Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-01-23
letter from Esieflmond.

Special Cor. OF tho Alexandria GAZETIK.I
RICHMOND, Va, Jan. % The following
is copy OF the coupon tenderers relief bill
which has passed both branches Of thu Gen.
eral Assembly:
Be it enacted By the General Assembly of Yir-
GINA, Tha. any taxpayer who has rendered cou-
mons in payment OF his taxes and is liable to be
proceeded against for the same under the act OF
the 18th of May, 1857, may make paymentof the
same TO the treasurer OF the county or city 10
waom they were payable, at any time before
judgment, with the penalty OF i've per cent i ~
posed by law for failure to pay prior to the first
dav of December in the year they were assessed.
and sill costs that have accrued in any proceedings
which NAV have been instituted for the recovery
OF said taxes. The treasurer shall give duplicate
receipts for the taxes. one of which shsil be sent
promptly by the Taxpayers 10 the AUDITOR Oh
Public Accounts, who shall open an account With
the treasurer, charging him with delinquent taxes
due By reason Of coupons rendered, and credltlng
him by all collections made or otherwise &C.
counted for according to law. Treasusers shall
make quarterly reports and payments OF such
taxes collected, on which they shall receive q
commission of Ave per cent. A failure to report
and make payment within thirty days after any
quarter will forfeit the commissions and render
the treasurer liable TO be proceeded against as Ill
other cases of delinquency.
. Nothing in this act shall be construed to re-
lieve any person from any proceedings, penalty or
costs incurred under any existing law affecting
Taxpayers who have tendered coupons III pay :
ment.
3. This act shall be in force from its passage.
While this bill has been passed by the
Senate and House the Speaker OF the Heuse
has not yet affixed his signature to it, nor
will he likely do go for several days yet. lu
the interim another bill for the relief OF per-
sons who rendered coupons in payment OF
taxes prior to the recent decision of the
United States Supreme Court in the Vif'
GINA mandamus case may be passed that
will accomplish what the present bill was
intended to accomplish but what it does not.
When The new bill ID carried through, the
Speaker will sign the present bill and send
il to the Governor, who will then doubtless
veto the above bill on the grounds that
other legislation win accomplish the object
aimed at by the bill which he is expected to
veto. There are defects in the bill which
the Genera Assembly has just passed which
defects we've not discovered until after the
measure had been voted upon.
Tomorrow the House is expected to take
I'D the Joint resolution looking to the inves-
tipation of the management of the Virginia
Military Institute. Gen. Francis II. Smith,
who has been at the head OF this institution
for years, and whom the cadets have SO long
been calling "Old Specs" is, understand,
Indignant at the bare intimation that he has
not been conducting the institution as well
as it ought to be done. He comes here de-
manding an investigation, and to morrow.
when the resolution comes up for consider
alton, facts in the case will be given. No
special charges have been alleged against
the institute, go far az l know.
Nearly al! the legislators left the city Sat
urday morning, and to-day there were
scarcely two dozan in the city. Those who
went 10 visit the colleges at Farmville,
Blacksburg and Petersburg will return to-
morrow.
Mr.. Gaines, The new Register of the Land
Office, has not yet made any changes in his
office. He has about halfdozen appoint
ments at his command. b. L. v.