Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-12-19
In Heap Of Trouble Over the New Tax.
ing-District Government and the
Proposed
Commissioners = The Absorbing Ques-
tions Of the Hour is "Whe Are They
to Bec' and
"Will an Injunction be Asked for:' to
Prevent the Organization Of the
New Government.

town. w no VIII be the commissioners
"Will an injunction be asked?" are
questions oae hears at every turn.
Snch tempest las beeh created in our
iittle tearet the. Il seems proper to ex-
plain to the outside world what the matter
is with us. Five years ago next February,
to escape the rule of officials obnoxious,
and to avoid the payment OF large debt;
the act Incorporating Brownsville was re-
pealed by the Legislature, upon petition
of our citizens.
In the year 1881 the Legislature passed
an act for our benefit, and for that of other
towns whose charters had been repealed,
and who were suffering Tor want of some
sort of government, and some way to
| negotiate with their creditors. The act
declared them all ta$ing-:iistricts of the
second class, providing that three COM
missioners should be appointed by the
| County Courl for the government of same,
upon petition of a majority of the
voters. A tax was levied within all
the taxing-distfitts which might be
| organized under this act, of 81 Oh every
500 worth OF taxable property; and on all
| merchants and privileges, a tax equal to
the general State tax. The right of said
| commissioners to levy taxes, or create a
debt, or to issue bonds except in compro-
| mise of debts existing against the corpo-
ration when it became extinct, was ex-
pressly withheld.
In the the year 1882, at the second ex-
| traordinary session of the General Assem-
| hly al nasca1 Aafininn th
| and duties OF the Board of Commissioners
| Of the several taxing districts of the se6ond
class. Among other things, it enacts that
it shall be the duty of said Board OF Com
| missiOners to ascertain the amount of the
| Indebtedness ofthe extinct corporation, and
! the value of the taxable property of the
same, and make an estimate of the approx
| innate amount of revenue that will be de-
rived from the taxes levied on said prop
| erty, and on merchants and privileges by
| the law; and said commissioners shall
have the power to settle and compromise
said Indebtedness with the creditors of
said extinct corporation, and fund the
same by the issuance OF bonds Il their tax
| ing-district for shch an amount, and at
such rate of interest; that one-third of
the net proceeds of the taxes will pay the
annual interest on the same, and create a
sinking fund sufficient to liquidate the
| principal in thirty years.
| After a careful survey of the whole situ-
alton, and a realization of the fact that no
| investment would ever be made here I'M
til the debt was arranged-added to this
the unsafe condition of property, the
illicit sale of whisky, the nightly disturb
ancee on the SQUARE, the decay OF side
and tbe ne,lecfed cond;t;on Of t6s ce,ne'
terv-a faw esrnest c;t;za,;s detar,,i;ned 'iI ~
see If a majority of fbe nao,tie ,,-ouid not
prefer to nav thpir taxes ratbnr fbsr no.
| main Ionger without a To,,arnrnant
| Thev org,eJ tbot tba9 taSinr,-J;str;o, oo,
was made esneciaIIy for onr Lenaf;t fbat
| its Ian%nage was Main that onr rred;Iors
couId not f,nrt 1is Inf must take what tbe
| Lecislature nrovided for them or notbing
( moioritv of The Observation-Disclosures onJ
a majority ri ali the r;tizanS vas nn;cti ~
! obtained as sipners to a netition and nnor
its presentation the c6nrt declared the
TaXinr- District organized
Ordinarily one would stinnosn that onno
siiion would ihe,p,inon hayp ceased fEa,
those OF the minority wouId like GOOD eff
zens. have acouiesced IN what tbey c1uld
not helm. and have agreed cheerfullv tc
bear the mutual burden. Such is never
the case in Brownsville. There is ALWAYS
some great man that is overlooked, and
who should have been consulted. some one
OF arrogance so colossal as to declare:
lam Sir Oracle,
And, when ore my lips, let no dog bark''
| Iniunctions are talked of. You know
that temporary Injunction is a yery easy
thing to get, whether it be to stop a man
from building railroad, or stop him from
fishing in a mill-pond. The only thins
necessary Is petitioner who will make {
ready and cheerful swearer. 1t is said
that certain individuals of selfishness anC
cupidity so monumental as to desire the
defeat OF the wishes of the people rathel
than contribute their portion of the tax
are devising ways and means how the,
shall prav for an Injunction. WIN the,
should enioin the will of the people at ali
is the question that arises in the averag,
mind.
Statements are made that so soon as We
start our government the Federal Conr
will be upon us with mandamuses Inv mar
ties who neyer have read the oct C6orges
are made that over half the netitioners fo
the Taxing-District do not live in town. h,
parties who never saw the list Intima
tions are made that parties who have nd
vocated this movement are moved by sor
did motives. Inv those who from their owr
standnoint of feelino think il natural an,
imagine n felIowshin of kindred minds
/ IhnSR 1rU1mGnfg nSnI tn
those Good and thouobtful citizans yvb,
did not SION tba net;t;on not % Inow n, n,
what was best but who seem to he willin,
to test the new government.
If the uuirks and ouibbles of the Law
are tn he rsed to defeat the astablisbman
Of a taxinU-disfrict wbv not Wait until w,
are onnressed? !? In that case nII will II,
glad To see them invoked
The neonln here are resolvad unop bo,,
;n,, ,,o,,orny,,n,t a,,d tbot ,,a, ia .I'
snS - 49,, - ,oiiLo"ta,,u It- va ia
wav viii he "ro,,nJ 70 norvder Tbero !;
NO ,non co n,7,ch aIo,,o b;S follo,-, II, o.,
comn,nn;tv that can afrord n ;nsnIt tho;
intelIiGence and ionora their vishns
Tho irdce wb0 Grants nm in;nnct;or
oc,oinst tha ostabl;sbmnnt of tba TaI;rc,
D;str;c+ ,,ndor tLa rrasont ,,rooaaJ;nt
,n;%ht ne VOL ,,,akdP II Iarpet,,oI NJ
naTt;es wbo iaboraJ for Il viii hordI,
Sort q nov ,etit;on oltLorob ,,,or,, -,
SIGNATURES cpulJ ha ohta;ned 4 Taa-,,Ia
ol'r,,ort;,' ,,,,1d bo ,,.,aJ ;,,o nc
~ 80 Son,a ,,.o,,ert,,- b,i1a-S 80
thot n.a corlJ NOT he Inrt excant i, 60 20
"a ono nart;c,Ior low, IL cnncerpaj hofar,
the legislature of 1885 could mass som,
Kind Of an act for our relief i
The population of Brownsville within
the old corporate limits in 1880 was 26l5
I "a
blacks. Since that time many whites, anC
especially young men voters, have moveC
away. But few, il any, negroes have lef
the town. The population is now less thai
2500, composed of about half whites anC
half negroes. The voting strength is sbou
one in five, the negroes perhaps averagin.
a little more, as only men are employed
on the railroad, livery stables, etc. Their,
are close upon 500 voters now living with
in the old corporate limits; 33i is two
thirds OF 500. Upon the list of petitioner
asking for, the appointment OF commits
: sioners and the organization of taxing
district were the names of 375 signers
some few, however, living outside an,
owning property inside the old corporat'
limits. Something over $50 probably liv,
in the corporation. But few of these bu
would vote for corporation rather thai
avoid the debt by remaining forever unin
corporated. There cannot be much diff
Guilty about compromising the debt. n,
one ever heard OF a whole town being con
nscaeed Tor debt; and if the creditor sell
much There are n number of nerson