Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-01-26
CuIpeper's Protest-Delinquent Land
Tax Bill.

At a meeting held in the basement
Of the courthouse on Monday, Janu-
airy Is, 1886 (court-day), on motion, DR..
Dorsey Gibson was called to the chair,
and B. F. Pulliam, high sheriff Of the
county, appointed secretary.
Judge j. W. Bell explained the OBJ
ject of the meeting to be to consider
and discuss the delinquent land-tax
bill now pending before the Legislature
Of Virginia, and to request our dele
gate and senator, Judge d. W. Grims-
ley and II. ID. Twyman, ESQ.,, to resist
and vote against said bill in its present
shape and form.
After some conference and discus
sion Judge Bell offered the following
preamble and resolutions, commenting
on them one by one, all Of which were
unanimously adopted:
Whereas we have recently been in
formed by the public journals Of the
State that bill has been reported to
both houses of the Legislature pro-
posing to amend and re-enact the act of
March, 1884, respecting the sale OF
lands returned delinquent for the non
payment of taxes, and to instruct the
treasurers of the different counties to
proceed to advertise the lands Of the
owners and holders thereof for sale at
public auction, and to sell the same,
alleged to be delinquent for non-pay-
ment of State taxes and county levieS
from the year 1883 to the year 1885
inclusive therefore be it
/. Resolred by the LandholderS and
Taxpayers of Culpeper county, That
we view with no little surprise and alarm
the attempted passage Of any such bill.
2. Resolred, That the enactment of
any such law would not only operate
most injuriously to the immediate and
future interests Of all the landholders
themselves, but would arouse the oppo-
sition and Just indignation Of the great
masses Of the people.
3. Res0ired, That we regard such
law as Of the most pernicious tendency
not only to discourage and repress i'm
migration to the State, but to encourage
and facilitate emigration from It.
4. ResOlsed, That it would be OPP
pressiye and Ubiquitous legislation to
require of the people or taxpayers any
additional tax in the shape of interest,
commission, attorneys fees. clerks
fees, and other costs on any back tax
or arrearages Of taxes at all.
5. Resolred, That, in the judgment
of this people, a receipt for taxes for
any one or more years should be taken
as NINA fac,s evidence that all taxes
on land previously levied has been paid ;
and that the burden Of rebuttal of that
fact ought to rest on the Common
wealth or her officers. and not on the
taxpayer.
G. Resolred, That it is the decided and
outspoken voice of the people that the
act of 10Th March, 1884, and the amend
ment thereto of same date, [See chapters
548-56O, Session Acts lsS3'84,l d.
recting the sales Of land returned delin-
quent for taxes and county leyles,
should at once be repealed or greatly
modified in its requirements and pro-
visions.
I. Resolred, That our people with a
single voice respectfully but most
earnestly urge upon our delegates
and senator not only to resist the pas
sage Of such bill as above referred to,
but to advocate bill providing that no
back tax for lands returned delinquent
shall be collected up to the years 1888.
1884, and that every presumption
shall be raised and prevail in favor of
the taxpayer, especially during the re-
construction period from 1865 to 1869
inclusive.
s. Resolred, That we return our
hearty thanks to the Richmond DIS
| patch for its opposition to the pending
bill, and its sympathies with the views
herein expressed.
Q. Resolved, That copies of these
resolutions be forwarded to our senator
and delegate in Richmond, and that the
Culpeper papers-Erponent and Ad-
rance-the Richmond Dispatch, State,
and Alexandria Gazette be respectfully
| requested to publish the same when
they shall appear in the first paper con-
tanning them at their earliest conye-
nience. DR.. DORSEY GIBSON,
Chairman.
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