Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-01-26

cnLpEpFR,a PROTEST.

At meeting held in the basement OF the
court house, at Culpeper, on Monday, jan
uary IS, 1885 (court day, on motion, Or:
Dorsey Gibson was called TO the chair, and
B. F.Puliam, high sheriff OF the county,
appointed secretary. !,
Judge J. w. Bell explained the object Of
the meeting TO be 10 consider and discuss
the DELINQUENT land tax bill now pending
before the LEGISLATURE of Virginia, and to
request our Delegate and Senator, Judge u.
w. Grimsley and Fl. D. Twynan, esq, 10
resist and vote against said bill in its present
shape and form.
After some conference and discussion,
Judge Bell offered tho following preamble
and resolutions, commenting on them one
By one, all of which were unanimously
adopted:
Whereas we have recently been informed
by the public journals OF the State that a
bill has been reported &c both houses of the
LEGISLATURE proposing to amend and re-eEact
the act of March 1854, respecting the sale
of lands returned delinquent for the non
pavnent of taxes, ard 10 instruct the
treasurers Of the different counties to
proceed to advertise the lands ottho owners
and holders thereof for safe &c public auc-
sion, and TO sell the same, alleged 10 be &c
!inuuent for non-payuleGt OF State taxes and
county leyies from The year 1883 10 The year
1856 inclusive: therefore be il.
l. Rcsolred by the Ldndholdcrs and IdG'
payers of Cuipeper county, That we view
with no little surprise and alarm the al
| tempted passage of any such bill.
Q. Resolved, That the enactment Of any
such law would rot only operate nlo3t ipjIl..
ously to theimmediate ard future interests ol
all the laudholders themselves, but would
arouse the opposition aud just Indignation
of the great masses Of the reaple.
8. RESOLVED. That We rrgn.d such law as
| Of the most perniciuus tendency not only TO
discourage and rcpress navigation to TIC
State. sat 10 encourage and facilitate eh'-
| grafton from it,
4. ResVlucd That it would be oppressive
ard inqditons legislation 10 require OF lto
people Or tax. payers any additional tax IL
! the shape OF Interest, commission, attorneys
| fees, clerks fees, and other COSTS On any
| back tax or arrearagcs of taxes at all.
5. Resolved That in the judgment of this
people, receipt for taxes for any one or
more years should be taken as prma tAcie
evidence that all taxes on land previously
levied mas been paid; and that tho burden
OF rebu!tal Of that faCt ought to rest on The
| COMMONWEALTH VIZ iS. C'uSSiS. "h't ''|S "a
| the taxpayer.
| 6. Resolved, That it is the decided and
outsroken voice of the people that the act
of 10th March, 1854. and the amendment
thereto of same date see chapters 54S $50,
Session Acts 1883 Isl directing the sales OF
land returned delinquent for taxes and
county levies, should rs once be repealed or
greatly modified in It's requirements and
provisions.
| 7. ReSoEred, That our 1c0p'e with q single
voice respectfully but most earnestly urge
upon our delegates and senator not only 10
resist the passage Of such bill 80 above re-
ferred to, but to advocate Il bill providing
| that no back tax for lands returned delln-
qucnt shall be collected UP TO the years
1883. 1851, and that every presumption shall
ne raised and prevail in iaycr OF the tax
payer, especially during the reconstruction
period from 1865 10 1869 inclusive.
S. Res0lCcd, That we return our hearty
thanks 10 the Richmond Dispatch for its op
position to the pending bin, and lis sgmpa-
| ihies with the views herein expressed.
| g. Rcsolrcd That copies of these resolu.
tons he forwarded to our senator and dele
gate in Richmond, and that the Cupeper
papers-Erponcnt and ddrnRce-thn Rich
| mond Dispatch, State, and Alexandria Ga
zctte be respectfully requested toHuhsh the
same when they shall appear in the first
paper containing them al their earliest con
venence. d.. DORSEY GIBSON,
Chairman.
3. r. Pullinm, Secretary.