Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-04-20
Privacy OF the Inventories.


personal lists of all taxpayers, and lodge the
same in the town clerks office on or before
the 25th day of April of each year, for the
inspection of the taxpayers of such town.
The WATcHMAN of March 10th took the
ground that the inventories which this act
requires the taxpayers to make out are
strictly matter of confidence between the
taxpayers and the state, as represented by
the listers that the details of taxpayers
private affairs which the Inventories dis
close do not, legally or morally, concern the
general public; that the net results deduced
from the inventories, the taxpayers lists
the sum total of theirs taxable property, is
what the law requires the listers to arrange
in alphabetical order and lodge in the town
clerks office for the inspection of the tax
payers Of such town. 1t was held that the
taxpayers having satisfied the listers, the
public must accept this fact and the publ
cation of the lists as a fnality, and that
having preserved the inventories long enough
for any revisions in the list that might be
demanded, the listers should then destroy
them. This course was advocated on the
ground that by no stretch of language could
section fifteen be construed as meaning that
the Inventories should be thus arranged in al
phabetical order and exposed to the inspec
ton of the taxpayers, or, practically, to all
curious or interested people everywhere
that such forced construction of the law
carried into practice, would be an unwar
rantable and dangerous menace to each tax
payers personal and private interests, since
the information which these lists contain,
in the hands of mans enemy, might lead
to his financial ruin or serious embarrass-
ment. The reasonableness of this view of
section fifteen has been very widely con-
coded, and it is believed that the listers gen.
orally will act upon it. In Montpelier and
throughout Washington county, as well as
in other sections of the state, we know that
the inventories will not be filed but the lists,
as defined by section twenty, chapter eighty
three of the general statutes, will be ar
ranged in alphabetic order and lodged with
the town clerk. Instead of destroying the
inventories it would, perhaps, be the wiser
and more prudent course on the part of the
listers to seal them up and preserve them for
reasonable length of time.
In opposition to this general course of ac.
ton, however, the st. Adams Messenger says
that !" the listers have decided to put the in
ventories on file in the town clerks office,
They will endeavor to have the personal lists
on file by April 20, but will defer the APP
praisal of the real estate until after that
time" Itwould seem that the Messenger must
have misconceived the intentions of the list
ers whose course it undertakes to represent.
1t is not possible that body of men can
honestly have placed such an absurd con-
struction upon the terms of act number
seventy-eight, even in town where that
newspaper, in its senseless drives at the law,
may be supposed to have exerted some in
fluence. Read section fifteen and place an
honest construction upon its plain English,
The personal lists of all taxpayers can
mean nothing else than the individual lists,
the lists of all persons who pay taxes, and it
can mean nothing else than the ,ohole list
not a list of personal property only, for that
would be but part of taxpayers list
The words list" and inventory" are no
where in the act used INTERCHANGEABLE, as
synonymous terms; each has always its lin
tied and technical meaning and application
the "inventory is always the schedule
of the taxpayers effects, the "list " is thu
summary of the items of this seized
ule, made up from the poll and the rea
and personal estate OF the taxpayer. The
arrangement of these personal, or individ
ual, lists in alphabetical order is what the
act says shall be lodged in the town clerks
Office. 1t would seem that the language o.
section fifteen comes SO fully up to the
scriptural standard of perspicuity that 90
wayfaring man though fool " should bt
able to comprehend it. A luminous CORES
pondent of the Messenger pirates of wrts
of mandamus if the listers refuse to file the
inventories. Listers guilty OF such an extra
official act as the publication of the inven
tories would be should protect themselves
with writs of hajeas corpus if they delight
in bodily freedom, for such an unwarrant
able exposure of taxpayers private affair'
to be "mulled over by gossips or used fol
inimical or selfish ends might be visited b.
some injured taxpayer with the penalty tina
attaches to an unauthorized use of power
The evident purpose of the publication o
the lists is the hearing Of grievances, cor
recting errors, etc, as provided by section
twenty-seven, chapter eighty-three of tn
general statutes, as well as to enable tax
payers to ascertain exactly what the amour
of their respective lists may be-which coul'
not be more conveniently done by any othe
means. That it was intended to make tn
public sort of supreme court to review
and Affirm or reverse, the decisions of tn,
listers on each separate item of taxpayer
property, does not appear in this or an.
other section of the act.
The privacy of the inventories is tn
point upon which the popular working o
the law depends. Their confidential chal
acter assured, the great objection to tn
law in the minds of thousands OF homes
and conscientious Taxpayers is obviated
and the inventories will continue to
cheerfully and willingly made out. 1t
the assurance of this privacy which Ina
gone abroad during the past month that ha
helped to turn the tide of popular opinion il
favor of the law. 1t is seen that sectio
fifteen, rightly construed and practicet
takes away its inquisitorial character bu
viciously construed and practiced, the lav
becomes menace and hardship, and ma
be nuisance. The future of tax reforr
in this state depends largely upon the cours
pursued by the listers in the treatment O
these inventories. There should be concer
OF action in this regard throughout the stat,
and every friend Of the law and of genuin
tax reform will wish the listers to follow th
plain letter and spirit OF the law.
AN EXCITED SENATE.-Wednesda th
18th instant was the most exciting day i
the senate since the debate on the pendin
question occurred. There was full chorr
of speeches from both sides of the hous
with hot duet obligato by Hill and NJ
hone, in which the fiery little Virginia
charged his burly Antagonist with cowar