The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1891-03-07
REFTyDlAG DIRECI IlIEs.

Washington. Feb. 24.-The direct
tax bin has At length passed both
houses Of Congress and been referred
to a conference committee. Under an
act Of August 10. 1861. Congress levied
4 direct tax Of S20,000,000 a certain
amount was paid or credited to the
States. the total being Sl7,S5s,6s6,
leaving s2.640sl4 due.
Many Of the States paid the quotas
assessed against the citizens iu those
States, in others collections were made
from individuals In some instances
amounts due States have been credit
ed SIS 8 set off to the tax. OF the total
amount still uucOlleeted, nearly all is
due by Southern States. Since Janu-
airy l, 1859. no attempt 81 collecting
the balance due has been made.
The bin which has just passed the
House, is substantially the same as
that which originated in the Fiftieth
Congress and was vetoed by President
Cleveland Ii carries an appropria-
ton Of about hteen millions; cancels
the amounts still due by the States,
and refunds the amounts paid. The
Governors Of the States must be au-
thorized by the Legislatures to receipt
for the money TO be paid over to them,
and the Governors Of States in which
the tax was collected directly from in-
diyidnals by the Federal Government,
are TO hold the same in trust for siI
years, during which time all claims
must be presented and proven or be
barred, in which event IL reyerts TO
the Ststes themselves. The amount
which Alabama would receive back II
the bill should become law is S22,-
$40, Arkansas Sl54,70l, Louisiana
sSsI,ss6, Mississippi Sl1S,S24.-N o.
Pieayune special.
Mississippi .is to receive SllS,000
from the Federal Treasury under the
provisions refunding the direct taxes
But, since this money WAS originally
paid by citizens of the State, II belongs
to those who paid the taxes, and not
to the State II has been over quarter
of century since the taxes were paid.
The question Is, How long will It take
the State TO find those TO whom the
refunded taxes belong, aud who will
pay the expenses Of the Redistribution ?
Accepting the money refunded by the
Government opens tho way TO endless
litigation by contestiug claimants In
the meantime the State will have tho
use Of the amount in contest, aud for
which no claimants eau be found
Meridian News.
II seems TO the TIMES that the proper
course for the State to adopt is for the
Legislature to provide form Of proof
OF payment OF this tax, to be made
within certain time. Some may
have have kept their receipts or the
records of tho Federal collecting
agency may be attainable. The pay
mons, were probably, mostly made by
citizens In or In the vicinity of Nstchez
and Vicksburg, whore Federal. author
Ity was conferred during and at tho close
of the war. Ofcourse, The amounts be-
ing small, much Of the total will never
be claimed by the tax payerand will 20
to the State.
II the President signs the bill--it is
as we write before him--we suggest to
our readers to look up their old
receipts aud see If they or their fathers
paid any of the direct, or war tax, TO
the United States Government. Those
who paid did so as a precaution as
there was no enforcement of the
tax in Mississippi as in South Carolina
and Virginia.
p. S.-The Bill is signed.