The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-02-18
STATE TAX SUSPENDED

And of this enormous sum there is not
returned to the State one dollar in
fourteen. Perhaps the Levee Treasures
or Commissioners could explain this.
This law suspending the State tax on
lands held by the Levee Boards is
gradually absorbing the entire resources
of the State in the Levee Districts and
will in few years nullify entirely the
revenue from these lands. How are
these and other lands to be restored TO
the tax rolls and made available for the
purpose of revenue, so that all lands
liable to taxation shall have like pro-
portion. This is the question to be solved
and in which every citizen is interested.
When we consider that of the 30,00O,-
900 acres of land in the State only
IL ,000,0 900 pay taxes. While the
State and Levee Boards hold 1000, 900
acres by worthless tax titles, and 1000
900 more owned by the State or indi-
Viduals escaping assessment entirely,
we may we'll wonder what our law
makers have been doing all these years,
and demand Of them some relief.
| take the ground that the tax titles
are entirely worthless, and in the Levee
Districts there are such conflicts in sales
and titles that no one would ever be fool
ish enough to invest his money in a tax
title and if he were willing to do so
and take the chances, by the time he was
through paying the 10 cents board, the
liquidatIng board, the State, county and
shool taxes, it would amount to more
than the land is worth. The owner, on
the other hand, won't, or can't redeem
his land, and prefers the State or Levee
Board 20 hold it. Why? Because he
has no confidence that any adverse claim
will stand, if any one should buy, unless
the purchaser paid more than he
could buy the same character Of
lands, upon which the taxes have been
regularly paid. Many Of these lands
are held by the State since 1858, a large
majority by titles Of 1862, 1863, 1864,
and by all the Levee Boards. The Cor
dian knot must be cut, as the only solu-
ton; abate the taxes, say, to the 1st of
January, 1874, and allow the owners to
redeem within a given length of time /;
and should they fail, then let the Stale
sell the lands for the taxes of 1874, TO
any purchaser, and provide that all
transfers of realty upon which the taxes
are not pald hereafter, snail DE nelu null
and void Thus restore the lands to
your tax rolls, and secure the payment
of the tax for the future.
The hundreds of thousands of acres
now forfeited would become tax-paying
property, and the percentage of State
levy so greatly reduced as to render less
oppressive the burden of taxation.
"But, says Delta, "'release not, buturge
the Legislature to unearth this fraud :"
Why not release? To allow these frauds"
to continue from year to year, by not
changing the law What has these
frauds" to do with the release of the
lands from this miserable fiction of tax
titles? If John Brown, or any other
Sheriff, collected taxes upon lands held
by the State or the Levee Boards, he is
responsible TO the taxpayer. For while
the State or Levee Board hold lands,
taxes cannot be paid on them unless re-
deemed or purchased. The taxpayer
may pay In his own money, but the officer
receives, as the law requires, a credit for
all lands SO held, and were the tax col