Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-22

I
personal estate, granted, sequc.tercd or used
for public, pious, or charitable uses house
hold furniture, not to exceed five hundred
dollars in value wearing appareli private
and professional libraries farmers and me
chanics' tools; provisions for ayear's con-
sumption Of man and beast; lands leased by
towns for the purposes Of educaiion' lands
owned or leased by colleges, academies or
other public schools, or for the support Of
the Gospel.
The reasons for the exemption Of these
various classes Of property are good aud suf-
fccnt. It is for the advantage Of all per
sons alike that such property should not be
taxed The people, who are the government
who support aud carry it on, for their com
mon and mutual benefit, agree that the
taxes nccdful for the public welfare shall
not be assessed on certain classes Of prop
erty, but shall be uniformly assessed ON
certain other classes of property. The ex-
emption is admirably arranged with refer
ence 10 the common benefit. II the people
were not the government, or If the govern
ment was absolutely distinct from the poo
pie, If it was a government of the people by
a royal family, as in Russia, or by priest
hood as it was in Italy, then it would be for
the interest Of the government to extend the
taxation Of the people to the utmost limit
and exempt nothing that the people owned /;
to exempt only what the government owned,
or what the church owned. But So long as
in this country the people constitute the
government, an equitable system Of taxation
will exempt only the certain kinds Of prop
erty whose benefits all the people share in
equally. To tax government property would
be to increase the tax on other property. To
tax property that men own in common for
public uses would also Increase the general
taxation
But there is danger that the provision
by which property devoted to public, pious
and charitable uses may be taken advantage
of, and the result be Of serious injury. As,
for instance, in many countries whore prop
erty sequestered 10y law for the use of the
church is exempt, it has been thecustom for
the church to acquire large possessions not
needful for its legitimate purposes, and with
draw it from the tax list. In Mexico the
church has become the owner of large por-
tons of the finest parts Of the country
| Converts monastcries with immense estates .
churches owning whole villages aud cities,
are free from all public burdens. These
great estates are pouring their revenues into
the hands Of religious corporations or indi-
vidual priests, to the impoverishment of the
nation
In Turkey the larger part Of The real es-
tate Of the country is held by mosques or
or other institutions of the Mohammedan
church. It is the custom, even for in
diyiduals, to convey their property to the
mosque, and retain the use of it for them
selves and families for stipulated time. The
title being in the mosque, it is withdrawn
from taxation. And this wide, extended inn
munity from taxation throws the whole bur
den Of supporting the state upon the few
people that own the smaller portion of the
property by the church. that led to the con
iscation to the crown of all the splendid con
ventual estates of Italy. 1t is this that is a
perpetual drag on the prosperity Of Spain
and of Mexico The church has appropriated
the most productive real estate. 1t is this
that hampers the prosperity of many Of the
finest districts and cities of Canada. And
Turkey is suffering under the exhaustion
produced by the preying Of the AIohamme-
dan church on her best resources. She can
not raise enough to meet the interest Of her
debt, and carry on public improvements,
aud sustain her current expenses by taxation
on the little property that the mosques have
not sequestrated from all public uses.
And these facts show where our danger
lies in the future. 1t is not likely, nor in
deed possible, under their constitution, that
more property than is needful for their legit-
innate uses But it has always been the
policy Of the Roman church to grasp at
large territorial possessions. The rulers of
are always gra'ping, and never let 60 their
hold. We have very little anxiety as to
their future in this country, provided they
have no undue and partial privileges. But
the history of public affairs in other lands
shows us the importance Of limiting the
property that is devoted to "pious " uses,
that shall be exempt from taxation. There
should be a limit determined by law, beyond
which property cannot be withdrawn from
public burdens by the plea of pous or char
table uses.
Trinity corporation, in New York, grows
fat in its immunity from taxation, The
old South, in Boston, becomes richer year by
year, from the same cause, Scores Of Cath
Ole institutions are reaping large revenues
in the same way. We are inclined to think
that the limit Of freedom from taxation is
reached by any church where it holds prop
erty from which it derives yearly revenue.
1t is quite doubtful in our mind whether
church should ever be able to withdraw any
property from taxation, except its own place
of regular worship whether school or col.
lege should be released from taxes on any
property except that which it occupies for
It's immediate purposes, and which brings TO
1t no direct income. II will in time, be nee
essary to revise even our own state laws in
this respect. We have suffered no incon-
venience hitherto in this matter, for we have
had no rich religious or charitable corpora
tons. But the day may come when it will
be necessary to tax all property, without any
exemption, or TO limit still more the prop
erty that is now withdrawn by law from the
public burdens
TnE NEW COMMISSIONER OF PATENTS
A good many OF our readers are patentees, or
interested in patents, and viii be glad to
know something of the new Commissioner
OF Patents who is 10 take the place of Mr. /
Ihacher just resigned to euter into the Pa |
tent business in Chicago. Hon r. H. Duell, |
Of Cortland, New York, born in Warren.
New York, in 1921, received an academic |
education, studied aud practiced law, has /
been district attorney, county judge and /
assessor Of internal revenue and has been |
sent four times IA Cono1.aes from, L;, ,,,.,, i