Vicksburg weekly herald., 1877-07-20


the law requiring citations TO owners,
and the probability of a good deed
wouldhave alarmed Taxpayers, and we
would not have had 100000 acres or
more Of land sold, BY which the Stale
loses 100000, the county tax for all
purposes an equal sum, and the
levees about the same. This repeal leaves
tax deeds again void. Taxpayers are
indifIerent,s some defiant, sales are made,
confusion in the Auditor office, COM
plicalions generally. "One.fitth the
area of the State held for taxes uu-
paid" and all may be again abaled.
Secondly of the Abatement Act of
April, 1875:
The abatement Oftaxes may seem lib
eral on the part OF the Legislature, and
the Act has been received with popular
approval, bu, II closely examined in all
its bearings, II is one OF the most unjust
laws ever passed b. the Legislature of
Mississippi. 1t is worse than repudia-
ton, because though not repudiating
State county and levCe bonds, warrants
and Indebtedness generally, II is q dis
charge of large sum due for taxes on
land which was levied annually TO pay
that indebtedness. II will be said that
future taxation will pay those bonds,
warrants and public debts; true, and
the injustice is that those who have
always paid their taxes will necessarily
pay again to satisfy that which dclln-
quents did not pay aud have been re-.
leased from paying.
Those favorites OF our Legislature are
generally large land owners, non.resi-
dents and non-producers, whilst our
citizens, farmers, merchants and others,
have paid on land and personally, and
must pay again an increased amount Of
tax.
II is an undeniablo fsci tha; nearly
all whose lands were sold and deeds
cancelled to 1874, are again in default,
and the State holds "one.ffth of It's
area by tax deeds"as before. To illus.
trate, the records Of Washington
county will show the name Of A. d.
Kelly, as owning one hundred thou
sand acres or more, whose taxes are
abatel to AZ amount OF more than one
hundred thousand dollars he is a nom
resident and represents accompany, one
Of whom was u. F. Buffers Private
Secretary, when the Act canceliing The
deeds was passed. At the same time
Capt. John Willis was promptly pay.
ing tax on several thousand acres Of
land and on all bis personally, was cul.
tiva,ing his land and improving the
State, and now his taxes must be in
creased 10 pay that which A. d. Kelly's
land should pay. II not increased, bis
taxes aud that Of all others might have
been reduced, If abatement had not
been made to these chronic delinquents.
1t Is claimed that increased redemp.
ton Is the result of abatement. II
cannot be- presumed that the readers
are 90 green as not to know tina. no
part of the taxes abated have been
paid as redemption money. Then II
so much has been paid In this manner,
1t shows that no small quantity Of land
has been sold 10 be redeemed, and that
continuous complications attend tax
matters in our State.
The Revenue laws by which an in.
crease has been realized may bc "almost
entirely his work, to whom the State
owes, perhaps, more for the wise and
judicious legislation that has brought
about her present prosperity than to
any other singleiindIVidual," 1t may
be also that the Committee and the
Legislature con6ding so much In the
prodigy of competency in this special.
ty, (taxes and fnances) have allowed
the revenue laws to become in a few
years the most odious and complicated
ever known in Mississippi, j. S. H
may well exclAim, "Save me from my
friends" Y. Y. z.