The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-28

collected and shall be applied exclusively TO
tho specific purposes for which severRlly
levied. The limitation of the total tax is six
mills, The revenue bill OF 1856 levied gross
tax In bulk on all tho property enumerated
therein. Under "the requirement OF the pres
eut constitution" this has been changed In
| the present bill to levy definite taxes for the
| several purposes aforesaid, In the following
proportions.
First Three mills for interest on the con-
solidated bonds and on the new Issue Of
| bonds to be exchanged therefor.
| Second--Qne mill for levees.
Third-One mill for public education.
Fourth-One mill for tho general fund
| The arguments which have been made
against this division are contradictory OF each
other -unreconeilable. Vehement arguments
have been made against the taxation OF alt
property, as required by this bill aud by ths
constitution, on the ground that while the rate
| Is reduced To six mills on the dollar, tho addt-
tions OF taxable property and valuations will
rfGlip make the taxation equal to thirty mills
on tho existing assessment rolls.
/ II that be true then one OF two conclusions
| Ia inevitable. either.
First-Only one-th OF ali property In this
State is now on the assessment rolls, or
| Seoohd- Whatever property is on the rolls
is assessed for only one-thrd Of it, value.
| u either be a fact the sooner 1t Is found out
| and remedied the better,
| II has been repeatedly, constantly COM
plrutt that real estate and tho movable
property attached to 1t. and other conspicuous
personal property, has been made to bear tho
entire burden of taxation while the wealth OF
the State. In the shape OF fine furniture.
jewels and other luSuries, and OF money So
curities, obligations, shares of stocks, mort
Cages and other invisible Investments, and OF
merchandise escaped entirely. The real es-
tate and the tangible personal property Is
| already on tho assessment rolls. III this bill
will add 80 largely to those rolls. as contend
cd In argument, hia addition nil not be Of real
estate andHa accessories aud attachments. but
ti.,it, ~ Ifrt nd
vestment Just mentioned. For the first time
ia the history OF the State has Il revenue bill
been presented for the taxation OF those
| articles. and for the first time complaint ts
that It will largely increase the aggregate
taxation to thirty mills. IL this
| complaint were made by the repre-
sentatives OF the commercial or mer-
| camille classes 1t would be plausible, but when
| made by the representatives OF the parishes,
where nearly all the people are agricultural
| and have almost all their property In the
shape OF real estate. mules, eattle and vehi-
cles, which are taxed already and always
have been. IL becomes incomprehenaible
No man could nationally contend that
the rural population of Louisiana ana
the nou- professional and non-commercial
and mercantile classes In the cities
and towns are possessed of luxurious prop
erty. intangible Investments and the other
appliances of wealth. to any considerable ex-
| tent. much less to the extent OF trebling their
existing assessments. liz 1t be q TACT that
| they are so possessed. then the asserted
poverty OF the people OF Louisiana ts myth,
and the late Constitutional Convention acted
| under a gross mistake In cutting down the
salaries OF It's officials 50 low.
| The truth is. and the people know 1t, that
| there WAS to be no considerable increase OF as
sessments In the country or elsewhere, ex-
| cept of the property OF people In good CIR
cumstances which has heretofore escaped
| taxation. Not one man IN one hundred has
The hundredth man Is able to pay on the ex-
cess and ought to do SO. Peculiar stress has
been laid on the assertion that property ID
taxed TRUCE when II has been sold on time
| and notes taken; first. that the land sold iS
taxed and. second that the notes given for
| the price OF 1t is taxed also.
| But the complaint was not made against
! taxing the land. but WAS urged against tax
Ing the notes. That is, 1t was not argued that
the involved purchaser. striving to work out
OF debt, should have his land exempted or
Omitted from taxation, but that the holder OF
the notes lwho, perhaps. may have bought
them at heavy shavel should not be taxed
on these notes. The case would be the same
IL the land were sold for cash. because then
the land would be taxed and the money paid
for 1t would also be taxed. Some Of the
richest men In the State have their principal
capital In notes. and the people OF Louisiana
certainly would not approve revenue bill
which does not tax them. Suppose In the
case stated, both the purchaser OF the land
and the holder OF the notes should de Then
the land would be inventOried In the property
| OF the purchasers estate. and the notes
would be placed In the inventory Of the
holders and be appraised at their actual
| value. 1t Is manifest that the land
| must he assessed and taxed. There fs
But whether or not the notes can be taxed, 1t
must be- inquired Are they property LIZ not
they cannoL be taxed at all. Ii they are prop
| erty tho constitution requires their taxation.
Whoever thinks any prOmsSOry note Ia not
property within the meaning OF the constltu-
| tion can test the correctness OF the assess
ment thereof before the courts OF Justice"
| This BILL In its present shapo, does not under
take to decide that it ls property.
| 1t has been strenuously declared that the
| bills, Nos. 50 and l46 tax cotton, corn, etc.
Crops are only the annual production OF the
| soil, and furnish the means with which TO pay
taxes. From the time OF planting the seed
! until the crops are consumed at home or ex-
ported abroad they are merely In a temporary
existence, q iransitory life. They are IN
trdnsttM to market or to consumption. Ihey
are not taxable property La any sense OF the
word, and neither OF the three bills contam-
plates such an Idea as taxing them. Those
who In good faith opposed the former plils on
| this ground can safely dismiss their fears.
The foregoing arguments are made Dy
their authors to establish two propositions: {:
1 First-That the taxation which this bill
| provides will be excessive and onerOus.
Second That tire interest tax OF three
mills Is entirely too much on such large as
| sessment.
II the first proposition prove to be true,
the treasury OF the State will be we'll proyidsd
for during the next two years, and the OH
GERS and others who have served the state
will be at last fully paid, the levees WILL 90
maintained and the schools be Kept up
Ifthere should be any excess 1t can easily
| ba utilized to support the government Its