Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-28
NEVADA LEliISI.ATURE.
Tuesday, February 81. 1877.
Acknowledgements Day.

Tuesday, February 81. 1877.
Asscmbly-Fiity.e Day.
Called to order ut II A. NJ, with the
| Speaker in the Chair.
Roll called and quorum present.
Prayer by the Chaplain.
Journal read and approved.
REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTEES.
Committee on Engrossment reported
several bills properly engrossed.
Committee on Ways and Means re-
ported favorablv on Senate Bill No. 1875
tho compromise bill.
Committee on Agriculture reported
favorably on Assembly Bill No. 127. an
Act to authorize the formation of cor
porations to provide for the members
thereof with homesteads or lots OF land
suitable for homesteads.
Committee on Military and Indian
Affairs reported favorably on Assembly
Bill No. 40, relative to the Transports
| ton of the bones of Cinnamon.
Committee on Judiciary reported
favorably on Assembly Bill No. ia.
MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR.
Approving Assembly Bill No. II,
amendatory of the crime and punish
ment Act; also Assembly Bill No. IS,
amendatory of the lien law.
MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS.
By Bsbcock, 10 pay Cook and Hayes
committee clerks. and Justice Wltheriil
$40 each for services rendered. Adopted.
By Stewart. to reconsider Senate Bill
No. III, the State Prison title bill. This
was indefinitely postponed at the pre-.
ceding session, but the motion was now
made on the ground that the bill was not
indefinitely postponed by a majority OF
the votes in the House. The motion
was decided out of order.
Committee on Claims. out of order. re-
ported favorably on Assembly Bill No.
las, for the relief of P. @. Hyman.
BY Moore, a motion to reconsider the
judicial district bill Carried.
A motion to consider the bill was lost.
Moved by Gladding, to take up As
sembly Bill No. 1872. the Reno prison
bill. Lost.
Moved by Bailey to reconsider the De
Long appropriation bill. After consid-
cradle discussion the vote was recon-
sidered and the bill was passed by vote
of "a to 10.
Recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
The Assembly at II o'clock took up
for consideration and final action Senate
Bill No. 126, generally known as the
.sBullion tax amendment bill''-that be-
ing the special order. 1t had been pre-
viously arranged between the advocates
and opponents of the hill that five hours
should be allowed for debate, and that
the opening and closing should rest with
the friends of the measure.
THE SPEAKER ON THE FLOOR.
Speaker Mighels, having been selected
by the alternatives to open the case,
called Mr.. Parker to the chair, and took
the floor. He said ii was with degree
of diffidence quite unnatural to him that
he rose to discuss this question, but he
hoped the House would be patient while
he recited his views on the nature, drift,
intent and probable operation If it be-
came law of this bill. We are all at
times liable to give hearty expression to
our feelings rather than be governed by
our cool Judgment, and consequently we
are AOI ~ OO ACo INV AnASsnACo 90 W
measures and men. But in considering
matter of such importance as this, we
should be as cool and careful as CON-
sultation of doctors in the sick room OF
patient.
Now, in the first place let as glance
at the Constitution and at the revenue
laws that have at various times been
passed on this subject of mining taxation.
Article Y of the Constitution e1empts the
body of the mine or claim, and declares
that the proceeds alone shall be taxed.
In 1865 the first State law taxing
mining proceeds was passed. 1t pro-
vided that from the gross returns or as
sessed value of all ores $50 per ton
should be deducted, and upon IS per
cent. of the remainder q tax should be
levied as upon all other property-ex-
cept that the ores should be assessed
quarterly.
The Act of 1867 provided (Sec. u that
in counties with an assessment roll ex-
ceeding S5, OO0, 900 (Storey being the only
one), the tax for county purposes should
not exceed 25 cents on 800. to be paid
annually. Under this law the Crown
Point and Belcher mines paid their taxes,
6uu JuoS dOOuS SAO tAhA0 sA0y OcS"AA "
slack up in their bullion product, and
when the new bonanzas of the Con. Viz
ginia and California were looming into
prominence, this law was changed, as we
shall see.
In 1875 Up. "a of the Statutes), the
revenue law was amended by authoriz-
ing the Commissioners of each county to
levy an dd udlorem tax for county pur-
poses. not to exceed 81. 80 on each 500.
Including the proceeds of mines, the tax
upon the latter to be collected quarterly.
SO that in one single section the tax on
the new bullion producers was raised
from rs cents to $3.50 on the 500, or
exactly six times as much as had ever
been paid by anybody else. This is in
dependant of city taxes. 40 cents on
the 800, which the Crown Point and
Belcher could not be forced to pay un.
der the old law, but which the Con
Virginia and California were subjected
to under the new one. 1t is not to be
wondered at that the owners OF the
new bonanza WINGED little under
thum bscrew like this.
Mr.. Mighels then reviewed some
L