The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-31

All taxes levied on the property in this State shall be assessed in exact proportion to the value of such prop erty, but no tax shall be assessed upon any debt for rent or hire of real or personal property while owned by the landlord or hirer during the current year of such rental or hire. If such real or personal property be assessed at it's full va1ue.'
 Mir. Cobb--Now, the words propose to strike out are. If such real or per sonal property be assessed at it's full value" The reasons why I offer this amendment are these: Tn the first place, 1t is a repetition. The words that I propose to strike out constitute q repetition merely of what has gene be- fore in the first and second lines. to wit. that all property shall be assess ed at its real value. If that was all, however, I would not offerethe amend, ment. But the trouble that is likely to occur from the section as it is in the Constitution now, is that it gives ground for the contention that higher particularly Is required in ascertain ing the value of personal property or real estate owned by a landlord or hirer during the current year than ap- plies to other property,' and inasmuch as 1t leads to that contention, it might
 
 and the tax assessor or the tax com missioner It does no good,s and may be productive of contention and harm, and. therefore, offer the amendment.
 The President pro tem.AThe ques- ton is on the adoption of the amend ment proposed by the delegate from Macon.
 MT. white--I move to lay the amend ment on the table.
 xtNf~ txAt IrAv khA ment was tabled. %&
 MT. deGraffenreid-I have an amend mont.
 Amend Section 21s. Article xI, page e5. by adding at the end thereof, and provided further that this, section shall not apply to the city of Selma. which city may levy and collect a tax of not exceeding one and ffteenr.ene.hun- dredths of one per tcentum upon the value of the taxable property therein as fixed for State taxation for general purposes. payment of debts and aid to the public schools. Nt.
 MT. deGraffenreid-Thit amendment Is introduced by me at the request of the gentleman from Dallas. MT. Reese. It is matter in which f,have no in- terest. and yield my time to htm.
 MT. Reese-On the 18th and goth of August. the Mayor and City Coanei, of | petitiOHeu the ufeIuDeTS or tNIS Convention representing Dallas County to have this amendment introduced rather. an amendment giving them 1 and 20 instead ofe1 andA15, the amount specified there. Under the 'Constitu- tion. as provided now, the law permits d tax for these purposes of 1.4ahd 50. This is practically a reduction of 35 cents. This petition was received from the Mayor and Council of Selma on the - Upon, the adjournment of this Conven- tion, l and my colleagues returred to Selma, and I was on the streets of that city almost every day during the recess | of this Convention, as was the case with my colleagues. I have talked with number of the citizens of Selma, and there has not been a citizen in Selma, notwithstanding the publicity of this matter, which was made in the newspapers in Selma, there has not been e single objection urged with me by letter or otherwise, A,peculiar con- dition of things has existed in our city, and it has been rare In the past that the Mayor and Council have agreed up- on any one proposition that ,recollect, for many years, and this Is the only proposition for many years that has had the cooperation of both the Mayor and the Council. and I am satisfied that it is the desire of the 15,ooa in- habitants of Selma. and ] hope this Convention will pass it.
 Mt. Craig-It will be observed by this circular that comes to this Convention that the Council of Selma. on the 29th day of this month, after this Article in this Constitution had been adopted by the Convention, theld a meeting and they resolved "it Is the sense, of this Council that a constitutional provision of this kind would be very injurious to our people.
 MT Reese-wnl the gentleman permit a question?
 Mir. Craig-Yes, sir.
 Mir. Reese--Did he say the 29th day of this month?
 MT. .Craig-That Is the date here? MT. Reese-The one l. have is dated the 27th. desire to ask one other question. Was not the gentleman shown a telegram from the Mayor and Council of Selma on the 18th or goth of this month. and if 1t was not re- ceived in this hall on that date?
 MT. Craig-I have no recollection, but even if did, 1t makes no difference. We were elected here by the people of Selma as we'll as the county of Dallas, | with the express understanding that we were not to oppress them with any other taxation except that in the Con Stitution Of the state or Alabama. Now, these things have come to pass. These debts on the people of Selma were put upon their town before the | gentleman was born. have lived there for a long time, and have had great deal of experience in that town in matters of property. I desire now to say that the only intimation we have ha of this thing comes up here on the 29th day of this month to fix upon us a tax of $1 Is on every $100, for whatt part of this we pay now, $1, 10, that Is what is paid. Sixty cents. of that Is put on there to pay a debt that was created in 1858 and 1859. and it was created in this way: The Council now just like this Council they were of the opinion-and 1t was the sense of that Council that the city of Selma should subscribe $500. 900 to a railroad and they came up here to the Legislature of Alabama. and they got an act passed through the Legislature to. authorize them to subscribe $3O0000 and issue bonds on it and pay Sper cent. interest on 1t. Now. gentlemen, that thing went on, and at the end of the war the debt amounted to something in the neighbor- hood of $600.000. and there we were in | that fix. They then funded that debt | at the rate of (, per cent. per annum, and We defaulted in the payment of the l interest. They then went into he | courts and sued us, and got judgments | against us, and it was compromised | " in, tko hay y,da 70 !