The record-union., 1893-02-01
REASSESSMENT BILL.
SOME SUBSTITUTES FOR SHANA-
HANS MEASURE.
Senator Carpenter Presents Two Fair
Propositions-The Committee
Wants More Time.

The Senate Committee on Corporations
met last night for the purpose of taking
final action on Assembly Bill No. 10-the
Shanahan ''reassessment bilr'-but did
not dispose of it after all.
This was due to the fact that some sub
stitutes were offered and the committee
men wanted time TO examine them.
An effort was made to have the meeting
an executive one, but the motion was de-
feated.
Senator Seawell then offered substi-
tute for the bill. 1t was a good deal like
the Shanahan bill, except that it pro-
posed to extend the reassessment back to
1879, instead of to 1882, and was designed
to get over some Of the technicalities that
were fatal to the bill.
Senator Carpenter then left the chair,
calling upon Mr.. Goucher to preside, and
announced that he had two substitutes to
offer for the bill. They were both alike,
with the exception that the first provided
that the taxes claimed should be paid into
the Treasury in a lump and the second
that they should be paid in in INSTALL
ments. The substitutes were entitled:
AN Act in relation to reassessmenL of
property, the equalization o., the same
and the collection OF taxes thereon, in
cases where former assessment made
since 1854 is illegal or invalid, or where
the proceedings for the collection of such
taxes have been Intellectual by reason OF
error, irregularity, or Invalidity, and
such taxes have not been paid"
1t provided that "All property in this
State, which since the year 1854. has been
assessed for purposes of taxation, and
upon which the taxes levied have
not been paid on account of
any alleged illegality or invalid
ity OF such assessment, or which
have not been collected because of any
error, irregularity or invalidity in the
proceedings to enforce the collection OF
such taxes, or for any other reason, shall
be reassessed for each year since 1854 for
which such taxes shall remain unpaid
as aforesaid by the proper officers or
board authorized and required by law to
assess similar property, which reassess-
ment shall be entered upon the assess
ment roll required by law to be made
and entered, specifying in such assess
ment roll the year for which such re-
assessment shall have been made, the
property affected thereby shall be sub
Ject to the payment of all taxes thereon
for each year of such reassessment at the
rate of the general tax levy for
the year in which such reassess-
ment may be made, and all the pro-
visions of law, now or hereafter provided
in respect to the assessment. equalization
levy and collection of taxes, Shall apply
to all reassessments made, and to the col
lection of taxes thereon under the pro-
visions of this Act. The basis of such re-
assessment Shall be the proportionate
value of the property for the year for
which the same is reassessed. Such re-
assessment Shall be made in the year 1898
to The person, corporation or estate to
whom or to which such assessment ought
first to have been made. The taxes so
levied upon the property so reassessed
shall constitute lien upon such prop
erty until such taxes are fully paid; and
the same shall be payable as follows, viz:
The taxes levied upon any property so
reassesSed shall be divided into two in
stallments of the tax for each year for
which the property shall have been so re-
assessed, and one of the said installments
shall become due and payable at each of
the times now, or hereafter, provided
by law for the payment of taxes upon
real estate, until the entire num-
Der ofinStallments shall have been paid;
provided, that it shall be lawful for the
owner of the property to pay the en-
tire tax so reassessed and unpaid at the
time any installment thereof may fall
due, as above provided, and thereby dis
charge the lien of said tax. And upon
full payment of all such taxes, the prop
erty so reassessed shall be released from
all demands for taxes prior to 1893. If
any installment Of said tax shall not be
paid as above required, the same may be
collected in the same manner and by the
same remedies, and with the same penal
ties as are now or hereafter may be pre-
scribed by law tor the collection of delin-
quent taxes. Upon the passage of this
Act all actions now pending to enforce
Il Of all
due upon any past assessment or at
tempted assessment of any of the prop
critics embraced by the provisions of this
Act, shall be suspended until one or
more of said installments herein pro-
vided for shall become delinquent. This
Act shall not be applicable to taxes or
assessments for local improvements or
street purposes"
Senator Carpenter spoke in behalf of
his substitutes, saying he thought the one
calling for inStallmentS would be best. II
the money were placed in the treasury in
bulk it would be liable to bring about
extravaganza. His substitutes, he said,
simply went back to 1854, and extended
over that year and included the years the
railroad claims it was illegally assessed.
He said he wanted the railroads properly
assessed, but he was Tired of seeing The
Acts of the Legislature contested and
usually defeated-in the courts. He
thought that by adopting either of his
substitutes all the trouble would cease
the money would be paid in and ali
would be harmony again. The railroads
had claimed that their mortgages should
be deducted, as other mortgages were de-
Quoted in making assessments. The At
toruey- General had rendered an opinion
in the case in favor of this proposition
and he should be given some eonsIdera-
ton. If the Shanahan bill or the Seawell
substitute were adopted it would only
mean more litigation for the State and
delay.
The committee wanted to examine the
substitutes and adjourned until this
evening for that purpose.
LEEDS HALLUCINATlONS.