The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1878-02-16
WHY OUR TOWN CLAIMS BXEMP-
TToN FROM PARISH TAXES.

WHY QUIZ IUW n UbAiMD hAhuII
TION FROM PARISH TAXES.
u. S, C.. B. Hall was well filled by
citizens responding to the call of the
Council committee, last Saturday eve
ming, and the resolutions adopted by
the meeting may be regarded as ex-
nressiye of the unanimous views and |
wishes of the tax payers OF Donald
sonyille. "Relieve us of our trebled |
burden of taxation, or abolish the
town charter" is the appeal which
the COED citizens of Donaldsonville
address to the General Assembly, and
it behoeves the peoples representa-
tives to consider well the grounds
uuon which this relief is demanded.
A memorial embodying these grounds
was prepared by the committee APP
pointed for the purpose, signed by a
large number of tax payers, and car
ried to New Orleans by Mayor Duffel,
who went down on the steamer st.
Mary Monday night. We had hoped
to publish the text of this document
in to- days CHIEF, but failed to pro-
cure copy in season for insertion.
Suffice it to say, for the present, that
a candid consideration of the memoir
ial can scarcely fail to impress the
fair minded legislator with the JUS
tice of the petition for exemption
therein contained. No attempt is be-
ing made by the people of Donald
sonville to shirk an equitable proper
ton of paroclial expenses-in fact,
an express avowal to the contrary is
contained in the memorial, supported
by ample evidence of good faith. We
ask the members of the General AS
to take note of the following facts:
The town not only contributed its
pro rata towards building the Court
House and Jail, but gave $1,000 in
addition, for the privilege of using
the Jail for the incarceration of per-
sons who violate town ordinances.
All expense attending the arrest,
prosecution and imprisonment of this
IL - ,14f, I -, yNoil from fhe
municipal treasury, as also are the
fees of Coroners for inquests held
within the corporate limits. And il
addition to this, town property hold,
ers have been compelled to pay 6
parish tax each year equal to that i'm
posed upon property situated beyond
the boundaries of the municipal cor
poration. The citizens Of the tow
now propose, not only to continue the
payment of the Jail and COroner's fees
just referred to, but-to defray the en-
tire cost of all criminal prosecutions
originating within the corporation
F and to assume also just pro rata o
, all parochial expenses of a genera
nature, such as the cost of elections
f maintenance of public schools, assess
ment of property, etc. In return TO
this the boon of release from taxation
by the parochial authorities is asked
, and we can not see under what pre-
tense of justice and fair dealing TIL
petition can he refused.
We still entertain grave doubts a
, to the wisdom of the experiment on
, fellow citizens of the town are ben
upon making. but the unanimity G
sentiment is so complete, and the ar
gument upon which an abrogation c
tho parish tax is predicated so conclu
, sive in the abstract, that we feel jus
: titled in demanding of the Genera
D Assembly favorable consideration Q
:, the memorial transmitted to tina
a body through our local representa-
tives therein.