only-thus preserving part of the revenue
now consumed by double commissions.
The trustee eing "A constitutional officer
could not be displaced by legislation. But
[ e results would be the same.
The General Assembly could and should
materially lessen the expenses attending
the administration Of the criminal law.
We have an old statute, but fresh in the
minds of every criminal lawyer, which per
mits "a defendant, charged with any felony,
however small, TO continue at the first
term, upon making an affidavit, Ono mat
ter how false the court may know it to be-,
that there is too much excitement to his
prejudice to go TO trial at that term. This,
in each case, entails upon the State, all the
costs ofa term, and if the dtf :ndant is not
Oh BAIL the addition of four months Jail
fees, which, at 90 cents per day, is 81 90
In each case. This statute ought to be so
modified rs to rest the application on the
enlightened discretion of the presiding
luN4Gs L Ills GcloIlis II - DClACNtA1 NOAlh
save the State over $4,000 per annum.
BuL a much larger reduction still would
result from establishing in connection with
every county jail wOrAl house for the re-
ceptlon of those convicted Of all minor felo-
nies and misdemeanurs, work these prison.
ers on the public roads and bridges of the
county for the fail term of their sentence,
ld then as much longer as would pay the
costs and fines, if any.
THE roRI{E-rsr TSSTTF
This is not now the subject of legisla-
ton. It's validity, as against both the
bank aud the state, is a question for the
courts, where it is now undergoing investi-
CATION. And all, both Republicans and
Democrats, must abide the result. Any
attempt to bring that question into the pre-
sent 1nvass is very cheap and absurd tin
pan tn uder.
THE ASSESSMENT LAW
was not the law desired, or recommended.
l. was not repugnant to the Constitution,
and d moi ell authorized 10 veto it. In
some respects it was an improvement
upon the old system. The bondholders,
the money-len 'er, aud the owner Of stocks,
bills and notes, under the old law hid his
wealth behind locks and iron doors, while
the farmer and other industrial classes paid
the taxes. This class of persons we're
caught by the new assessment law, and in
that respect the law is an improvement ON
previous legislation.
While there may be be better methods of
asse sing property, the following extract
from my message to 3Sth General Assem-
b y embodies my views ON that subject:
Il therefore recommend that, as an
amendment to the present system, the
county courts be required to appoint, for
their respective counties, a Board of Reve-
hue Assessors, consisting Of three or five
men, who shall be charged with the duty of
assessing all taxable property in their res
pective counties, and that they shall be re-
quiIed TO base their valuation &C all lands
upon the written evidence, in the form Of
dispositions, of not less than three resident
freehoders of the civil district in which
q e lands are situated, touching the value
of each tract of land in their district; said
depositlons to be taken in the civil districts
where the land lies, before some justice of
the peace of said district, by whom the de-
positions shall be returned to the board Of
assessors, on or before the - day of -
in each year, and filed by them with their
returns to the County curt.
1And, inasmuc1 as there is generally no
standard of cash values affixed to lands, the
value upon certain credits TO be fixed by
law, should first be ascertained by thel as
SCISSORS from the proof, and then they should
reduce it to a cash basis by a uniform rule,
TO be prescribed BIZ law. No freehOlder
who is willing to bear his just proportion
Of the public burthens, in consideration of
the protection afforded his life and proper
tV by the Government, can complain of
this system. The testimony Of his neigh
bors is invoked to do justice between him
and the S ate. The same rule is applied
to his neighbOr. All iandholders are
placed upon an equality, and pay taxes in
proportion to the actual value of land own
ed by each.
1.-The assessors should, 1 think, be select
ed from different parts of the county. They
should be thoroughly identified and &C
quainted with the community, holding no
other office, and should be appointed for a
tem-say Of four or five years and then
be ineligible for term.
ITO aid them in the discharge of their
duties, and al tin same time to 'unearth a
lar G amount Of personal property, especial
~ about the towns and cities, which now
pays no tax, l suggest that every taxpayer
render a schedule Of all his property,
money, bonds, stocks, chooses in action, ETC.,
certified by HIM to be correct, and deliver it
10 the tax assessors, on OF before a day
specified by law, under just and proper re-
strictiOns and penalties"
FUNDING hill AND STATE DEBT.
The Republican convention declare OPP
position to what they term ''the iniquitOus
fan ling bill passed by the late Democratic
l-tZlsldl lllFs us NAlNll We NtlAe AAGA lAlt
amtecedeuts tf that party, and the clnnec-
ton it had with the measure in question,
is the most shameless declaration. From
is - to 1869, they paid less than $780, on
Of the debts of the State. They squan-
r.d the revenues upon the militia and in
support of a horde Of vultufes who preyed
upon the State, and funded instead Of pay
lug, the public debt. They funded as a
rule; we funded to meet an emergency.
The funding bill is no longer a living issue
before the country. It has been executed
and both parties are pledged to sustain the
credit aud pay the obligations Of the State
The Republican party in its pr0nuncia-
mento Of p incipies at Chattanooga, in its
fifth res llutiou, declare ''that we favor the
payment Of the public debt, both State and
NATIONAL and in the same sentence de
clare opposition to the Ubiquitous funding
bill"
How can this be reconciled? There art
but two ways of paying a government debt
one is by funding, which is only renewing