The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-05-10
NO. so

that it made all property in the State
Except such As was specifically ex-
empted) taxable. can remember no
single word of objection on this ground;
but they objected to 1t because It re
qui ed that land should be rendered
for taxation and the taxes paid thereon
in the coun y where it was situated, and
for the further reason that 1t required
the passage Of law for enforcing the
collection Of taxes that should operate
uniformly upon all species of property,
requiring lands to he seized and sold
for the payment of taxes just as per-
sonsl property. All appreciated the
inconvenience that would result to
citizens owning lands in different 10
cAlities throughout the State, from the
change, but the majority appreciated
also the hardship that resulted to the
small land owners, who resided upon
aud cultivated their lands, from hav-
ing their personal property subject to
seizure and sale annually for the pay
ment of their taxes, while large bodies
of land lying around them, owned by
persons st q distance, were either not
rendered for taxation at all, or rem
dered at the ComptrI llel's office at alto
gether inadequate prices, and the taxes
upon them never paid. 1t must be
born in mind that at the time the con-
yention met, the people had been
grievously burdened for many years,
not only with heavy taxes, hut with
almost every species of oppression, and
that they looked to their representa-
tives in that body to relieve them, as
far as it lay in their power to do SO,
from these burdens, not the least Of
which was the unequal and unjust OPP
Grafton of the existing laws for the as
sessment and collection of taxes.
Largely, our 40, 900, 900 of acres of
patented lands had never paid any
taxes to the State or counties, and un-
less the land owner had personal prop
erty in the different counties where his
lands were situated, the collection OF
taxes could not be enforced against
him without such vexstious litigation
and long delay as to make the collec,
tion almost altogether impracticable.
And it would have been surprising II,
under the circumstances, some import
oAS hou nv NSSh AZ hhS
mode Of enforcing the assessment
and collection of the taxes. The plan
adopted of making all property taxable,
save such as was specifically excepted,
aud of requiring promptness and uni
formity in enforcing the assessment
and collection OF taxes, met my hearty
approval at the time, and as heartily
approve it now. The summary method
of disposing of land, heretofore un-
known to cur laws, for the payment of
the taxes due on them, is lifting our
counties out of debt, and enabling
them to build substantial jails and
court houses, and is working no hard
ship on the people. OF this last fact,
the tax collector Of this county, whose
judgment and honesty cannot be ques-
toned, assured me this evening.
There are errors In the Constitution,
but the measures of which / have been
writing are not of the number. And
now, before leave the subject, de-
sire to say that under the present sys-
tenn our county is collecting more and
spending less money than for many
years past. We are out of debt and
have several thousand dollars ahead to
invest in a court house.
Respectfully,
r. SAMSON.