Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1879-01-23

Mr.. MIghels' Address { o the Legis.
lature.

day evening", 10 near Mr.. henry ". 5aBhcls,
Of the Carson "Appeal," delivera lecture
upon the subject of Taxation, Direct. and
Indirect, including tho Transportation
Tax" The audience embraced nearly all
the members VI both Houses of the Legis-
lature, as well as a large number of the
most intelligent class Of citizens Of Carson,
including a great many ladies. The vir-
ginia Chronicle" says. Mr.. Mighels spoke
for nearly tive hours, presenting in q most
effective mahner q strong srray of facts
and figures, proving how grievously the
people Of Nevada are burdencd by railroad
exactions. The following are the principal
points touched upon:
The theory Of popular government, I'M
der which every citizen tacitly agrees to
bear his share Of the burdens Of taxation,
was first briefly discussed ; and tho lee
turer read as fitting texts to his disquisi-
ton, certain apt extracts from the writings
Of Adam Smith, Professor Perry and Amasa
Walker. -.
Direct taxation is that which is periodi-
cal, and brought to our attention by the
assessor and the tax-gathcrer; indirect tax
alton IL imposed upon the community by
vice. fdlencss and crime. This species Of
taxation also comes through tho system Of
customs duties, imposed by the general
Government, and, as it is not generally
noticed, through the railroad. This lat
ter il designated the Transportation
Tax" and in treating of this, the lecturer
presented some interesting facts rela-
tive to
FREIGHTs AND FARES.
The first part Of Mr.. Mighels' address
dealt somewhat at length With the COM
parative burden of direct taxation, rs
borne by the people Of several Of the
States OF the Uuion aud in this regard
Nevada was shown to be subjected to a
most grieyous burden-far in excess Of al
most every other State. Also, some s~tatis-
tics, showing the relative proportion Of
crime, and illustrating that all excessive
average Of criminality and a great and OPP
p~ressive load Of taxation are found to be
closely related.
That wonderful exhibit of crime as a re-
suit Of heredity, presented in Mr.. Dug
dale's celebrated work entitled the Jukes,
was briefly quoted from to show how in
portant it is, in a business" way, for the
State to do what it can to arrest the cur
rent of crime and vice in its outset. The
length Of the lecture prevented an extended
references 10 the facts and figures contained
in this sadly interesting work.
THE DuTy OF THE LEGISLATURE
In introducing the topic of railway
transportation and the htir,lens PIT upon
the community thereby, Mr. M3giiels read
from a boob Of essays upon railroads, by
Mr.. Charles Francis Adams, Junior. The
era OF change which so suddenly CAME
upon the civilized world through the in
trudpctian Of the locomotive engine az the
chief factor IN the internal commerce of
Europe and america was exempliiied by
some extracts from one Of these essays;
and the lecturer justified his own concep-
ton of the character Of railway exactions
by quotations from Mr.. Adams essay upon
the Transportation Tax. BY these timely
quotations it was shown that MS serious a
matter ~ anyiwith which the Legislature
has to deal IL the regulation of fares and
freights on the railroads doing business
within the State; and attention was called
TO the Importance Of carefulncss in trust
ing the responsibilities Of public transpor-
tation in trustworthy, honest and capa bic
hands.
THE STATE HAS THE POWER.
As to the power Of the State to regulate
~reilrosd freights aud fares, flis is indis-
'rutabie. 1t was shown thai both in fact
and in law mining for the precious metals
is regarded here as the all-important' and
essential industry OF the state and a.
illustrative of the two assumptions indi-
Gated namely, the power OF the State to
prescribe regulations for the restraint and
government Of the railroad companies
within its borders-tIe lecturer read from
the statute which c0nfers upon mining
companies the right Of eminent domain,
and in support Of the validity of that
statute he read from Mr.. Justice Hawley's
able opinion tin the 18th OF Neyada,l
.wharpin the nripGiple is CLEARLY enunciated
aud sustained that mining i'll Nevada, be-
ing a public interest and necessary 10 the
prosperity if not the existence Of thoState,
,is rightly vested With the power to CON
denim 10 it's uses such private property as
stands in its way on the line of its ~neeessi-
ties. Railroad companies are also given
this right of eminent domain. 1t being
declared by this decision las also by many
that private property may be con
'demned for public uses" il follows as a
matter OF course that in their utilization
Of this right, the railroad companies, when
they seize and cause to be condemned pri-
rate property, do so in the exercise Of the
power To take private property ''for public
use" The deduction, then, is inevitable
that the railway company is an agent OF
the State, endowed with a franchise to the
end that it prosecute a public undertaking
for and in the name Of the Commonwealth,
and subject to such laws as the Legislature
may from time to time prescribe.
THE PROFITS
OF the Central and Union Pacific and the
Virginia and Truckee Railroads were
briefly limited at and the vast sums Of
money disbursed by our people on account
Of the transportion tax, was taken into ac-
count and added 10 the sun total of the
average Of our enormous rate Of taxation
per capita.
In this relation the lecturer suggested
that, inasifuGh 1as the chief industry Of
the State was subjected to . law taxing
: the net proceeds of mines" perhaps it
would be well to take into consideration
the fairness and wisdom OF taxing that
parasitic drain upon our Industry, namely,
the net proceeds of the railroads"
The Encouragement Of immigration
caused by our heavy rate Of taxation, direct
and indirect, was referred to as in itself n
tax most grievous to be borne and highly
detrimental to our interests.
THE REMEDY HAT is REQUIRED. 90,
Tho attention of the Legislature being
directed to these matters, the imperative
need for a general reduction, not only in
the measure Of direct but indirect tax
alton, was asserted with emphasis. OF
course this means that while We are cut
ting down the rate of taxation, as pre-
scribed by the Legislature, laid by the
Assessor and collected by the tax-gath-
erer, it behooves us to take such steps
as shall curtail the alarming proper
tions of vice and crime as these phases Of
human society are presented to us. Also,
1t follows that while we are thus progress
ing toward n general alienation from the
weight Of our burden, the excessive and
heavily bearing weight of the transporta-
tion tax is to be taken into serious consid-
Grafton. The 'distressfu! cry Of an op-
pressed peopre, wtose industries and