Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-06-20
Common Council.

meeting, last night. The nlght was warm and
but few spectators were present.
Some routine business was transacted and The
appropriation bill passed without discussion.
The Revenue bill was then taken up and the
section fixing the rate Of tax On real aud per-
soDal property at 50 on the hundred dollars OF
valuation having been read,
Mr.. Evans moved to strike out s. and 10
scrt $l.75.
MIR. Brodcrs said that when lac committee
reported two dollars as The tax it WAS well
aware that the city could not get thraugh with
that sum. Ii cost about one dollar per hun
dred to pay the current expenses oi The city,
besides tho interest On the debt, but though So
would not he enough the committee lhought
that sum as much a the tx payers could
stand, aud hoped that some arrangement could
| be made with the bond holrrs by which The
city could get through the year.
| MIR. Evans said his purpose IN mak!ur thc
motion was to get some information On The sub.
| Get OF the basis OF taxation
| MIR. RrOdcra SAID he would rlca All exhibit,
and made statement substantially the sa.liH ~
that published III the Ga2ellc ul eight days ago.
| MIR. Evans sad when hr first calnG to tnua-
ell The President Of that yraT told the Beard
that if they would give Tie Finance tcmr,i!tcr
s.! the next year they would reduce The tax TO
| : 80 yet next year IL wcut 10 -. 10 Ih"E 10
So 20, and the debt WAS increasing year by year.
Everything else had been reduced, everybody ;
property, everyhody's receipts, everything rx
ccpl the interest ON the Corporation bonds.
There were many people who did not under
stand this; for himself he thought the load
holders should suffer some reduction, also. il
the interest they were drawing. The people
OF Alexandria paid promptly when they had
the money, but blood could not lie gotten cut
OF j turnip, and Ito was in favor If paying :: in
stead Of per cent.
Mr. Brodcrs saul laws could be passed 10 pay
! them nothing but such laws would not stand 10
the courts. The coupons On The bonds read,
receivable for all dues of the Corporation, and
when man presented them Iir The payment
OF his taxes they would have 10 he received 81
the full value, aud no power could prevent the
use Of them in The payment Of taxes. 1t was
10 use to pass laws that you cannot uphold.
| lie was anxious both personally and Tor public
reasons to have the tax as III" as possible, but
| ote OF the troubles was that The taxes were not
collected In many eases the owners OF real
| estate do not get rcut enough from their prop
| crty TO pay the taxes, and the collectors could
not rent out the houses for enough 10 Pay the
taxes.
Mr. Seals thought that 50 lax would he
enough. Ii il not now Office holders who arr
getting all the money, but Tic terrible band
holders, who We're weight upon the com.
munity
Mr.. Evans could not understand iow tic city
debt Increased every year, and yet the pcoHie
were taxed yearly Tor an amount which the Fl
nanca Committee always thought sufficient 4"
pay the interest and the city expenses
MIR. Marbury said the ncrrlse grew /. ON The
interest not paid.
Mr.. Evans replied that IhrSc were taxes
levied every year to pay all the interest.
Mr.. Hughes moved that The tax De : %
payable in current funds. lie thought that
the interest might take care Of itself Tor awhile.
MIR. Broders-Suppose | 20 10 the collectors
and tender coupons and refuse to pay any other
money than coupons and suppose everyone
does, whence could the city get Nancy sufficient
to pay It's officers and i' other current cX.
pGnsrs.
! The motion 10 Fix the tax ut :l.0j vas lost
as was he motion TO lX il at $l.Ij.
Mr.. Latham ugcd that provision b. made to
prevent the entire tax from being paid IN cou'
ponS, and moved to strike out limitation By
which taxes might be paid 10 the ls OF Sep.
TENDER in cash, at 4 deduction oi tea PR cant.
a number Of propositions looking t. Ibis
purpose were suggested, aud The Corporation
Attorneys opinion asked as 10 The best ncth-
cd Of accomplishing it.
Mr.. Latham said he wanted TO Discriminate
on coupons the whole year round.
After other propositions it was finally agreed
to fix the tax at s. Per hundred, with J.! per
cent. deduction for all taxes paid III cash before
the 1st Of September, and per cent. on all
paid before the 1st OF December, no d2luctiOn
to be made on taxes paid n coupons.
The subject Of special license taxes was th'n
. proceeded with.
Mr.. Hughes opposed the lax Oh incomes, bat
his motion to strike it out was not agreed to.
Mr.. Evans moved TO strike ont So aud in
sert $50 on retail liquor sellers.
MIR. BrodcrS said hat wuuil ili5nnl IL pre-
hbition.
MIR Evaus--li there is such thing as prohD-
lion, and $50 will make it, this is the very time
to effect it. llmcmDcrs would 20 around town
ard scethc dirty novels Oh he outskirts, where
male and female white and black CyEgrt gate
to get liquor, they would lie glad TO sec prnh-
biion; $50 don't pay the law expenses which
these liccrscs occasion, ami to close thrm up
would be- the best thing the City Council could
do, as their closing would diminish ihc uunI
Der OF poor, ragged lrnkar,:S seen staggering
about the city.
Mr.. Miller said that raising The price f. :lup
would not prevent the making OF druDkards;
that liquo. had been soli before MIR. E7aus
came here, and would tic Soid after he went
away.
! Mr.. Brulcrs would be s!aI to see thcs" evils
abaled, but it could not be done by change in
taxes This was merely question: Of revenue.
Mr.. Latham thought that The heavy tax
would lead rot to prohibition, but to evasion
Of the law requiring the payment nf Ihc H.
cCnsc.
Mr.. Hughes said 1t Mas not by the raising
Of taxes that drinking could bc prevented; more
sell than pay license how. lie mrntlcncd
number OF instances in which shops that paIi
10 license sold liquor.
The motion was lost.
When the tax on boarding. houses came up,
| MIR. Latham moved to strike it out, which WAS
carried. The bill was finally, at very late
| hour read the third tme and passed. Save the
| nh in hn fny m which Fixed