The weekly clarion., 1875-01-21
CoNFIsCATIoN.

finances. We will notice some of its sa-
lient features.
CoNFIsCATIoN.
No more striking Illustration of the
effect Of high taxes can be found than in
the statement that four million, five hun
dred thousand acres Of land have been
forfeited to. and are held by the State
for taxes. Besides this large quantity
which has been virtually confscated for
general revenue purposes, one million,
FIVE hundred thousand are held by the
boards in the levee districts. These
lands have been taxed out of the owner
ship of the proprietors. They no longer
Weld revenue TO the State and are IN
fact dead capital Common sense. as
we'll as Justice, dictates that the parties
from whom they have been taxed, should
have the opportunity of redeeming them
on reasonable terms and that taxes on
the whole landed interests should be vast
ly reduced.
ASSkSSlNlT AND COLl-I-N l-Nbs
The cost of assessing and collecting
will be enormous the present year under
existing laws. The Auditor shows that
for assessing, the expense will be sll9,-
464 and that for collecting a proportion
ate cost will accrue under the present
defective system 1t is a shame that the
taxpayers are subjected to such abuses.
In examining into the cost of assessing III
former times when the valuation OF the
real and personal property of the State
was folr times what it now Is, we hav-
ascertained the following facts as exhib-
tied by Reports from the Auditors office.
1S54-Commissions. ns.............,...SII, ,lo4
1S55- =" ............ 9,9oO
Isis g ................ 1S,9SS
And in the years Immediately succeed
ing the war, before the rule of the adven-
turers commenced, we have (for example,:
From May 81 to May '6S--s2S, ,O66.
Compare these figures with the cost
that must accrue the present year (sll9,-
464) unless the Legislature comes to the
relief Of the. people.
If that body is willing to afford the
necessary reform in the matter Of assessing
and collecting, we would recommend, as
cheap simple, and yet efficient mode,
the system, and the rates, prescribed in
the Code of 1857.
STEALING.
The Auditor shows that gross frauds
are perpetrated on the Treasury by col
lectors in not accounting for, and pay
ing over, the delinquent poll-taX. The
same remark applies to moneys collected
on account of privilege taxes and
licenses; The Auditor reports that from
" twenty-three counties no licenses have
q been reported or paid in, eleven
& from which no fines have been re
" ceived, and six from which neither
& fines nor licenses have been received"
All OF which shows that vast amount of
stealing is going on at the expense Of
the taxpayers who are required to make
up the deficit thus occasioned.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES.
On tn subject of receipts and dis
bursements, the Auditor states that while
the excess Of the latter over the former
in 1878, was S674, 14S; tho excess of
receipts over disbursements in 1874,
amounts to $40, ia and congratulates
himself that this is the first year in which
receipts have exceeded expenditures.
But this showing is purely fictitious. 1t
is caused by the fact, well known to
everybody, that Il large portion of the
taxes payable in 1873, were not paid
unit the spring or early summer of 1874.
The rugged truth is there was no reduc-
ton in the expenditures of the past
year; the public debt has continued to in
crease the public burthen has continued |
to grow heavier and the feather that
breaks has been put on the camels
back