National Republican., 1876-10-18
PERSONAL TAX m COURT.
Information Wanted Concerning Funds Held
in Trnst


The question of the duties of taxpayers in
this District under the personal-tax law passed
by Congress at its last session IS about to be
brought before the courts. The schedule which
has been served upon our citizens requires
each taxpayer to include in bis return personal
property held in trust as well as that which
be owns personally. A trustee holding a fund
under the control and direction of the Equity
Court yesterday filed iE that court the follow
ing report:
In the Supreme Court of the District Of Co
h1nbia-Robert 0sltman ct al. VS.. John w.
Moore ct al. No. 1922. Eq. doc. II.
70 The Supreme Court Of the District Of CoIian-
Ola, holding c Special Term iR Equity:
The undersigned, trustee in this case, found
at his residence II this city, No. 1870 G street
northwest, on the 12th day of the present
month Of 0ctooer, 1876, the papsr hereto an
pexed, (marhed "a, ,") and was Informed by
a member of Ais family that SAID paper had
been left at'she house during tfat day BY
stranger.
The undersigned is informed and believes
that similez papers have besh served upon
many oths. taxpayers in the District and
that this is done under the authority of the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia,
and that said Commissioners iu this business
claim &c act under an actref the Congress Of
June, a. D. 1875. I am further informed and
believe that If ] do not soon fill up the blanks
of this paper and make Uxth to the correctness
of the same, and thenafie the paper with the
board of assessors OF the District, and pay the
District of ColumbiaSsuch sum as said Com
missioners may thereGpon claim to be due from
INC to said District; said Commissioners will
proceed to cause 10 be imposed upon me the
penalties mentioned IN said papers.
Inspection of this paper shows that an
called upon to present full and true state
t1ent of all the personal property owned by
Eme or held by me in trust on the first day Of
June, 1876. At that date, as trustee in this
case, held in promissory notes secured by
lien on real estate in this District-about S20,-
OOO-and had besides $500 in bank.
This fund, under the orders of the court, /
hold TO secure an annuity Of { 400, payable
to the complainant, Rebecca Coltman, during
her life. As the fund is now invested the in
terest will do little more than keep up the an
nuity, II, indeed, It will do any more, and it
will be very difficult If not possible to invest
it safely at q higher rate of interest. A large
part Of the fund is invested for several years,
and cannot be reinvested till the present in
vestment natures.
In fine, the payments to the District Of Co.
lumbis contemplated by the paper marked A
cannot be made except from the principal of
the fund, and such payments, If annually re-
9uired hereafter, must, If long continued,
seriously impair the safety of the annuity.
The undersigned in this strait prays the court
to instruct him as to his duty in this matter.
-- -, Trustee.
1t is stated that this matter will be called
up in the Equity Court on Thursday next, and
as it involves question of Importance to the
public, the court will no doubt entertain
kindly any suggestions that may be made by
friends of the court who may be present for
that purpose.