Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-04-02

ject OF taH"''"n. There is a qualification of
TINS Do Ion. IL IL chCScS in action or pos
sessio.,, owned or held in trust, or otherwise.
subject 10 Taxation under the provisions of
This act. The Commissioners have a blank
schedule making bonds. deeds OF trust. mort
cages. credits. and all other chaSrs in action
or possession. a subsection OF taxation under
the provisions of this act.
Now what Is subject Of taxation under
those subjects defined? There is no part NJ
the act. I believe. except the first section.
which declares that There shall be levied
upon "ait real and personal property in said
District SO that the hoses i'm action. aud
IN pos session, and credits, are things under
those denominaiions, in the District OF 90
lumbia. Now does IL mean a thing which i
here transiently, or that which is here per
mar emily? We maintain in the latter con
struc'ion. We say thar everything in the
shape of personal property that properly b
longs Ia the District OF Columbia; that Is
PERMANENTLY BFLoSGS HERE.
as. Tor instance. a mans establishment, lis
household furniture. his plate. his lands. bi>
mortgages OF lands in The District. his stocks.
perhaps, in the local corporations his JUDI
nents. II you choose. OF the court; an those
Things have a local existence here. They are
permanent M least. They do not change
from day To day. They are permanent. Ny
morse and and carriage are Liable - taxation
under this law: bat suppose I own a farm
across the river. and my horse ami WAGON
come into the city on the first dayof April
In the language OF the law IL i personal
property in the District OF Columbia. hut l.
II 50 in the sense which Congress designed
when the law was enacted. saw NO" To-
cause II Il here only tranSiently. II does nni
belong here. Solooking through the Sclclu
II seems 10 IN" there are quite vrrietv o.
things which are made the subject OF TAXATION
which ought not 40 he. because they are hot
permanently cif"S'N ina act ION i'm the District
ofCOlumbia. Take for lance. the stock OF
merchandise of a merchant in a store on the
lst OF April. II j. Ia b. assessed a. of that
dalc. II IL IN the District of Columbia. Ia De
sure. hut PERHAPS in ten ID ~ IL has vanished
and been sold of and carried ont OF the Ni~-
triC, of Columbia. Take a market gardener.
on me suburbs, who has E3rdpn pro iUrp
on hand that day subject 10 taxation. lie
loads UP his cart in Tie morning Wifl EAR len
stun. Gy the evening II ~ an consumed ana
has vanished. AND Yet the law
SEXES UFON 1T AND SUBJECTS IT To TAN a
TON.
as il = now Interpreted. THIS would De a
serious " ApTN tOoIIug fOt q man nav. o. tlc>.
circumstances. TIL same remark will a'l:ily
To all the >tockS ia trade. They are constant
y hUctua;ii Z. They are NOT proper =. p-r-
manc'.t la II" District. but ara transient iu
their character. \ dealer may have his store
fall on the lSt of April and yet in a week
nave sold everything or - a parry Iu a
HCieHbpinS slate. perhaps, and Nci ha has 90
pay tax Ulon those goods. Now. household
goOdS and furniture are not OF this icScfft5-
lion. They are not KEEP for IN" purpo>n pI
btln@ constantly chan cl. but lUtefi.ie - he
permanent. So ~ REGARD To- all articles az
injury pertaining 10 q mans household.
Under TINS schedule
TIE BRICK AND THE MORTAR
ara CIhCr materials which are lying i'm fla
street To 20 into my house are subject o. fax
| alton. and the next day are incorporated nto
| the touSe itself, although. Il is made the SUB
| icct OF taxation. Aud % when We come 40
credits and chuS"s Ia action. Ii may be prop
erly said, / suppose. that mortgage upon
property in tHc District Of columbia. is prom
eTjE IN lhc District. and a mortgage il IN
tended 10 run Us an investment. II l. in
tended 10 be. 10 certain extent. permanent.
