The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1899-04-21

LUIS WIS unjust anu uUESdSOudylc uc IiJuc!
spent by the State in the building of the rail-
nessee was now fifty years in advance of what i
would have been had the railroads not beer
! built. II the State placed a privilege tax OF
railroads il would prevent the building OF new
roads in the State. The Tennessee Central road
which was now building in the State, would
receive a setback if the tax was laid. He wal
opposed to any tax which discouraged the
building of new industries.
Mr.. Seay said lie did not believe the privilege
tax would work the havoc which the railroads
claim it would. He had not heard single valid
reason urged why this tax should not be placed
on the railroads. The tax had been placed CT
merchants and other business, and why not cI
railroads. The reason such clamor went VI
for the abolition of the board of assessors was
because it fell far short of its duty, and as
sessed the property too low.
Mr.. Chambliss said the assessed value Of the
railroad property as fixed by the railroad cOnl-
mission was correct.
Mr.. Gilmore said the principle of placing a
tax on railroads was wrong. The railroad was
compelled to operate, whether it wanted to OF
not. The merchant and manufacturer could
quit business, but the railroad could not. They
were common carriers and could not stop busi-
ness. II was wrong to compel corporation to
operate and then place heavy privilege tax
upon it for doing business.
Mr.. Padgett challenged the statement matte
by Senator Chambliss to the effect that if the
legislature placed privilege tax on railroads it
would bias the courts in the decision of pen0-
ing litigation. If that was so, the government
was rotten and its Institutions were totterlng to
their ruin. Nor did he believe the tax would
influence the railroad commission in assessing
the value of railroad property.
The vote was then taken on the question to
adopt the Seay amendment. The amendment
was lost-ayes 13, noes IS.
In the house Mr.. Wade introduced a resolu
tion to divide the $4,000 received from the
Mobile & Ohio railroad among the counties and
towns through which the road passes Referred
to finance, ways and means committee.
The assessment bill came up as unfinished
business. Mr.. McCorkle offered All amendment
to strike out the provision which provides that
the trustee shall give description of the prop
erty on the tax receipt. After some discussion
the amendment was adopted. Mr.. Pardue Of
fered an amendment to extend the time before
issuing distress warrants from February to
March. Adopted. Mr.. Brek offered an amend
ment to give officers compensation for serving a
distress warrant, the same as when-sale is made.
Adopted. Further consideration of the bill was
deferred until tomorrow.
The remainder of the session was devoted to
the assessment bill, about six sevenths of which
has been considered.
APRIL IL
Gov. McMillin signed the bill abolishing Chan
cellor Lindsay's court.
The house reconsidered its action in striking
section ID from the assessment bill, and then
tabled the amendment striking out the section.
This section, which now remains in the bill, is
aimed at personal property, and makes notes,
securities and other evidences of debt uncol-
Iectible in court unless they have been listed for
taxation. The compensation of revenue agents
was limited to s., 900, but An amendment that no
member of the legislature be appointed revenue
agent was tabled, as was an amendment that
the governor, instead of the comptroller, ap-
point revenue agents. The bill was then
passed, receiving a bare constitutional majority.
The assessment, if it goes through the senate,
means hundreds of thousands of dollars to the
State, as section 10 will bring millions of dollars
of personal property out of its hiding place.
Amendments were adopted making the act
take effect after the first Monday in June, 1899,
requiring that Offenses created in the act be
given in charges to grand juries, giving owners
of land to be sold twenty days notice. providing
that notes, ETC., may be listed collectively and
requiring that tax receipts show whether the
taxpayer be white or cOlOred.
The house then passed the bill abolishing the
criminal court Of Montgomery county (Tyler's).
The bill is to take effect thirty days after the
adjournment of the legislature. The senate
amendment that the judge may serve until 1902
without compensation was stricken out.
The anti-news selling discrimination bill was
taken up and the senate bill substituted and
passed.
The senate also passed the house bill extend
ing the provisions of the four-mile law to towns
under 2,OOO that may hereafter be Incorporated.
ba hot -ho In,
been previously examined or may hereafter be
examined under the regulations of the State
board of education, and having attained 30 per
cent. in general average and not falling below
20 per cent. in any study shall be exempt from
said examination so long as they continue in
the public school work, passed.
The bill to abolish the twelfth chancery di-
vision (Kyle's) was tabled.
The senate in committee of the whole then
consideration OF the revenue bill. Tho
offered by Mr.. Thompson of Mar
shall to increase the ad valorem tax from 90 to
to 60 cents was rejected. An amendment offered
by Mr.. Jarvis to strike out the provision relat-
ing to cigarettes and fixing the tax on retail
dealers in cigarettes, was adopted. The tax on
dealers is fixed in the amendment at SlO $3.50
and S..
An amendment by Mr.. Jarvis graduating the
tax on retail dealers in cigarettes according to
population was adopted.
Mr.. Seay offered an amendment to add the
following: Provided, however, that nothing
herein as to the privilege upon cigarettes shall
be construed as repeating or in any manner ef-
fecting the laws prohibiting the sale or bringing
into the State of cigarettes"
The Seay amendment was rejected after a
motion to table had been voted down. The
vote was ayes IA, noes l5 The vote was then
taken on the Jarvis amendment 1t was
adopted Ayes l6, noes IA.
This virtually nullifies the anti-cigarette law.