The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1891-05-14
THE RE-PAYMENTOF THE U,
=. DIRECT TAXES TO THE
CITIZENS OF NORTH
CAROLINA.

Dir. +. IL. BuSDee, VINO mas
by apr ointment of the Gov
ernor, had charge Of all the
matters connected with the |
repayment of the direct taxes
to the people of North Carolina,
furnishes for publication the
following interesting statement
relative to the tax and the
amounts which each county
paid. Mr.. Busbee writes:
Upon the pas age Of the act
providing for the repayment OF
the direct land tax collected
from the citizens # North
Carolina in 1866. and 1866 by
the United States to the persons
from whom the taXe, were col
lected, a resolution was prompt
ly passed by the General Assem-
bly, of North Carolina accepting
the terms Of the act of Con-
gress. an act was also passed
by the General Assembly provi-
ding for the copying of the re-
cord. in Washington and direct
ing the necessary steps to be
taken to distribute the fund.
In 1885 a commission was
appointed by the Secretary OF
the Treasury to make an in
vestigation into the direct tax
accounts for the purpose OF
obtaining an early adjustment
thereof, &c. This committee
made a full report, which has
been the basis Of the action OF
Congress and OF the recon-
Inendation of the First Comp
troller, and the accuracy OF
the figures given by this COM
mission had never been called
, into question. Relying upon
the figures reported by this
: commission, North Carolina
! was thought to be entitled 1877
1921.
When the claim Of the State
was present d to the accountins
0 officers OF the Treasury all thu
!. papers and books were in thu
hands Of the United States an
thorities, and the adjustmen
was necessarily made upon thu
It basis Of tn report submitted
!. by their own accounting Off
: GERS. There was no reason t
> doubt its approximating accura
= cy and in fact no way Of ques
s. tioning it except by a thor
d ough examination which la
'r entailed great delay. l sue
>. ceeded in obtaining a small
~ ~ item of 1888 80 arising fror
Id an excess of the stubs of the ia
It. receipts over the amount show
by the assessment books, all
this made D. total payment @
Is $377,S36. 10 which has been PAL
to the State.
~ The report of this Commi;
lie sission contained an item {
PITTS of penalties collected
on Relying upon the opinion {
Judge Durham, a former Fir.
N COMPTROLLER, and upon the r
port of the Committee to Coz
gress as declarative of tt
sos intention of Congress, and upo
g, the language Of the act itse
which provided for the re pa,
ST. nent only Of the taxes and III
of the penalties, the First Con
- ptroller defined 20 repay tn
amount and after consulate
with the Governor We yielde
Y to this consideration. II
bOOss were then turned Ov
ST. to me and I made a caref
examination of them in detail
| found that the amount allegt
\ to have been collected
\ penalties had not in fact be-
I collected but that it lad On
! been assessed in tour counti'
q no dollar of it paid, and t.
= amount passed over TO t.
all Column of unsolicited tax
ing [ found that the amount
=. taxes actually collected "
opl $404, O54.21. Immediate dema
Iual has been made for the payne
any of this balance, and the accou
lille is now pending before t
Fifth Auditor. feel confide
M that this balance Will he C
lerted. The errol has be
traced AMI discovered 1t c.
sisted in reporting as "penalt
- collected" the amount tt
should have been penalties
sessed." l will use all posi-
,ic,. urgency in collecting tt
balance. Until it shall h;
been collected it will be imp
rket sible for the State to pay /,
in the iull amount to any
payers, because we nave II
o o0 only $377,S36 with which
, 90 pay $4O4,O54.
ling The copying of the retu
has nearly been completed, g
IS, we have every reason to TIL
etor. that the payments to the part
entitled can begin early
June, as at first contemplated
~ The amounts collected fir
" the various counties are as f
nm lows:
~ Alamance, $S,099.s9; Beauf'
Isn $9,St8 90; BERTHE, 1,9 2 3
Issh Bladen, 9,190.79; Brunswi
.ro, 4,513.42; Caoa,rus, 1l,452
E.-~ Carteret, 3.221.1O; Caswell,
N