Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1880-11-18

If there be any discussion of the methods oil
taxation throughout the State by the lncom
ing legislature, attention will probably be call
ed to the act passed at the last session permit
ting married women to make separate lists
The idea was promulgated by certain ones two
years ago but was defeated. Last year it be
came statute. The assessors of this towr
say they are very much annoyed by the oper
atoms of the law. Wives make out lists ol
real estate held by them, and their husband.
remain absent from the returning Office. These
Men return no personal property at all wher
it is known very well that they have it. In
these cases the assessors guess at the value, hui
if there be no real estate behind, the assessed
individual, it is very difficult to collect the bill
The changes among married women also MAKE
it is alleged, very difficult task of the attempt
to trace their property. On the whole it il
concluded that the statute Quite be repealed
aud the board would like to put "a flea in the
eur" of somebody who has a tongue in h!s
head if the matter should engage the attention
of the honorable General Assembly. -Meat
HaUen Register.
People always find difficulty in getting
accustomed to new ways, no matter how
much better they are than the old ones. Lei
US look at the difficulties suggested above
Wives make out lists according to law but
their husbands fail to do So" If the latter
have means, they can easily be compelled tn
pay taxes by the usual process of inserting
what property the assessor finds that they
own, and then adding ten per cent as penal
ty, with the further disability that they came,
appeal to the board of relief in case they are
assessed too high. With such opportunities
for bringing delinquents to book, surely the
assessor has no reason to grumble at a law
which simply imposes tax on the real owner
OF property, and not on one who has no legal
right in it whatsoever. as was done by the
old law. For, it must be observed the law
does not apply to the wife's real property
in which the husband has life estate Gas is
the more common case) but only to her sol
and separate property, in which he has no in
terest. As far as the collector is concerned,
we cannot see how he is at any disadvantage
under the new law. He can collect Of the real
owner by levy on the very property taxed ;
while, under the old law, his warrant ran
against the husband for his general taxes in
Guiding, that on his wife's land. How, in the
latter case, could her property be levied upon
to pay his taxes, as well as hers? Moreover
tax warrants run against the body of the tax.
payer and if wife with property will allow
her husband to be taken to Jail rather than
pay hispoll tax (for if he has property it can
of course be levied on for his taxes), she can
not set very high value upon his society,"
HARPER's MAGAZINE, contains: Christmas
Carillons with -Four Illustrations); The
English Lakes and their Genii., l. by M D.
Conway Us illus.); Anne; Fancy's Chances;
The Oldest Institution in the World; The
Impatient Bird; The City of Pittsburgh &c
illus.); To be Merry; The Sixth Year of
Quong See &c illus.); Two mornings; Mrs.
Flints Married Experience, by Rose Terry
Cooke a illus); Recent Movements in
Woman's Education, by Charles F. Thwing
Reveille; Mrs. Cabot's Guest The Queen,
Ministry, Lords, and Commons; The Bridge
A Great City; The Lucky Horseshoe; Look
ing Back; Washington Square, by Henry
James, Jr. (continued); Editorial Articles.
Published by Harper Brothers, New York
See Eng. Clubbing Rates.
The Chinese letter investigation has ended
disastrcusly for all connected with that now
famous forgery. The two witnesses who
swore to the existence of "H. L. Morey," and
to his connection with the letter, have both
confessed that their testimony was false
throughout. and that they were suborned to
perjure themselves. Judge Davis has held
Philip for trial for committing the forgery,
and in his summing up of the evidence ar.
raigns the Democratic Committee, and es
pecially the Hon. A. s. Hewitt, in terms OF
great severity, for having countenanced the
circulation of document of 80 doubtful a
character, after it had been repudiated by the
person to whom it had been attributed. The
cases now 60 before the Grand Jury and it il
thought by some that certain of the National
Democratic Committee may be called upon to
account for their share in this most disgrace.
full transaction.
The most important political development
of the week is our own State is the practical
withdrawal of opposition to the election OF
joseph R. Hawley to the U. s. Senate to sue.
coed Mr.. Eaton. The Hartford Post, the rep.
resentative of the Jewell interest, is out in an
editorial urging the election of Hawley thus
in effect, Withdrawing the name of Mr.. Jewell
from the contest. The New Haven Palla.
>dium, hitherto the mouthpiece of the New
Haven opposition to Hawley, joins also in
recommending his election to the Senate. The
Enquirer has supported Gen. Hawley for the
Senate, first, last, and always Wecannotthere
fore but rejoice in the assurance of his election
given by the assent of Governor Jewell and
OF the Republicans Of New Haven We think
be would have been elected in any event
but, perhaps after contest that would have
revived many old animosities, and created
much dissenslon in the party now once NOR,
in popular majority in the State. The con
duct of Gen. Hawley's opponents is not onl,
generous and honorable; it will put an enc
to differences that have for years been con
slant source Of weakness to Connecticut Re
publicanism.
Spain is getting the monks France is expel
ling. There has been an impression that sh,
| had enough of her own. At least they will
do little hurt there, though at latest accounts
they are not very Hospitality received.
WESTERN CORRESPONDENCE.