St. Landry democrat., 1888-06-16

STATE OF LOUISIANA. PARISH OF
| ST. LANDRY.
Personally appeared before the undersigned
authority Cornelius c. Duson. Sheriff and Tax
Collector in and for the Parish of st. Landry,
| who sworn says:
That as Tax Collector of the Parish of st
| Landry. there was charged against him for the
| tax roll of the Parish of st. Landry for the
| year 1SS5-State taxes the total sum of S2521O-
Sc. That at the regular quarterly settlement
he paid in the State Treasury the total sum
S16633.37. for taxes of 1885. That on the 22nd
day of March, 1886, the Court House at One
Ousas was burned, and destroyed all the tax
rolls cash books, and all memorandum and
records belonging to said Tax Office. except
| what notices of seizure in the hands of depIl-
| ties at the the time. That the destruction of
said records has pFecluded him from realizing
by forced sale or otherwise more money than
is shown by quarterly statements made to the
Auditor since said date. Deponent further
states that the tax roll of 1885 when presented
to the Auditor of Public Accounts was so de-
fective and erroneous, that the Auditor re-
iected the same for the reason that included i'm
said roll were many items and properties as
seSsed clearly in error, and for the further rea-
son that no description of property was given
on said roll on which enforced legal sale could
be made by the Collector. This was the month
of September. and Mr.. Lastrapes returned to
OpelOusas with the roll rejected by the Auditor
of the State, and signfied his intention to re-
sign. Deponent wrote TO the Auditor request
ing that for his year it would be to the inter
est of the State to accept said defective roll,
as no new assessment could be made i'm time
to collect any taxes for 1885. The Auditor fl
nally consented to accept the roll of 1885, 3,,.o-
ridcd the Assessor would not charge the State
for the double assessment apparent on said
roll and guarantee the State from the loss on
all sums found erroneous on said roll and rem
resented uncOllected by the Collector in final
settlement. This was agreed to. and the roll
of 1885 was accepted, the roll of 1886 to be made
according to law.
Deponent AYERS that up to the date of the
burning OF said Courthouse the said erroneous
and double assessments were duly noted on
said hooks by himself and the assessor, which
would to a large amount decrease the same !
That he has, as is shown by his quarterly
statements. paid in the State Treasury all the |
taxes of 1885 collected by him, except the |
amount burned in the safe at the date of the !
fire above stated. That he is unable to furnish |
the Auditor of Public Accounts with itemized |
list of erroneous assessments. and double as |
scssments except such as is filed with affila- |
Wits. That no forced collection can he made |
of the uncolected taxes of 1885, as no legal
ment lists of property assessed for 1856 in st,
Landry. Deponent files this affidavit in place
OF said lists accompanied by all the lists in his
or power to procure
G. C. DUSON,
Sheriff & Tax Collector
Sworn to and subscribed before me this l2tu
day of May, 1888. o B. STEELE,
Auditor.
certify the above and foregoing to be q true
copy of the original on file in the Auditors
}ffice o. B. STEELE, Auditor
BATON ROUGE, La, It'll June, 1885,