Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-03-30
The Struggle of the Railroads to Pay
in Coupons.

SEIZURE OF LOCOMOTIVES AND CARS BY
THE DEPUTY TREAsUER-THE PRO-
GRAMME MAPPED OUT BY SOME OF THE
RAILROADS.
&C.. &C., &C.. &C.
We published last Friday the fact that
County Treasurer John E.. Hamilton. of
Augusta, had received his appointment
from First Auditor Brown Allen the We'd
nesday night previous, as Special Commits
sioner to collect the tax from certain rail-
road companies, and had levied on the c. &
.. and Valley R. R. property here for the
tax. 1t will be remembered that the Bal
timore & Ohio and the Chesapeake & Ohio,
Valley and the B. & o. r. R. Co., 1.-THE
last named for it's Winchester & Stras.
burg and Strasburg & Harrisonburg roads,
had rendered coupons in payment of their
State taxes and had been refused by Audi
tor Allen.
TIE PROPERTY LEVIED ON.
At Staunton. Deputy County Treasurer
j. A. Waddy, to satisfy the tax of 81 .699. 6S.
due by the Chesapeake l. Ohio road levied
and some other property of less value.
A levy was made on 6 fiat, 10 stock, box
cars, and iron car on the track Of the
Valley road and some Office property
Amount of tax, $2,O62 40.
Further down the Valley, at Winches-
ter, Treasurer Hamilton levied on box
and sgondola cars on the Winchester &
Strasbnrg r. r.. Amount Of tax, 81 $50 co.
And he also levied on one engine and
tender,7 hopper, 7 box cars and one ca
boose on the Strasburg & Harrisonburg
railroad. Amount of tax, s3,930.4O.
Treasurer Hamilton also levied on B. &
0. cars On the Winchester & Potomac
Railroad to satisfy $915.72 of taxes
He had handbills announcing for sale
'terms cash in hand" at auction on the
dates named, as follows: The Chesa-
peake & Ohio property. and property found
on the Valley R. q. track to be sold Mon
day, April 9th the Winchester & Stras-
burg property April 18th, and the Stras-
burg & Harrisonburg property, April 18TH
The rolling stock found on all the roads,
except the e. Il y. was marked "B. & O."
and is the property of that corporation.
THE COURSE THAT WILL BE PURSUED.
We learn that in the case of the Valley
company, the property taken not being its
own, suit will be instituted against Coun-
ty Treasurer Hamilton personally, for its
return and for damages for its seizure.
In the case of the two roads leased by
the Baltimore & Ohio Co., that corpora
tion will apply to the U. s. District Court
for the Western District of the State of
Virginia for an injunction to stop the sale,
and will give bond. This will throw on the
Commonwealth the work of suing the B.
& o. company in the u S. court on this
bond. The United States Supreme court
on case carried up to it by Judge Shelley
has already decided that the Baltimore &
Ohio road, as to Virginia. is foreign
(Maryland), corporation, and therefore en-
tilted to remove its cases to the Federal
courts
We have not heard what line the q. l.
o. intend to pursue.
THE COUNTY TREAsURER's REMU-
VIBRATION.
The law of Virginia, while it does not
fix the compensation to be paid these COL
lectors of delinquent taxes, says it ''shall
not exceed 20 per cent. of the amount col
lected.' The amountof per cent. to be fixed
Ny the auditor if under the m1ximum Is
allowed. The aggregate of the taxes for
which Treasurer Hamilton has levied is
about $2S,0CO, which at any considerable
per cent would yield quite handsome
fee.