The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1892-12-01
NEW ASSESSMENT LAW.
Governor Browns Address to the
People of Maryland.

duuTesS 10 lHe people VI Ilc CCdte,
which is given below, urging thai
the subject of new assessment Law
be earnestly discussed by the people
during the winter with the view OF
formulating a bill which would
prove acceptable. He proposes tc
select limited number of repre-.
sentative men from the counties
and the city of Baltimore to con.
slider the matter in open discussion
at some convenient place in Balti-
more city. He thinks such body
should not number more than fifty
mem bers, to hold weekly or fort
nightly meetings. The expenses
would include room rent, fare and
hotel bills of county members,
which, he thinks, may be readily
provided by subscription. The
Governor says he would appoint nc
one who would not promise to at.
tend the meetings and work earn.
estly.
The members of the commission
would be expected not only to con-
slider the matter among themselves,
but to call on others capable OF
giving advice to submit their views.
The debates, being open. would
be reported by the press and dis
cussed all over the State in such an
intelligent way that an acceptable
conclusion wonld be reached more
readily than amid the distractions
of session of the Legislature.
The address of the Governor is as
follows:
TO THE PEOPLE OF MARYLAND:
"No general valuation Of real
and personal property IN this State
for the purpose of State. county and
municipal taxation has been made
since 1876.
sin the long period OF time which
has since interviewed it is known 20
all of you that the market or cash
value Of all real estate within our
territorial limits has greatly
changed. In many localities, in
many counties, the cash value of
real estate has materially declined.
In certain localities of other coun-
ties it has increased. The changes
IN values IN the direction of de-
crease and increase are as notab
in the cities and towns of the State
as elsewhere and ale plainly observ-
able in the city of Baltimore.
"The correction made from time
to time of the valuations of assess
able real estate have not been suffic-
lent to check the progress of the evil,
and certainly. have not remedled
it. The result is that the actual
burden of taxation upon real estate
is very unequally distributed among
our people. | need not say to you
that the valuations of personal
property made in this State in 1876
and corrected from time to time
since that date by county commls-
'ioners and the Appeal Tax Court
Of Baltimore city do not in their
aggregate approximate even to the
real value of such holdings in this
State, and that very large p-opor-
lion of this description of property
escapes taxation altogether.
ut is perfectly true that no sys-
sem Of taxation can be devised
which will altogether remedy this
'yil. for our people properly resent
and resist the general application
If inqusitorial methods to whole
population in order to enforce the
disclosure by few persons of their
real wealth. But we ought to be
able to devise system of taxation
which will ascertain approximately
he amount of personal property
owned by each individual residing
n the State and liable to taxation
exciting hostility to our
method of doing it. The subject
was generally discussed in this
State in the summer and autumn
If 1891, and all parties were agreed
ss to the necessity of a new act for |
The reassessment Of property in this
State.
"You are aware that ball for
his purpose was passed by the
House of Delegates, almost unani-
mously, at the session of January,
1891, after considerable debate. 1t
was not acceptable to the Senate.
That body brought forward and
adopted very different and far
more stringent bill. When this
Senate bill was presented to the
House 1t was, for some reason, not
fully discussed nor debated. The
exigency Of other business and the
unwlllingness Of the House to ad-
journ without passing an assess
ment bill probably inclined that
body to defer TO the judgment of
the Senate, and it therefore passed
the Senate bill.