The morning call., 1893-03-14
SEAWELL'S PLAN.
Troubled Tax Question
Settled.
ADOPTED BY THE SENATE.
That Body Agrees That Reassessment
Shall Take Place From the
Year 1879.
ADOPTED BY THE SENATE.
Special to THE MORNING CALL


as amended in the Assembly, came up for
concurrence. 1t had been rumored about
early In the day that the bill. which is now
practically the Seawell bill, would pass the
Senate unanimously. Before the vote was
taken, however, Carpenter made q long
speech, in which he undertook to get even
on all OF the newspapers and all of the peo-
pie who have taken occasion to call him q
railroad hirelng.
he said that, as God was bis Judge, ne
nau Deen square man. lie spoke with
pride 81 his war record and of his record as
Judge in the South, and pointed TO his
work as Senator in this State, and defied
any one 10 find that he had ever favored a
measure that was not just and right. He
characterized Senators Ostfom, Wilson aud
LangfOrd as land mOnopolists, who had
over been bowling against other monOpo-
lists. Carpenter said he did not approve of
the Seawell bill. for he believed il to be
weak In many places, but he would vote for
1t. for it was the best that could be done.
Berry also spoke and explained his vote,
saying that he did not approve of the Sea-
well bill, bus would vote for it.
The bill passed without dissenting vote
AS soon as the news reached the
Assembly Mathews of Tehama read a pre-
pared speech, which, in many places. was If
a startling character. He opened by de-
claring that, in all of his legislative career.
he had never voted otherwise than he be-
lieved TO be right. He then said:
"At my time in life l am not to be de-
TERED from speaking what conceive to be
the truth and doing what believe to be my
duty by the fOTid, feryid and trenzied
oratory OF young statesmen who are making
haN fret Ias, tIo
who are, no doubt, actuated by a laudable
ambition to consecrate themselves TO the
service Of the people. have not been con.
efnced that l am in error by the utermiu-
able calculations OF volumes OF statistics and
Impressive columns of figures furnished by
the California Napoleon Of finance, who has
inspired the anti-railroad legislation for
nearly eight years, and who has never yet
won legal battle for the people or con-
verted dollar of back taxes into the State
treasury. l am not TO be awed from doing
my duty BY that young hero OF romance and
many boodless eucampments, upon whose
shoulders seems to have fallen the mantle
OF the manager of the Traffic Association
when he, as the gentleman from Shasta
says, fled from the State"
Mathews then ridiculed the picturesque
oratory Of Afford and Gould. Continuing
he said:
I'VE are in the closing hours Of an event
ful session of the Legislature, during which
many vital public questions have been con-
sidered, and chief among which is the re-
assessment bill. y solution of the vexed
problem of the back taxes due from railroad
companies has been reached which
does not meet my approval, and l
here and now, with all the SOL
emnity that should be attached
TO the public words of a man who has
studied the question conseientiously and
with an honest desire to arrive at the truth
\nd do his whole duty. publicly declare
that, in my Judgment, the so-called Sewell
a,sessmeaF plan is a railroad victory, and
will result in relieving the companies Of the
payment Of large sums Of back taxes now
iustIp due to the State and county trea-
suries
"If had famed such bill l would ex-
pact. as soon as its provisions are under
stood, to be branded all over this State as
railroad hireling. For thirteen years this
state. under the leadership OF Mr.. Dunn
and others OF equally ultra views, has pur-
sued a policy under which not dollar of
taxes could be collected from the railroad
property. and as result of that policy not
a dollar has been collected by law.
"At this session of the Legislature an
honest, vigorous and thorough effort WAS
made TO pass reassessmeut law which the
owners of railroad properties could neither
escape nor evade. After that measure had
been amended in the Judiciary Committee
Of this House it was regarded as near per-
feet as could be. and if the bill had passed
in that form l believe the result would have
been the payment by the railroad comuanies
of every dollar of taxes which can ever be
collected on any reassessment bill
"It would have filed the State and county
treasuries this year to OVERLOOKING, but
under the guidance of men possessed OF
more zeal than judgment or fiirness that
measure was defeated, and in its stead we
have one which does not preserve the rights
of the people.
The Seawell bill has been passed under
the party whip and spur. but am firm in
the belief that its provisions are not under.
stood by most of those who voted for 1t.
assert with all the emphasis and earnest
ness at my command, that the Seawell bill
is unjust and unfair to the people, insomuch
as IL omits entirely from reassessmeut
nearly il not quite two-thIrds of the taxes
which ought to be obtained on reassess-
ment.
Il say again. consider this prediction SER
ioGsly, will stake my reputation upon its
lruthfulness. There are we'll considered
decisions by the courts of lost resorts that
no reassessment os property can become
vailed until all the moneys paid on account
of the former assessments have been re-
funded. The sums which have been so
paid by the railroad companies since 1879
are so vast that the proposition to refund
them to the railroad company and then take
chances of receiving them on doubtful
reassessment bill, are simply appalling.
During the years enumerated the COM
panies have paid TO few counties taxes as
follows: Tehama s7S.792, Tulare SIS, ,s57 sc,
Merced S62, ,352. Stanislaus SIS. .617 %, Placer
sl39,S36 AZ. Kern S1Ss. .532 Al.
AS before stated. before any valid re-
assessment eau be made, this vast amount
OF money will have to be refunded to the
railroad companies.
1.-THE county Treasury of my county is
not in condition to stand a raid of that
kind. Against my vote this policy has been
forced upon my people. l am satisfied that
the provlsiens of the reassessment bill
finally adopted by this House are such that
the railroad companies cannot be compelled
10 pay anything.
Under all these difficulties, enforced
against the wish of myself, | ask that my
county be permitted to realize something
and get something. The Board of Super
visors of my county are men of integrity,
business experience and good judgment.
They can be safely trusted to do nothing
except what is for the best Interest Of the
county.
Having by your action practically de-
prived US OF these back taxes, it is your
duty to open a door by which, if these re-
assessments are invalid, we may hope to
get the taxes, in spite of the mistakes and
misguided actions Of this House.
"ln conclusion permit me to say again, l
have no fear for my political future. In the
language of Horace. 'EIic murus aeneus este
nil conscire sibi nulla pollescere culpa.'
Q4et this be my brazen wall of defense: