The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-22
.e,onilaay yTaxes.

d0zinay Taxes. ts s @
To the Honordbies Nessrs. Taylor and
Southicard, members OF the House OF Dele
gates from ReR,'ico County: !. l.;
In the Dispatch OF the 7th OF this month,
among other proceedings reported OF the
House, there was before your honorable
body Senate bin, as an amendment, In re-
gard to commlssio oners Its object being to
require commissioners Of the courts OF Hen.
rico to be residents within the jurisdiction
OF the same, and proposing to oust the pres
ent incumbentS, who reside in the city OF
Richmond, and the change in the law seems
to have been zealously advocated by. you. !,
This may be all right and proper, and it
is Rot my purpose, to say whether or not
such change in the law will be prombtiye
OF the interest Of the Suitors who pay the
commissioners fees, as it matters not but
I little to whom they pay, as the fees come
out Of the ;suitors' pockets, and the, people
OF the county are not made richer or poorer
| by the change in the law. What is to the
peoples interests (the suitors n1ean) is that
competent and experienced men Should Gii
them, whether they reside in the county or
CITY. This much viii suffice as to this mat
ter. r,3-,'a:5. 90 sf"" .. 81: ).
But nv object now. as it is perceived that
for the county of Henrico, is to draw your
special attention as representatives OF your
county to some legislation, if possible, by
which the county taxes may be reduced at
least TWENTY-FIVE per cent. Here is field
| in which you can serve the interests Of your
constituents In the highest degree, and
which will place them under lasting thanks
for such services. And cannot better in
troGuce the subject to your consideration
than by directing your attention to the very
sensible report adopted by the "Tuckaboe
Farmers Club" of Henrico, published in
the Dispatch Of the Sd of this month, which
covers the whole ground, and which, /
| think, furnishes food for thought and Da-
| sis for Legislative action. or s'.' Il.
1t is not proposed to enlarge upon the
Clubs report to any extent by way OF COM
ment, but to give facts and some sugges-
tions which you can take with you TO your
legislative seats in connection with the re-
port, and il there is any remedy by legsIa-
tion to reduce The county taxation OF the
people. it is to be hoped, for their relief,
you will at once apply the remedy.
In the table Of the report adopted by the
Club, setting forth the levy in 1878, there
are some items which perhaps pertinent
legislation can reach, not to say anything OF
others, to which will proceed to call your
attention as the subject will admit. With
the Underwood Constitution came this new
system OF county courts In Virginia, the
"carpet-baggers expecting to fill all the
Offices with large salaries. They failed In
this; the how it is unnecessary to state.
The Legislature OF 1869 10 put these courts
into operation, with common law and cham
Gerry jurisdiction, and the annual salary OF
the Judge was fixed at $500 to $1,000, and
paid BIZ The Stdte.--Session Acts 1S69-'70,
chapter 40, page ia. 80 ;@5.
1t was soon seen that this system was not
adapted to our situation, either as to our
finances or the wants OF the people; and
the county courts soon began to absorb the
business of the circuit courts, and lett the
latter with little or nothing TO do The Lee
sislature of lS72273, te give remedy for
the evil, and at the same time not violate
the Constitution, stripped the county courts
virtually of their common-law and chaneery
Jurisdiction, and left them mere skeletons OF
COURTS, except to some extent in criminal
matters, and by the 7th section Of this act
provided that after the 1st day OF January,
1874, salary of $500 shall be allowed, with
the addition OF $40 for every thousand in
habitants over ten thousand, and that the
salary be no longer paid by the State, but
bytAe eoanty.--Session Acts 1S72-'75, chap
ter 395, page 382. .r!ae i"ia :t..' ...'.. Il.
This reduction OF the salaries Of county
judges twas the necessary sequence OF the
new law Of 51S73, hieh nasde mere skeletons
of these courts SO far as stated, and at once
restored the business to The circuit courts
which the county courts were absorbing.
On this subject, however, or the reduction
OF salaries; the battle ragged fiercely by them
and the efficehoIders OF their courts and the
people; and a great outery came u3 from the
land; III ging and beseeching the Legisla-
ture, throug gh the. newspapers OF the State.
to restore their salaries. or rthey allwortld re-
sign, and the Office Of Judge Of these courts
would SO begging for competent men to fill
them. But the Legislature stood firm. They
bad the people at their back. A new cleo
tion came on, and with the exception OF
about half dozen, all these incnmbents
were candidates for reelection by the Legis-
lature, and took Office and have kept the
same, thus verifying the adage that "few
die aud none resign" z
The Legislature, however, OF 1875-'6,
such were the pathetic appeals made,
amended the law increasing the salary to
$3.50, to commence the first day OF January,
1876, with the like provision Of $40 addi-.
tionaI, and that the same was to he charge
and paid by the counties. Thus the gen.
eraI law now stands in force, SO far as the
salaries OF county court Judges are con-
eerned. Session Acts 1S75-'76, chapter l49,
page 152. ~: a5sta,t5t' @
:, In the mean ,ytine, however, before the
massage of the law OF 1873 reducing the
salary 10 $500, and after the passage OF the
law OF 1876, there had been passed forseye-s
raj counties special acts empowering the
Roard Of Sunaryisors to increase ;then sala-: