The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-10

5
special duties allotted 70 II. desire to say
however, that the payment OF interest for.
"nuey advanced upon bond already bearing
a ., as was done under the act No. % OF
100 should not DO repeated. am greatly de-
sirous OF the prompt payment by the state OF
ne'r oDiigations, but do not believe that the
borrowing OF money ON interest for the mr.
pose OF taking up special coupons OF interest
10 q proper method OF reaching that result.
over and beyond other objections. thlnk
That such a system introduces a specnlativa
element IN the consideration of our State ga
curitles. think 1t preferable for all parties
that they should rest exclusively upon what
the State is able TO do from its own resources.
we shouid, then. no longer SEQ the violent
hucsuations which the belief as to what a
particular individual or bank would do or not
90 has already given rise. It has been said
that IL was the duty Of the Board Of Liuuida-
TORS To remove the Fiscal Agent and select
another willing to advance sum ADEQUATE to
cover the January $3.50 coupons. Apart
from the fact that such q course. ma alreadv
stated, would have uncovered other coupous.
there was no authority in the board go 10 do
AS mentioned heretofore, the scope Of the
duties OF the Fiscal Agent Is defined IN tho
funding act and laws passed In connection
Herewith. By the terms OF the act ,f 1877
the power TO remove Is given to the board
solely Tor cause" which necessarily means
for legal cause, that Is, for the failure. on ita
part, TO perform some duty incumbent on it
by law. and no legal obligation being imposed
upon the Fiscal Agent to advance the money
required to pay the January coupons 1t Is OBJ
vious that the Fiscal Agents unwilllngness
to do that which It was not legally bound to
do could not have afforded the legal cause for
the removal contemplated
The fact that the money Is not In the treas.
ury to pay promptly all Of the January cou-
pons OF 1870, imposes upon you the necessity
OF adopting immediate legislation for the
equitable distribution Of the funds now on
hand and to accumulate and the occurrences
Of the deficiency points to the necessity. and
imposes the obligation, OF taking such stems
as will secure the full and just enforcement
OF the provisions of the funding act providing
the means for the payment Of the consolidated
debt. have already stated that, In my opin-
Ion, the failure to promptly pay the interest
on the eonsols resulted this year from the
epidemic, and In some respects from the III
considered provisions Of the funding act itself.
believe. also, that 10 Is attributable greatly
to the insufieiency Of the laws regarding the
assessment OF property and collection or
taxes. The latter cause Of trouble ia under
our control, and weshall fail In our duty II We
do not apply proper remedy. The State
has two fixed periods for the payment Of the
interest upon her consolidated debt-the first
Of July and the first Of January. II is Oh
vieus that the law should be framed with
reference to having as much money on hand
as possible at each Of these periods. Hence.
instead Of deferriDg the settlement Of the tar
collectors ten days beyond the tenth Of Janu-
airy, those Of July and January should be-
advanced, the latter to December, and that Of
July to June. again call your attention, a.
did that Of the previous General Assembly.
to the necessity Of proper legislation On
this subject. By postponing the collection
Of taxation to the close Of the year, not
only the interest fund, but all other
funds suffer. The general fund Ii thereby
embarrassed and the expenses Of the State
largely increased, for, If we consider the price
and articles absolutely needed when the pay.
ment Is made In cash, and the price Of the
same when the payments are to be made In
deprecated warrants, the difference is sur
prising. This difference represents an addi-
tional amount which the people have to pay
by increased taxation, and which, therefore,
under the mistaken guise Of llberality, 40
tually renders the burdens Of government
more onerous.
! have spoken Of laws f,r enforcing the
payment OF taxes, and have urged proper
legislation on the subject. / again 80 advise
as matter Of justice and right. Year after
year the same individuals pay their taxes,
whilst others, equally and, In fact, in many
instances more able to do 30, shelter them
selves behind the looseness Of the remedies 81
the law, and thus avoid their plain obliga-
tons. There are large numbers Of men, 0
large means and property, who, during the
years 1877 and 1878, as matter Of calculation,
have deliberately abstained from paying their
just proportion Of the burdens Of the govern
ment. They should be forced from their un-
patriotic position and be compelled TO do what
better citizens are doing voluntarily. It Is
true that the same remedies which strike
these unwilling citizens will sometimes
operate harshly upon those who. disposed to
perform their duty, are yet unable to do 80;
but, as matters stand, the same laxity Of
remedy which INDUCES the latter, In larger
number Of cases Is taken advantage Of BY
those whose situation calls for no indulgence.
l think experience teaches that that revenue
system is the best which, after the amount Of
revenue has been fixed at the very lowest
possible point, affords such remedies az render
the collection OF the revenue absolutely cer-
tain, thus equally distributing the burdens OF
government thus saving increased exaction
rom the willing because OF the delinquencies
If the unwilling. The men Of smaller means
usually recognize their duty and perform 1t,
and the benefit Of q lax system Of collection
generally enures to the advantage Of persons