Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-06
THE MEMPHIS DEBT BILL.

A PROMPT TAX-PAYER WHO OBJECIs TO BE-
ING TAXED TO SUPPLY THE DEFICIENCY
CAUSED BY NoNPAYMENT BY DELIN.
QUENTs.
In the Senate on Thursday the following
petition from Mrs Elizabeth MeriWether, OF
Memphis, was read:
To the Honorable, the General Assembly Of
Your petitioner. Elzabsth Avery Meriyether,
respectfully represents that q bill has been pre-
pared, and will shortly be presented for your con-
sideration, having for Its object the settlement of
the debts of extinct municipalities and especially
that of Memphis. This bill makes no provision
for the protection Of the prompt taxpayer; on the
contrary II leaves him or hef to bear u the whole
Hent Of that debt, large part oi which is fraudu-
lent and void.
Your petitioner hegs the consideration of your
honorable body to the following facts:
Flrst.-That I have been q taxpayer in the city
second'-That have always been prompt tax
Third.-That during all that time have never
been permitted voice in the choice 81 the agents
who imposed taxes on my properly.
Fourth.-That when the Nicolson pavement debt
was created protested against that style of paw
ing believing that it would rapidly decay aud the
process Of decay would produce disease and death.
Fifth,-That Notwithstanding this l promptly
paid the taxes levied for the N!colson pavement
to the amount of $500 which the full price of
the work done in front of my property.
Sixth.-That since then have Been forced by
mandamus to pay taxes five times over for the
same work to supply the deficiency made by de-
hnquent taxpayers.
Seventh.-That. as in the past, legislative enact
ments have utterly failed to secure the payment
OF taxes from large numbers of people, often the
richest in the community, who withhold their
taxes because they can more prostably use the
money in speculation or trade, thereby throwing
the whole burden. not only once but often twice
and thrice. aud sometimes five times. on small
property-holders who do not engage i'll speculation
or trade; and, as In the past this has ways been
the case, 1t is more than probable IL Will continue
to be the case unless your honorable body devise
some plan for the protection OF the prompt tax.
payers, who are usually poor men ana with small
houses or other property.
Eighth.-Therefsre, in behalf OF all prompt tax
payers and especially in behalf OF that large class
of which your petitioner is one, which has no
voice In the imposition of taxes, but are as help
less infants in the hands OF the State, appeal 70
the justice of all honorable men, and respectfully
urge your honorable body to annex the following
amendment to the aforesaid bill when it shall be
introduced, namely:
Bel further enacted, That where any taxpayer in
such municipality shall have paid the rate of TAI
thus fixed for interest and sinking funo upon his
or her property therein, the sid property shall
thereafter be forever exempt from any further tai
for the interest on the funded deot for that year
including the interest on the valid compromise
bonds funded under the act of 1877, chapter 10
commonly known as the Fhppin compromise
bonds and shall be exempt from any further sink
ing fund tax for that year, and the creditor shall
look alone 10 the property of the delinquent tax
payer for any deficit for that year Respectfully,
ELIZABErH AVERY MERIMFTHEk.