The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-01-14

ing the act above rcciLeti, Is now 0D-
waited and saving 10 expenditures of I
: ~. 200 annually secured 10 the State. |
Another reason whY redemptions and |
sales have decreased, is because of the |
confused condition IF accounts between |
this Office aud the Circuit Clerks Of the
state. All sales aud redemptions under
existing laws must be made in and
.hrouuh the Office OF the Circuit Clerk OF
the county In which the land is located.
Ia * mining and making up lists OF
lands forfeited in the several counties re-
ported to this office by the Circuit
Clerks a. required by an act 70 further
amend an act to quiet tax titles, etc, ap-
proved April 8, 1874, ! ind, in scarcely
one instance, do the records between the
-wo Offices agree. Large quantities of
and are still held upon the books and
records OF this office, as belonging 10 the
State, which have been redeemed or pur
chased in the counties, and no report
made If same to this office. Under the
provisions OF the above recited act, this
can, and will be, IL some measure rem
edied a. to the past and obviated in fu-
ture, but as the work Of revising these
lists involves a revision Of the entire land
records Of this Office, it has been one OF
great labor, requiring patient investiga-
ton, and will require some time yet 10
| complete.
Tie State now holds not less than
1 800, 900 acres Of land forfeited for
taxes In addition to this. the several
Leyee Boards in the Levee Districts,
/ hold ! SEQ. coo acres more, On which the
State tax Is suspended This makes an
aggregate Of 5000, 000 acres, or one
/ fifth Of the entire erea Of The State.
These figures are 50 appalling IN Their
magnitude as to occasion serious concern
for the future. The Legislature, at the
last regular session, passed an Act aba
ting all taxes on lands forfeited and sold
prior to 1866. This, in my judgment,
was wise and proper as far as it went ;
| but / am now OF opinion that the pro
visions OF this Act should be so extended
as to embrace all taxes and costs on all
lands forfeited and sold prior to 1879.
! The titles are so imperfect, in many IN
stances, and records SO confused, as To
/ deter any.s one from purchasing these
lands, and especially is this true Of the
/ lands held in the counties embraced IN
the Levee Districts Al taxes, State,
County and Levee, should be released,
and the original owners allowed to re-
deem such lands by paying the taxes
now due for the fiscal year 1874. Coupled
with this, should be a change IN the law
in reference to sales by and to the several
| Leyee B1.,rds, that may hereafter be
r16de of lands delinquent. As the law
now stands, the sales are made by and to
the Levee Boards for taxes due them,
and the State and county taxes are held
suspended, until such time as the lands
may be purchased or redeemed from said
| Boards, when the State gets her taxes, if
at all, through the Levee officials. If
/ the rule should be reversed, and all sales
! be required to be made to the State, | am
convinced it would iDure greatly to her
advantage, and work no injury to the
/ Levoe Boards, as the State would become
responsible for the collection of the
| Levee Tax on sale or redemption of the
| lands. The estimated value of the lands
now forfeited to the State and Levee
Boards, is about $50, 900, 600.
JUDICIARY FUND.
The wisdom of the policy requiring
the counties to pay much Of the expenses
OF this department is, by experience, fully
| sustained | would urge still further
changes in this direction, by requiring the
payment of all witness northumberland
in cases where the State fails or succeeds
in the prosecution OF criminal cases, and
where executions are returned aU}la bona
to be made by the several counties.
These claims are now paid by the State
upon the certificate of the Circuit Clerk
As here are no means by which, In aud
ting sleh accounts, they can be verified
bv the court records, the State Is often
liable to be imposed upon, and pay claims
that should never be paid. a strong IL
Illustration of this may be given in the
ease of Warren county, where have every
reason TO believe gross irregularities have
been practiced, and many fraudulent
claims presented and paid. If these claims
are made payable by the counties, they
can be verified by the Court records be-
fore payment Is made, and the possibility
OF fraud avoided, or if attempted, it can
be readily detected.
For similar reasons, / would recon-
mend that inquest claims be also paid by
the counties in which they originate. 1t
is seldom, when an inquest is held, that a
Dqoriem examination to determine the
cause of death, at an expense of from fifty
to one hundred dollars in each case,
whether the same be necessary or not, to
ascertain the cause of death If such
claims were paid by the county, 1t is
probable it would not be found necessary
10 incur this additional and unnecessary
expense in many cases.
REVENUE LAWS.
Under this head much could be said
and recommended, but | shall point only
to some changes which | deem imperative
The laws regulating the time for
making assessment, and returning as
ses>meut rolls, are very conflicting.
Section 1854, Code 1871, requires As
SCISSORS to complete and return their rolls
on or before the first Monday of july of
each wear, to remain in the office of the
Clerk OF the Board OF Supervisors until
the first Monday OF August following, for
Examination and filing of objection there
TO.
Section 1855, Code 1871, requires the
Board of Supervisors To meet on the first
Monday of August, toequalize assessments
and the CLERK Is required 70 furnish copy
Of the corrected roll, on or before the first
Monday OF October, to the Auditor and
/ Tax Collector.
Section 1872, Code1871 requires Boards
of Supervisor>t To meet on the first Monday
ct July, OF each year, t. levy county taxes.
which snail be per oentum on the State
tax a shown by he assessment roll
Section l OF an Act in relation to
State Board Of Equalization, approved
April ,, 1874. requires said Board to
meet on the trs, Monday of September,
20 equafze property among the several
counties.
These conflicts are So apparent as only