Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1895-07-03
Legislature. In the law for levying a
tax for the support of government, was
the clause following:


BE it enacted, That it shall and
may be lawful for the aforesaid land
tax, and all free polls, to be paid in the
the following manner: Good fax lin.
en-, ten hundred, at three shillings and
six pence per yard; nine hundred, at
three shillings; eight hundred, two
shillings and nine pence; seven hun.
dred, two shillings and six pence; six
hundred, two shillings; tow linen, one
shilling and nine pence; linsey, three
shillings, and woolen and cotton lin
sey, three shillings and six pence per
yard; good, clean beaver skin, six shil.
lings; cased otter skins, six shillings;
uncased ditto, five shillings; raccoon
and fox skins, one shilling and three
pence; woolen cloth, at ten shillings
per yard; bacon, well cured, six pence
per pound; good, clean tallow, six
pence per pound; good, clean beeswax,
one shilling per pound; good distilled
rye whisky, at two shillings and six
pence per gallon; good peach or apple
brandy, at three shillings per gallon ;
good country made sugar, at one shil.
ling per pound; deer skins.the pattern,
six shillings; good, neat and we'll man
aged tobacco, fit to be priced, that may
pass inspection, the hundred, fifteen
shillings, and so on in proportion for
a greater or lesa quantity"
They by law estimated two dollars
and half to be equal to fifteen shil.
lings of the current money of Frank.
land; they allowed the Governor an.
nually, two hundred pounds; the At
torney General twenty five pounds for
each court be attended, the Secretary
twenty five pounds for the present year,
over and above the fees allowed him
by law; the Judge of the Superior
Court, one hundred and fifty pounds
for the present year; the Assistant
Judges twenty FIVE pounds each, for
every court they shall attend; the
Treasurer forty pounds per year, and
each member Of the council, six shil-
lings per day, for each day he shall
be in actual service The last section
Of the act is In these words: "And all
the salaries and allowances hereby
made, shall be paid by any treasurer,
sheriff or collector of public taxes, to
any person entitled to the same, to be
paid in specific articles as collected.
and at the rates allowed by the State
for the same; or in current money of
the State of Farmland. In specifying
the skins which might be received as
commutation for money, the risibility
of the unthinking was sometimes ex.
cited at the enumeration. The rapidity
OF wit, which never stops to be in.
formed, and which delights by its oddi.
ties, established it as an axiom, that
the salaries of the Governor, Judges
and other officers, were to be paid in
skins absolutely; and to add to their
merriment, had them payable in mink
skins. This idea has been the theme
of much pleasantly towards the citi.
zens Of Frankland But in sober reason.
it is to be remembered, that lords pro.
prietors of Carolina, at an early day,
preferred peltry to paper bills of credit;
and certainly, even now, there are
quantities of paper money in various
sections Of the United States, between
which, and the mink skins of East Ten
nessee, there would be no comparison,
nor any hesitation in giving the prefer
ence to the mink skins. 1t is to be re-
marked, thatin the State of Frankland
at that day, merchants from the north,
were always ready with their gold and
silver, to purchase skins and furs.
which could be at any moment ex.
changed for gold and silver at certain
well known and well esta blished prices,
with as much ease as bill of ex.
change could now be converted into
cash, and in some instances, with
much more certainty. And it may be
safely said, that at this moment. it
would be matter of great consolation
to many of the citizens Of Tennessee,
had some of their banks been founded
on mink skin capital.
The Government OF Frankland was
not inattentive to their relations with
the neighboring Indians. Governor
Sewer, with two Others, Alexander
Outlaw and Daniel Kennedy, were ap.
pointed commissioners to treat with
them, and met q great number of
Cherokee chiefs, with the king of the
Cherokees, at the house of Major Henry,
on French Broad river, on the S1st of
May. 17S5, and continued their confer.
ences to the I'd Of June. The Indians
agreed in the end, that all the lands
on the south OF French Broad and Hol-
ston, as far as the dividing ridge be.
tween Little river and great Tennessee,
may be inhabited by the white people,
for which, in general terms, they are
promised compensation. Both parties
professed sincere desire for the bles-
sings of peace, and an ardent wish that
1t might be of long continuance. The
Governor, in speech well calculated
to produce the end he had in view, de.
plored the sufferings of the white peo.
pie; the blood which the Indians lad
split on the road leading IN Keptncv.