Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-04-01
The Practical Working Of the MOffett
REGISTER.

The Auditor OF the State has addressed a
circular to the commissioners Of the revenue, in
which he says
| have forwarded 10 you blanks and interrog.
atorics FIR ne assessment Of license taxes. The
laws 10 relation thereto are the same as tor the
lest year, and will be found 10 the revenue laws
of 1871. GA page 80 Of said laws, section 100,
it Is made your duty to attend at and remain
duIi0g the continuance Ct the sessions of the
county or corporation courts. 10 March and
April, at the court house. to issue certificates
OF l!c=Lss 10 pursuanca of the provisions of
said act, AID have forwarded you the neces.
Try blanks 50 that you may comply strictly
with the law this year.
There are 20 changes in the law to which I
Dced call your attention. Your reports of il.
csnses issued other than liquor licenses will be
made 10 one report, and those relating to liquor
will be made 10 another report, separate forms
add inierrogaorie5 having been prepared and
sent to you Tor that purpose.
The attention of the commissioners Of the
revenue throughout the State is particularly
requested to the following points of Instruction ::
All license for the privilege of selling wine,
aTdeot spirits malt liquors. g., will be issued
uader the "INcDeu lap."
Ali reports for sales under the Mofett law
must be made up to the 30th dayg April nert,
even although tu: fractional part OF month
be l1cluicd, My reason for this is that the bust.
ness OF the Dew year shall commence With the
lst day OF May, the beginning Of che license
gear, aud that all assessments SHALL be made
and reports furnished at tie close of each
calendar month thereafter. Uniformity of re-.
lu:os is OF great importance. The reports re.
CURED to be made to this officer will be submit.
ted 10 and certified By the court Of the county
or corporation at its first regular monthly term
after the assessment is made.
From reports which have been made by com
mlsslcrers Of the revenue ard by other per
s1us, to me, am persuaded that this law is
rot fully carried cut. | request therefore, the
most careful examination Of the registers to see
whether they have been tempered with, and a
prompt report Of all failures to execute the law
to be made to the attorney for the Common.
wealth OF each county or corporation wherein
such failure occurs. The prompt and faithful
execution Of the act is essential to our finances,
aud The cooperation of all officers of the law is
earnestly requested to see that it is carried out
10 good faith.
Tie Richmond Dispatch says
X is hard, if not altogether impossible, to
obtain exact information as to the results OF the
| Moffett system Of taxation from the books in
the Auditors office for the sufficient reason
that the returns have been made to him irreg.
uarly. la many cases the commissioners do
DOT report according to calendar months, but
cod months from ooe court to another. That
bother the Auditor proposes to have remedled
hereafter by requiring las be does in the above
clrcular) that the reports shall be made to him
at the end Of each calendar month. Some
counties-Mr. Speaker Aliens (SheEandosb)
is one of thcm-haVc never been heard from at
all. [. is therefore not known officially wheth
er the lsw is 10 operation 10 them or not. 1t
is said that 10 some counties the commissioners
would DOT take the registers from the depots to
which they we're sent because the law provided
them 90 allowance therefor. However that
may be, it is evident that 10 many parts Of the
State the law is almost disregarde5.
From the tragmeDtary returns at the Audi.
tor 5 it is apparent that either temperance
wave has within the past three months passed
over the State, or that ia many cities and coun-
ties the turniog of the crank is not done with
desirable purctuaIity For instance, in the
lower district of Henrco county 10 December
the returns were sllG47; in January, $500
Judge Minor has taken steps to SEQ that the
law is enforced within his jurisdiction. 10 Charles
CRY county for February the returns were
$ll077; in March. sS64l. In King William
county returns fer four months are :-Decem
b:r, S247; January, $30S; February, sl64;
March, Sl57. 10 Rocking ham-the county OF
| DR.. Moffett-the decline is notable. 10 Har-
risonburg district the returns 10 January were
| s2l7C5; 10 February, Sl57.42. Madison
couoty has seven registers. 10 January they
| registered tax to amount Of $50 80; 10 February
| to amount Of $25.7S.
The registers are manufactured 10 Culpeper
equity. 1t would naturally be supposed that
the law would be rigidy enforced there, as in
its success good many people are directly ia
tcrestcd. But the figures are by no means ell
cour5giUg. See them -
Eastern District
Rooictarc