The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-02-13

Commissions for assessing =. 1852 As
Penitentiary " $50 SO
Public Printing -. .....o.. 2, 1863 As
Interest on Chickasaw School
Fund ........ ,45S 56
Interest on Insurance de-
posits Observation-Disclosures. 1880 SO
Lunatic Asylum. -. ... 1,716 81
Deaf and Dumb, and Blind 1,O16 So
RECEIPTS AND DISBURS EMENTs.
By reference to Documents "a"
and "B," it will be seen that the receipts
exceed the disbursements to the amount
Of $1S5,O25 81. While this amount
is less than for the year previous, it
must be borne in mind that under the
revenue laws governing the collection of
taxes for the fiscal year 1877, the time
was extended from the 1st day Of De
Gem Der, to the 10Th of the same month.
By reason Of this extension of time, a
large per centage Of the taxes collected
for the fiscal year 1877, were not paid
over in time to be embraced in the re-
ceipts of this year. 1t must also be
remembered that that the tax levy for
)
mills, being now mills against 81
mills in 1876. | am gratiGed to be
able to report the fact that while the
burden of taxation has been largely
decreased, the receipts have been suffi-
cient to meet all demands upon the
State Treasury, and still leave
considerable balance. sufficient to
meet all accruing expenses. |
am of opinion that the rate of
taxation may be still further reduced.
without detriment to the public service,
or the credit Of the State.
COMMON SCHOOL FUND DISTRIBUTION.
Document "D'' shows the amounts
collected and paid into the Treasury,
from the various sources, to the credit
of this fund. l would respectfully call
the attention of your honorable body
to the law governing the distribution
of this fund. The basis is upon
the number of educable children
in each county. The enumeration of
these is imposed by the law upon the
Assessors of the several counties. l
have reason to believe from the reports
received, that this is very Inefficient
" done, and recommend that some
more efficient method be devised for
securing more accurate and efficient
enumeration of the educable children
in each county.
REDEMPTION AND PURCHASE OF LANDS.
Under this head, Document ''D' will
show the amount realized during the
year for benefit of common school fund
to be $24,869 33. In addition to this,
Document "a" will show, that there
has been received from this source, on
account of State tax, 1876, $11,S81 33,
and on account Of State tax, 1877,
1884 o. This latter item has been
largely reduced by reason of decision
of the honorable the Chancery Court
Of 1st District of Kinds county, rem,
dered in a suit Of Joshua Green as. W.
L. Hemingway and W. H. Gibbs, Audi
tor and Treasurer, and ED Ofcio Levee
Commissioners, by virtue of which de
cree, all lands held by the Liquidating
Levee Board, were ordered and decreed
to be sold for the amount of the Liqui-
dating Levee Tax, alone, without refer
ence to the State and county taxes;
and as these sales embraced the tax of
1877, no State or county tax for
1877, was collected on the lands en-
braced in said decree Notwithstanding
this, the amount realized by the State,
on account of redemptions and pur.
chases of lands, on all accounts, is
$3S, 705 SO, against s33,6l6 81, in 1876.
REVENUE LAWS.
The present laws governing the as
sessment and collection of the revenues
of the State, are, in my judgment, as
full and complete as necessity requires.
| do not know of any suggestion that
/ could make for their improvement.
They provide system Of checks and
balances in the collection and payment
of the revenues, that believe as fully
that could be devised. They should be
codified and consolidated into one Act,
if possible, for more ready reference;
but beyond this, / have no suggestions
to make that would materially improve
them.
| would again call attention to the
cond ton of large amount of lands
in Tallahatchie and Sunfower counties,
referred to in my report of last year,
and suggest some legislation in refer
ence thereto, at your present session.
PRIVILEGE TAX AND LICENSES.
The present system of collecting
these taxes cannot, in my judgment, be
materially improved. So long as such
taxes are imposed and collected, / can
think of no better method to secure the
same, than the one now existing Doc
ument "Cn shows amounts collected
and paid in, on account of Privileges