The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-05-22
Virginia Coupon Cases.

Virginia Coupon Cases.
The Supreme Court of the United
States, on Monday last, rendered an opin
ion in favor of the coupon holders on
all points in the several suits of Cooper,
Bryan, McGahey, Ellet, Brown and Cuth-
bert against the State of Virginia, arts
ing outof the laws passed by the State
Legislature to prevent coupon holders
from compelling the State to accept
coupons in payment of taxes. The de
cision of the Supreme Court of Virginia
was reversed in each case The opinion
declares the laws forbidding expert eyl-
dence and requiring production OF the
bond unconstitutional, null and void
1t overrides Judge Wexford in his at
tempt to exclude Federal questions in
the cases appealed from his Court 1t
declares costs can be paid in coupons
and that the law imposing special l.
cense on coupon brokers is unconstitu-
tional 1t also declares that the statute
of limitation is unconstitutional. The
Court decided the Vashon and Hucklers
cases in favor of the State. 1t affirms
the Judgment of the lower court that
the school tax cannot be paid i'll coupons
and denies that an act for damages can
be maintained against the Treasurer for
refusing to receive the coupons which
Hucklers rendered for his bar
license Justice Bradley delivered the
opinion. There was no dissent.
The opinion of the Court is what We
expected We have always contended
that the decision of the Supreme Court
of the State, some years ago, to the Ell
feet that the school-tax could be paid in
coupons was unconstitutional, as the
constitution itself dedicated certain
taxes to public school purposes, and it
was incompetent for the Legislature to
do otherwise than conform to the con
stitution.
The declaration of the Court that
coupons are not receivable for liquor Ii
censes will be generally approved, and
to that degree the action of the State, in
respect to coupons asa tax-paying agent,
w III De Tts,stI0ci Will
We trust the final action of the Court of
last resort in the much agitated coupon
question will put at rest the debtquestion,
and that the State will proceed to frame
its.laws in harmony with the purpose and
the letter of the law as thus declared. 70
do SO would be of infinite benefit to the
| Commonwealth and all her interests. 1t
would remove one great cause, if not the
only one, of complaint against the State,
and open the way for capital and enter
prise to flow into Virginia. We trust we
have heard the last of the debt ques-
tom as Il party hobby, and that the
people will now settle themselves down
to the inevitable as law abiding citizens.
Gov. Mckinney was seen at the Exec
utive Mansion Monday and seemed quite
well satisfied with the decision of the
Court. Il regard, said he, 'the terlni-
nation of the cases as encouraging for
the State. Our weak points," he con
tinued, ''are strengthed by the action OF
the Court. The total tax paid into the
State treasury is in round numbers
$3,500,000. OF this amount $1,000,000 is
for school taxes and 100000 for liquor
taxes The Courts decision is that the
laws which requires three-fifths of our
taxes to be paid in money are constitu-
tional. A large part Of the remaining
two-fifths comes from farmers, and they
have never paid their taxes in coupons,
and it is not feared they will do so. The
trouble we have experienced heretofore
has been in the cities, principally from
the liquor dealers. The General Assem-
bly, at it's late session passed several laws
obstructing the use of coupons in the
cities, and they are working effectively.
The decision of the Court does not in
terfere with those acts" Continuing
Governor Mckinney said: Upon the
whole, cannot see why we should be
discouraged We should rather be en-
eotlraged for We are saved from the
|lsource where we mostly feared danger. =
The Governor was asked if the decision
of the Court would necessitate an
extra session of the General Assembly.
His reply was that so far as he is i'll
formed he did not see any necessity for
reconvening that body.