And deeds of trust, / agree, the same: but
mere To;es Of hand. mere accounts. flOating
debiS 81 any description. which are due from
man Ina New York or California. or any
other part Ol the Union. have 10 locality at
all They are owned everywhere NAV be
prosecuted everywhere. They have 40 locali-
~ except in the case Of a mans death: they
follow Eis domicile in the distribution % his
estate. but aS long as he lives, they can not
10" SAID 20 be local in any sense: and there
| fore ii does rot seem To me that they ought
10 BE 1r'atei "a property i'm the DiStrict Of
Columbia. under the head OF .crelitS."
TIE TAX UPON ENCU1IBERED PROPERTY.
There Is another QucS,io 10 which " Sii
particularly to call your attention, anl tlat
i the subject OF tie tax on encountered prop
eTiY. The schedule leaves il to b. infarre
ibat the mortgagor IS 10 pay a tax u,On the
full value of his property. and the MOI, ga-ee
UrOn the fall amour! of = IS mortgage; - t-Iat
in have mortgage of S-j0,o0 upon one OF
these hotels here, the proprietor pays a tax
urOn its full yalGc-Say ~I0a,8G1: ! Pay n tax
upon the >5h,1@'. ana II choose ID hypDthe-
cate the notes in order TO raise InOacy-Say
S-A.uuO-thc lender OF this money las also 70
pay tax gain upon this ~25,e9. I am free
crS have anything TO 10 directly with this
question, but indirectly I think they have.
That Is 10 say. they are 10 prepare schedule
in which II Is rigGi they should Incorporate
those mortgages. Those mortgag eS are in cx-
press terms made subject to ia gatio. but in
directly they may control that question. and
prevent double tax from being imposed. by
lrStin" the tax. il paid upon fee simple, "a
including a tax Grnn mortgage. We say IL
never was intended b. Congress to impose
this GCuile tax. and the law * not evaIeI in
2TfCn1GfIIp faf : Sr.f1
II * true that tie tax upon 4 mortgage *. 10y
tie terms OF the law. only L. be deducted
from the circuits of the mOrtgagor. We 10
Eol ask Tat il shall be deducted from the
value OF his real estate, bUt we claim that rs
real estate Il only an equity OF redemption,
only what il left after the Satigtac ion of tie
mortgage, like reversion or remainder after
Inc lie estate, that il all hat he owlS
which is originally TO he taNe1 a real e.
ANA at the same tune infringe no provision
whateverof The law. Therefore we appeal TO
lhe Commissioners TO see that
THIS DOUBLE TAN BE NOT IMPOSED
* Il can be avoided without any Infr.tct.on
OF the Jaw. The interest OF a mOTtEagDr
10 be faXeI is the residue after tue Satisiar-
ton OF the mortgage. and tits an item oil very
considerable Importance. because there l. an
immense amount OF money loaned in the
city On mortgages. | should not be much
surprised ii il turns out that the whole tax
which is expected to be raised from the
assessment oipersGl3i property viii b2 met
by q tax upon the mortgages alone. Now.
1 nave maintained mat the meaning OF
personal property. credits. chooses in action.
and chooses in posSesSlo in the District OF
Columbia, is the class of property which can
be said 10 be permanently in the District.
rot that which is iluc;Cating all the time. in
the share OF perishable and Nendable COM
lnoiities; but simply that which we know
belongs TO Taxpayers; has a permanent
ownership. and have maintained before you
that in the case OF mortgages, which think
Is Il very important point. thai the tax
should not be imposed upon thefull value Of
the mortgaged property, and the lncum-
bTance itself. Tie view which / suggest with
regard 10 a description OF the personal
property which the law intended, 1 think. =
corroboTated by the fact that any Other view
IS NOT PRACTICABLE,
as you VIII see by reference TO the clause de-
filming the duties OF the assessors: The as
SDrs shall. before the LIST of May, lS15, under
the direction OF the Superintendent OF
Assessments and Taxes of said District.
assess the value of all the real
and personal property i'm said Dis
trict liable TO taxation hereunder, and
shall state the same separately" &c. Apply
that the OF case of changeable stock of
merchandise in the merchants store. In the \
first place you oblige every merchant 10 take
stock on this day. 10 go 10 all that trouble to |
make out an inventory of his merchandise.
1t is not his duty TO assess it, IL is the duty
of the assessor to value the property whe IL