The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-06-07


Surely the Union, nor no other paper in tho
State, can truthfully deny the fact that when the
Democrats took charge of the State Government
in January 1877, the State tax was mills. The
legislature of 1877 failed TO make any reduction
whatever because the Assembly and Senate
could not agree as 10 the amount 10 be levied !;
and as a result the levy for 1877 and 1873 was
left just where the preceding Legislature under
Governor Siearns had fixed it. The reduction
of taxes in 1877 and 1873 was by order of Gov
ernor Drew without authority of law, and this
action Of his administration was legaliZed by the
legislation of 1879 So, it is true that when the
Republicans turned over the State Government
to Governor Drew the levy for Slate taxes was
mills, and that now for this year the levy is 8
mills. We said nothing about preceding years
of Republican administration. but made a SIM
pie assertion which the facts sustain
II is singular that the Tribune persists in this
error, when the facts are accessible not only in
the Revenue law of 1874, which was the act in
force when the Democrats took charge of the
government in 1877, but in tho tax books of
Hilsborough county for 1874, rs, and rs. The
92nd section of the act of 1874 provided as fol-
lows:
SEC. 80. For the purpose of securing an equal
and uniform rate Of taxation, there shall be an
nualy levied upon the real and personal prop
mills to pay the appropriations made by the Leg
islature for each year, and tax OF one mill for
school purposes and a tax of three mills 10 pay
tile interest on and tor the ultimate redemption
ofathe State bonds of 1873, and such tax TO pay
interest upon and torn sinking fund for the
redemption of the bonds of 1871 as is provided
by Section of Chapter 1888, Laws OF Florida,
passed January 26, 1871.
1t will thus be seen that the law directed an
- 4 i i
addition the Comptroller might deem nee
essary TO pay the interest and provide sinking
fund for the $3.50, 900 per cent. bonds issued
under chapter 1888, which was never less than
one mill and in some counties il was one and a
half mills. Under this law the tax assessed was
from IL to 124 mills This ought TO convince
the Tribune of its mistake; but if it is not suf-
fcent, let that paper consult the tax books of
its own county and it will find that the State
tax assessed in Hillsborough for each of the
years 1874, rs and '76 was tceice and one-third
mills, divided as follows: seren mills for " State
Tax Proper" three mills for General Sinking
Fund (bonds of 1879 one and one-tird mills
for SPECIAL Sinking Fund" (bonds of 1871 }
and one mill for General School Tax, making
as stated above, twelve and 0nelhird mills in all
as against eight mills directed to be levied for all
State purposes by the last Legislature, to-wit
ordinary and extraordinary expenses, interest on
the public debt, and school fund. THIS 8 mill
tax is apportioned Ms follows on the tax books
four mills for Slate Tax Proper" taco mills for
General Sinking Fund" bonds Of 1879 one
mill for Special Sinking Fund.-" lbonds of
1917 and one mill General School Tax
Total 8 mills four Of which ale to meet ex-
penscs of the State against screen levied by the
Radicals, three are for interest and sinking funds
on The public debt as against far and upacGrds
assessed under the old regime and is for
school fund.
We think we have made this so plain that not
only " the wayfaring man." &C., but as stupid a
person as-as-lhc editor of the Key Of the Gut,
for instance. can understand it. Of course the
Tribune will correct its error and thus disabusc
the minds of its readers of the false impressions
they may have derived from The positive man
nerin which that paper has asserted and re assert
ed its delusive statements on this subjec,