The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1878-03-03

DISTRICT.

SUBSTANCE OF THE SPEECH OF HON. W. A.
MONTGOMERY, SENATOR FROM THE 18th
DISTRICT.
Bill in the Senate, Mr.. Montgomery offered
an amendment, striking out the folio ing
clause:
(Which conveyance snail vest in the pur-
chaser Il perfect title to the land sold for
taxes, and no such conveyance shall be in
validated, nor shall any defence be available
against the validity thereof, in any court OF
this State, except by the proof that the
taxes for which said land was sold had been
paid before sale; and the Tax Collectors
conveyance to individuals and lists of lands
sold to the State shall be prinaa facie evidence
that the assessment and sale were valid, and
all proceedings of sale and duties mpOsed
upon the Tax Collector preceding the sale
were done and performed according to law
To which he spoke substantially as fol-
lows:
Mr. PREsIDENT-I must apologize to the
Senate for this treSpasS upon its time and
patience, and for the attempt to inject this
amendment, which has been rejected in
Committee OF the Whole, into the bill now
under consideration. But Sir, my apology
is thar of the soldier who places him self in
front of the advancing column of the
enemy. determined to meet his fate in the
effort to rally his comrades for battle. |
know, Sir, we are few in numbers; [ know
this amendment has been defeated in Com
miItee Of the Whole, but may we not hope
that returning sense of Justice to their
constituents will induce those who hesitate
TO throw the weight of their votes into tn =
unequally balanced scale. and avert the evil
which must b. the inevitable consequence
of the adoption of this bill in its present
shape. While it is true that for mary years
We have had the almost identical law upon
our statute books, it is equally true that the
Interpretation of our courts, until within
the past few months, has been against its
severity, and now, whilst our people are
filled with horror at this seemingly sudden
change, shall We add to that feeling the
declaration that this harsh Interpretation is
sanctioned in the deliberate judgment of
this Legislature? Shall we declare, as we
will do by the passage of this bill, that the
lands of our constituents may be errone-
Ou>ly and improperly assessed may be sold
without notice of any kind having been
given them; that the advertisement
may be dispensed with; and in the
face of all these acts OF injustice the
title conveyed thereby shall be perfect
and unim peachable? | cannot answer for
other Senators, Mr. President, but for my
self | will take this occasion to say, | would
not represent the wishes of those who have
honored me with seat upon this floor if |
for one moment entertained such prOpo-
stion. will 20 one step further and express
the opinion that Senators, though honestly
advocating different policy, fail to reflect
the wish OF majority itheir constituency
l say this with all respect to Senators who
differ with me.
l believe in every man bearing his Just
proportion Of the burdens of Government.
| believe in the cOnfiscation of the property
OF those who wilfully neglect and refuse to
do so; but l must remember that the mon
taX-paying" evil complained of by Senators
Is more or less the result of that enormous
taxation we were forced to endure uuder
Republican usurpation. If then, | am cor
rect in this, may we not reasonably expect
that with laws less stringent these bdrdens
Will be paid more promptly, and we will
have less cause for complaint? AT any rate,
let us try the experiment. Let us at lea t
give those whose property we would con-
tiscate, the benefit of all irregularities aud
infOrmalities in assessment and sale
allowed us under the Constitution, and
not be more exacting than was the party
which adopted that Constitution, and which
the people have expelled from power. Let
the Shylocks have the last pound of flesh.
but not one drop of blood drawn from the
struggling and poverty stricken people of
Mississippi! Some, perhaps, are unable to
pay the taxes assessed against them; others
there may be who have forfeited accidental
y their lands and are living in blissful igno-
IduCc VI GLclT SltudltOD. 1OiGno FORMER, we
SnOnld extend the hand of charitv-if thi
simple act of justice may be called chart
ty-the latter, we sheuldlgently arouse from
their slumbers, and not burst upon them
this storm which must irresistibly drive
them from home and fortune to struggle
again up the hill of adversely, and that too,
perhaps, in the declining years of life with
hair silvered by the frosts of age and nerve
unsteadied by the touch of time.
A1d now, Mr.. President, having said thus
much in vindication of the position [ have
occupied upon this subject since the COM
mencement of this session, aud that ma light
place myself upon record for the judgement
of my constituents l can only say pass
this bill, say to the people of Mississippi
you turn deaf ear to their entreaties, and
my word fordit Oet Senators note the pre-
diction,) seats which are now occupied. will
be filled two years hence by very different
class of men. If there was no higher, no
nobler motive actuating me, Il should oppose