The daily state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 188?-1891, 1891-02-25


Mr.. Jones, to amend section 9G2 Of the
Cole, and to amend section 769 Of the
| Code; 4lr. Morton, to exempt from jury
DUTY foremen II manufacturing plaids:
Mr. Hlleman, TO protect clients from
fraudulent practices; Mr.. Chapman, in
relation to fishing in certain streams;
! Alr. White, for relief of Clerk Superior
court OF Perquimaus Co: Mr.. Sutton, to
| prevent spread Of hog cholera; Mr..
| Long Of Columbus, resolution instruct
| ing Senators and Representatives in Con
gress to urge appropriation to build
canal from Brunswick county to Gala
| bash; Mr. Sutton, il regard to certain
employees Of the House; Mr.. Lowe, for
relief Of Emily Johnson. widow Of a
| Confederate soldier; Dir Morse, to pro-
hibit fish IN Tull's Cretk k
Mr. Jones offered resolution that TIE
| House 60 into election Of Railroad Com
mlssioners on Thursday March 9Th at
noon, adopted.
The Reyeaue Bill.
As special order the House took up
an act 10 raise revenue The House
went into committee of the whole, Mr..
Sutton Ill the chair The bill was taken up
|
amend section by striking out IS and
inserting 66. long discussion followed
Mr. Alexander advocating the amend
ment, and Messrs. Holman and Wool Il
favoring the bill as it stood Sectlons
2 and 8 were informally passed over to
allow certain members to look over
Treasurer's report.
The Merchants Purchase Tax.
Mr.. Morton offered substitute for
section p, which is the merchants tax
OF one tenth Of one per cent on the total
amount Of purchases. He proposed a
specific tax as follows: On wholesale
merchants or manufacturers, SIS; on
retail merchants and manufa cturers who
sell over 81, 600, 50; on less than 81 900,
81. Mr.. Morton argued that this sched-
ula tax on merchants was unjust, and
delegations year after year have asked
it's repeal 1t is a double tax, and we
only get about one half Of the persons
who ought to pay. It is better to give
specific license tax, and the State will
drive $4,000 more a year from the
merchants than under the present law
There are between II, 900 and $4,000
merchants, and a specific tax of So each
would raise more money than we now
raise. The present tax may be uncoD-
stitu:ional.
Mr Holman said that the committee
gave niue time to the consideration oI
J this tax He could not ace how q ta1
could ba better graded than Oh the ppr
cAases. II the purchase tax is uneonsti
tuloual, so would be the specific tax
The State Treasurer approves tais sec
ton. L was estimated by the merchant
saa5 there were IL, 600 or Is 600 mer
$ c1a1t3. but we are not certain of tina
3 fact. Mr. Morton said ii was certain
!. that there were 1900 merchants ant
!. mills who ask for aud 0btasu credit. II
) said there WAS 8 fund to test the ccneti
/. tuti0nality OF this act, and he said ht
believed it to be unconstitutional Ther
is demand to repeal this tax. Capt
f S B. Alexander appeared before tt,
q committee and asked to repeal this mer
a chants tax. None will complain at thl
9 small tx.
!, Mr.. LoWrI did not like class legisla
s ton, and this tax seems to be unjust
8 The Ashevllle business men favor a bet
It ter plan.
a Mr.. Alexander favored the report Q
! committee. Under it the man VIII has
il large business pays high tax, an
e those who sell little pay little tax Year
IS ago we had license tax and it was YER
n unpopular.
Mr. Morton said that it was unpopu
lar because merchants had to pay bot
taxes Only few merchants want t
= repeal this tax.
Mr. Grier said Capt Alexander wen
before tne com mlttee as al Individual
/ The merchants Of Charlotte prefer th
?, purchase tax.
4 Mr.. Cover offered an amendment pre-
Y; viding that goods bought within th
u State shall not come under the purchas
Is tax Mr. Morton said that the la,
e. once read that way, but that it was de
10 clared to be unconstitutional Mr. Woo
De said it behooved the people to buy wher
q they could buy the cheapest. Mr.. Cove
as withdrew his amendment upon the a;
te surance that the Supreme Court ha
pronounced it unconstitutional.
Mr. Aston wanted to repeal the mel
;. chants tax; and favored Mr. Morton
4. substitute because he believed it woul
~ raise enough additional revenue t
: give SIS, 900 to the Agricultural az
.. Mechanical College. Mr.. Bryan,
: Wayne, would favor any just system tbt
would do away with the inquisitori
feature, but the finance committee aftt
lt long consideration had been able to d
e wise no better system. The substitu
y, in inquisitorlal Mr.. Holman said th
q tax was first suggested by merchant
DC Mr.. Lowry moved to strike out all th
referred to special taxes. Mr.. Holm
raised the point of order that is was q
&c germane. The chair so ruled N
-, Woolen moved to amend ''all merchan
m- whose purchase, do not exceed - %
'er shall pay specific tax CT two dollar
de all whose purchases are over $4,000 al
of less than S. 900, $4;all over $1,000 az
v; less than $4,000. So, all over 500
ng and less than $40, ,000 SIS, al $40
y and less than $40, 600, $50; all over 81
N 600, $25.
or Mr. Lowry, to strike out section
1r. Lost,
ell Mr.. Morton's substitute to section
lgs lost.
IN Mr.. Jones wished to know If secti
ng 24 did not give too much power to coun
OF commissioners. The section was, ali
on explanation by Mr.. Holman, adopte
Tor Sao-;oy, % v-aS amended So a. not m