The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-05-02
% the conduct Of municipal government

to the conduct OF municipal government
and to pay the interest on It's debt. #
that end is achieved, every purpose OF
taxation is satisfied Now, what earth
ly difference does 1t make, so far as the
city's interest is concerned, whether the
authorities receive the taxes in actual
money and pay this money out to the
city's employees and creditors, or whether
they make payment for materials
and labor in certificates Of the city's in
debtedness, which certificates, being
made receivable for taxes, would pos
sess all the characteristics OF money
and command their face value in the
market 80 long as the credit OF the city
and Its good faith stood unimpeached.
After all, money is but O sign and repre-
sents actually or by law. merely given
amount OF labor, and the notes OF this
| city, representing 80 much service rem
dered to 1t, ought, on every principle OF
| morals and justice, to be received In
satisfaction Of taxes due to the city and
equivalentin money value to the amount
Of service which they represent. This
is the principle upon which all ex-
changes are made, and money Is used
In preference to other articles, simply
because it la the most convenient me-
dlum OF exchange. SO that no harm or
injury would befall any citizen should
the certificates OF indebtedness issued
by the city be made receivable for cur
rent taxes.
To the second objection we say that
there Is hardly any limit to the power OF
the Legislature to remit taxes due to the
State or any parish or city. Under our
system Of government q municipality is
the mere creature OF the Legislature,
and the only case which suggests itself
to us at this moment. in which the
Legislature cannot relieve O city from
the collection Of tax, is where such
city has entered into lawful contract
to raise and pay money for certain pur-
poses for here the provision OF the ma
tional constitution forbidding the pass
age Of any law impai ing the obligation
OF contracts, comes into play.
The third objection Is sufficiently
answered when we say that the consti-
tutional provisions requiring that taxa
tion be equal and uniform means sim
ply that invidious discrimination
shall not be made with respect to indivi-
duals or classes, or, to use familiar
Illustration, that A shall not be taxed
one dollar and b two dollars for the
same thing. This provision has NO
reference whatsoever to the manner in
which taxes shall be collected. It is
perfectly competent for Legislature to
remit overdue taxes altogether or to
authorize their payment with old rags,
II 1t should see fit to do so. How then
can 1t be claimed that it has not the
power to authorize, in payment OF taxes,
the reception by this city of it's own
promises to pay, or certificates OF in
debtedness, which, in the eyes of the
law. are worth their face value, whether
they are sold in the market at pre-
MUM or discount. 1t Is true that |
courts will not and cannot lay their
hands upon the taxes levied by the city |
and divert them from their legitimate |
purposes to the payment even Of judg-
ments; but there Is vast difference be- |
tween the powers OF the Legislature and |
courts. which are as much the creatures |
Of the Legislature as municipalities are.
The fourth objection Is founded upon |
the argument that the provisions Of the |
bill are hardly calculated to enable the |
city to extinguish its liabilities. We do |
not understand upon what reasoning or
facts this argument is based. The out |
standing indebtedness Of the city Is
almost wholly represented by what we |
may call its notes or promises to pay |
the loan of money or for services rem
dered during certain periods. The |
taxes due for those periods were levied |
for the purpose Of making such pay |
ments in actual money. II they should |
be collected in greenbacks, these would |
have to be applied to the payment of |
the city's notes.-the taxes ofe1877 for |
instance, for the notes or certificates OF |
OF the same year. What |
difference, then, does 1t make whether |
tHese HoteS are ttkeu up Dy tne clCy |
with greenbacks or with receipts for |
taxes given In exchange for the notes |
None that we can see.
There are a number OF other argu- |
ments that might be adduced in support |
Of the bill under discussion, but this
article has already attained too great
length, and though the subject is an
Interesting one, we must forego O more |
extended discussion Of It,