The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-02-12
WILL TAX ALL VESSELS.
MR.. WITHROW,s BILL SIGNED By
THE GOVERNOR.
II (. Claimed That II Will Bring a Great
Deal of Revenue Into the State.
other Measures Considered.

/ dollars worth OF personal property In
| vested I'm vessels and boats OF every
| description, which up TO THIS time had
| escaned taxation. This remark was over
heard by Mr.. Withrow, Of Bath. who at
once concluded 20 secure this new source
Of revenue to TIE state. lie introduced
/ a bill. which provides that the usual tax
Of forty cents on each hundred dollars
| worth OF properly IS TO be paid annually
| into the state Treasury, which tax will
represent total amount Of about S2iov
annually.
During the first year this tax Is 10 be
| collected by the Flduciary Commissioners.
| and the collections are thereafter 70 pc
turned over to the Commissioners OF the
Revenue. II has been asserted that the
| Fiduciary Commissioners will have me
! power under the existing laws to go back
/ as far as twenty years and collect these
taxes for that period.
Mr. Withrow's bill includes in its pro-
! visions vessels and boats OF every size
and description from the common. ordi-
nary skin to the largest steamers. II
| has been passed by both houses. ana
Governor Tyler yesterday attached his
signature to the bill, whereby Il has be-
! come law.
TEXT or THU BILL
The new law IS entitled AN act TO i'm
/ pose additional duties upon the examiner
of records Of the several judicial circuits
with reference to ships. tug-boais barges'
boats or other water craft. The proNis-
! ions OF the bill are as follows:
/. BE it enacted by the General Assem-
blv Of Virginia. That the examiner OF
records. I'm addition TO the duties now
imposed by law under an act approved
March fourth. eighteen hundred and
ninety-sx. shall annually examine III"
records. both state and federal, within
| their respective circuits with the view OF
ascertaining and reporting for taxation
| the valuation OF all ships, tugb0ats bar
| yes, boats. or other water craft, whether
the same be under or over five tons bur
| den. with their tackle. rigging, and fur
niture. and all else that pertains 10 them.
and all other floating property owned
by others than express, steamship OF
steamboat companies, or shall ascertain
! the valuation OF such property from any
other sources accessible to them.
2 As soon as such examination and
valuation is made he shall report there
Of 10 the commissioner of the revenue
! Of the county or corporation Tor when
| such examination Is made in such form
/ as shall be prescribed by auditor OF pub
lie accounts. and theroupon such com
missioner Of the revenue SHAH enter
upon his personal property books III
name Of the respective owners. the Nalu-
alton so reported of such ships tugboats
| barges beats, or other water craft.
whether the same be under or over five
| tons burden with their tackle. rigging
and furniture and all else that pertains
10 them. and all other floating property
owned by others than express. steam
| ship or steamboat companies and assess
the taxes thereon as If such property had
| been listed by the individual owners.
| firms. or corporations. The examiner
! Of records shall have authority 10 sum
mon before him such owner. firm 1r cor
uOratiOn. or their agent and require him
| TO answer under oath any question
| touching the ownership Of valuation Of
such property, and should such owner
| firm. corporation. or agent refuse 10 fur
| uish the information requested, such
! owner firm, corporation, or agent shall
| be liable 10 fine Of not less than ten
dollars nor more than one hundred dol
lars, TO be recovered as other fines due
the commonwealth.
If any person. firm. or corporation. con
slider himself aggrieved by such assess
ment or valuation, the same may be
corrected under the provisions of section
five hundred and siXty-seven and five
hundred and siXty-eight of the code OF
/ Virginia.
Q. All acts or parts of acts inconsistent
with this act are hereby repealed.
4. This act shall be i'm force from its
| passage
TO HAVE EQUAL RIGHTS.
The House Committee on Courts of jus
tice held a lengthy session last evcmnt
ln room No !, on the upper floor Of "a
Capitol building, with MIR. Saunders, q.
FRANKLIN, in the chair. me object OF th,
meeting was to consider Senate bill 40.
So which seeks 10 determine the respec-
i've interests OF the county and corpora
lion of Alexandra IN the half square Ga
ground in the city Of Alexandria, Va,
bounded by Columbus, Queen ana Princess
streets, upon which the cOurt-nOus,
stands and the hair square Of grounc
/ bounded by ST. Asaph. Princess and m.
streets, upon which the jail stands, and 10
authorize the partition OF the property a.
question between the county and corpo-
ration of Alexandra and OF the sale Of
The courthouse property.
The bin provides that the county ana
corporation are each entitled 10 an UNI
/ divided mOiety Of the two half squares.
The Board OF Supervisors Of the County
and the Council OF the city may instl-
tute the necessary proceedings in the
Circuit Court 10 bring about the partition
OF the property, which is 10 be properly
appraised.
The iail is TO be turned over TO the city
after the county has been properly com
pensated and the latter may use the
courthouse until July lst, or until its
new courthouse has been completed. The
money which the county will receive out
OF the sale Of the property shall be APP
piled 10 the redemption OF the bonds 10
! be issued for the construction Of the new
courthouse.
Mr. A. w. Armstrong, an attorney OF
Alexandria, and Mrs. James l.. Clements
the former Commonwealth 5 attorney oil
Alexandria county, appeared Tor the
county and advocated the passage OF the
Senate bill In its present form, recon-
mending an equal division OF the pro-
erty.
MIR. Gardner L. Boothe. the corporation
attorney Of the city OF Alexandra, TOOK
the ground that the city should receive
! three fourths and the county one fourth
I ~ the proceeds OF the sale Of the pro-
pertv. and he asked that the Dill De
amended accordingly. Senator Musnoach
advocated the passage Of the Dill as IL
mad come 10 the House from the Senate
while Colonel Louis +. Barley, the mem
! her az the House from AleXandria, coin
cided with the views expressed BY MT
| BOothe.
The committee finally decided 10 report
the bill favorably as II stands.
TO BE SELECTED NEXT WEEK.
The Joint session OF the Committee on
Privileges and Elections OF the TWO
| Houses. which was TO have been held
| last evening for the purpose OF agreeing
| on the list OF electoral boards in the va
rious cities and counties of the State FOR
~. ,,ast four wears has been postponed