The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-07-12

the roads aud furnished tho country
with first class means of Transportation.
hut the country ~ yet new, .hiid no one
III the companies has earned enough TO
pay the interest upon its bonds and Its
operating expenses. e.lffl lIl+' 4
In 1879 the Legislature of Michigan
passed On net imposing taxes upon the
lands eMbraced la SAID grants the same
rs upon other landx The parties who
had Invested their money In the. bonds
of the roads, believing that Il was not
competent for the lallds to- BE-, taxed
under the legislation before Eucnti snetl,
took measures to test the Qnestion.l
This was done, not Ian q fAcu0us.pr de-
fiant spirit, hut IN good faith audA the
earliest possible moment and the suit
was prosecuted ns rapidly as the pr,sc-.
tice In the courts would permit to n
final decision by the Supreme Court Of
the United Statcs, which decision was
rendered affirming the legality Of the
imposition Of taxes. The binding force
IF this decision " not questioned, anil
the companies propose Hereafter, ut the
earliest practicable time, to pay their
taxes and pay them In the counties In
which they are assessed. In some Of
the counties the railroad lands embrace
nearly or quite halle the taxable lands
~. the county, " The g,,ilrpad colnpahies
are intereytca largely III excess q MY
other Interest IN dcveloping and foster
business In the country along their re-
spectiyc lines. Until 4 paying business
shall be built up the deficiencies must
be made up by advances made by the
stockholders to keep tile companies
from bankruptcy. You arechargctl by
Law with power, withiii legal limi.a-
lions, IF voting the amount Of taxes to
be spread upon The lands In the respect
i've townships, and with the expehdit-
llre Of money when 1t shall Ike raised.
II these taxes are levied cquitably and
with proper discretion rs to amount,
aud ii the money is honestly aud dis
crcetly applied for tho Improvement Of
the country, opening up Of Highways,
building bridges, school houses, &c., 1t
will tend to the development and the
Improvement Of the country, to the in
creasing of business and population,
aud the II, II, Company will bc glad to
co-operatc with you by prompt pay
meNt, In the localities In which the as
scssmciit shall lie made. You all know
that 1t has been too much the practice
in the newer portions of the State, to
discriminate, in valuing property Tor
taxation, In favor Of residents aud
against non-resilcnts.> Although all
nitted by every one to be illegal, yet
the practice has become so common
that it may be said to bc the rule and
the contrary the exception. -This prac-
ticc is Illegal under the act Of Congress
admitting Michigan into the Union,
where it Is expressly provided that the
lands Of non-rcsidents shall never be
taxed, higher than the lands of resi-
dents, and 1t Is also condemned by the
constitution of this State, which, de-
clares that taxation shall be uniform
and upon n uniform cash valuation.
Many other abuses have been prac-
ticcd In the way of taXatiOn; such us
letting contracts for work upon the
highways ind accepting them before
the work has bccn fully performed;
lcvying taxes In excess of tho amount
authorized by law; running the town
ships I'm debt without legal authority to
dc SO, &C., &C., all of which practices
are greatly against the interests of the
townships In which they are allowed,
are against the law, rendering the taxes
assessed upon the rolls illegal and un-
aliZing to the community i'm which
they are INDUCED, besides tending to
retarl the settlement and development
of the country. Tie Greut interest
Which the Railroad Companies feel II,
the prosperity If the Country leads to
this appeal tO U0u. st - ,l1 Z
I'VE mightrcmain silent and avail
ourselves Of the aid Of the courts Ia
have the taxes annulled, but this would
be disastrous to the Country, and 1t
seems better first to exhaust all other
means. teLd f1r5 sfftk-h .
We ask Of each Of you to use your
utmost influence to prevent n continu-
alton of the improper practices herein
named and all others not authorized by
law. N e. U nJ '4v ft@Hf
We ask that the lands owned by the
railroad companies may bc taxed upon
the same basis as tho lands of residents
no greater, no less. ffa1 Z
We ask that 40 moneys shall 10 put
into the roll but such NJ in the honest
Judgment of the settlers, under their
oaths of office, are necessary and au-
thorize,l bylaw oi arrfr eYae f.
We ask that no warrants shall he Isl
sued until tlae money to pay for the
same shall have been actually appro-
priatcd for that purpose, 80 that the
townships may not become illegally
and Opprcssivcly indebted. 81, n6u f
y We ask that when contracts are let,
they should be let fairly, and that the
! officers should see that they are hon
cstly lived up to and the value of the
money received in tho improvement
contracted for, and that the utmost
care should be taken that no, illegal
stops Dccuriin the levy of the tax,
| whereby my person or company will
he daniaged or will have opportunity
to escape his or It's just burden of tax
ation..lfs sfa.aei7,l.t ass
We ask for nothing but what every
honest man will cOnce,le is right--notll-
ing but what Is for tho interest of the
townships and districts in which the
lands may be situated. 81, toa ev1f r
! We hope and confidently expect that
this appeal will be needed; but we de-
sire to say, that should we find that the
management of town or district affairs
! in any case have fallen into dishonest
hands, that the law is disrcgar,lcd in
the levy and disposition of taxes, we
shall deem IL due to the companies we
represent, Us we'll as to the townships
and communities. to be affected there
| 10y, to take measures to bring such Inn
proper and illegal practices to the at
tention Of the proper courts, to the end
that they may lie cancelled and dc
clarcd of no effect.
We shall not look for technical oh.
jcctions, nor seek to take advantage OF
accidental errors which work no sub
stantial Injustice. sair, oHe3i r.
eAvcasree entirely with the doctrine