Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1900-03-27

county, remains unpaid for three years,
or mandamus to compel its pay
ment remains unenfOI ced for one year,
the United States court shall, on appli--
cation of the judgment creditor, ap--
point commissioner to assess, levy
and collect tax for its payment, and
authorize the commissioner to appoint
as many assistants as may be neces-
sary.
1t requires the commissioner to give
bond to the United States for faith
full perfOf nance of his duties and to
report each term to the court and pay
over all moneys collected, as the court
shall order. 1t also requires the COM
missioner to levy and collect the tax
pursuant to the state laws for levying
and collecting taxes, and that he shall
use as the basis of the levy the last
assessment, if he can obtain it, if not,
any other Information obtainable
touching the value of the property to
/ be assessed. 1t empowers the court
to make all orders for levying and col
lecting the tax. whether by the sale
Of property, suit, or otherwise, and to
award compensation and allowances
for eXpens S to the commissioner and
his assistants, and requires suits under
the act to run in the name of the
United States to the use of the commits
sioner, and permits them to be in
stituted in the United States courts,
regardless of the amount involved.
AS will be seen by this recital of it's
provisions, there are many strong OBJ
jections to the bill, among which the
following may be mentioned:
l. 1t applies to judgments entered
before as well as after the passage of
the bill, and thereby confers upon the
creditor benefits and advantages, and
imposes upon the debtor burdens and
disadvantages, which did not exist at
the time the judgment was rendered,
or the obligation contracted.
2. 1t applies also to judgments
which by reason of lapse of time have
become Intellectual, under statutes of
limitation, and revives, so far as con-
gressional action can, such judgments
and reimposes their burdens upon the
people.
3. 1t interferes arbitrarily with To-
cal municipal government by empow-
ering United States courts to appoint
a man who might, and undoubtedly in
many instances would be alien and
hostile to the interests of the munich
pality to go into the municipalities
and supercede the local taxing officers,
oh hr+ hAe i,,f hoi
function Of levying taxes to pay muni-
cipal debts.
+. It imposes on the people of mu-
inequalities without their consent and
against their wishes, an official not of
their own choosing, authorized to ap-
point assistants, and empowered to ex-
ercise the taxing power, and then re-
quires the people to pay the compen-
sation and expenses of all such officers
thus forced upon them, and that such
compensation and expenses shall be
fixed by the court and not by the mu-
inequalities.
5. 1t is not in the interest of honest
creditors, for it is well known that the
bonds on which the judgments are
based were in most instances issued
fraudulently, and that the present
Judgment creditors paid little if any
thing for them.
6. In many other respects it's pas
sage involves questionable exercise
of power in favor of the creditor
against the debtor, which the people,
especially Ia localities Immediately
affected it is believed, will not tamely
submit to.
[ have written several congress
men, including Speaker Henderson,
calling their attention especially to the
bill, and requesting it's defeat A
member of the judiciary committee
writes me that ''stroug efforts are be-
ing made for the bill, and no one OPP
posing it, and asks that the people
furnish some reasons against it's
passage" This should be done at
once, and sugguest that at least petit
tions against the bill be circulated and
signed in every locality, and then for
warded to our congressman and sem
, ators at Washington. The following
form of petition might be used:
ITO the Honorable the Congress of
the United States:-The undersigned,
resident electors of fthe--Of-
county of--, state of Wisconsin,,
, respectively petition and pray that,
bill H. R. 5791, entitled, a bill to
provide for the collection of judg-
, ments against municipal corpora
tions,- be defeated for the following
, among other reasons" Here insert
, above mentioned six objections to the
( billy
} These petitions should be signed rs
3 numerously as possible, and hurried on
t to Washington as speedily as practic-
able, so that the wishes OF the peo-
pie may be known on the measure be-
I fore action is finally taken upon it.
4 GEO. w. BIRD.
r Madison, March Is.