Year: 1871

IatOrs-A Voice from the Country.


To the Editors of the Union and American:


LAwRENCEBURG, Nov. 5, 1S71.- have
looked forward to the meeting of the pres
ent Legislature with much sOlieitude, hop


ING that something would be done to raise


the credit of the State, and advance the in


terest and prosperity of the country, sup


posing that the short space of time now


allowed by the Constitution for the sitting


and deliberations of that honorable body


would prevent, or. to some extent lessen,


the number of resolutions heretofore intro


duced in that body to give the members an


opportunity to make Buncombe speeches


and reports, showing their great love for


the dear people, and the deep and heart


rending sorrow which they feel on account


of the heavy burdens imposed upon them


by high and oppressive taxation; but it


seems that am, to some extent, disap-


pointed. How much longer is the unjust


and OppreSSiUe distinction to be made at


the State Treasury in the payment Ofclaims


against the State? What is the financial
condition of the State of Tennessee to-day?


Right now, in the city of Nashville, where
every claim upon the State Treasury ought
to be cashed on presentation, and where
hundreds of thousands Ofcapital are seeking
for profitable investment, warrants upon
the State Treasury are quoted at the shame
full, low price of SeUeHty,tue cents in the
! dollar, and unless you are member Of the
Legislature or some high sdlGried official it
will be very hard for you to get one dollar


out of the Treasury, notwithstanding hum
dreds of dollars are daily being paid into
the Treasury. Go to the Treasurer with a
school warrant and he will tell you, no
money here to pay school warrants, We are
receiving but little money now, and most
of that in Tennessee money, and we must
keep what greenbacks we get to pay other
| claims that hare precedence. The Legisla-
ture is in session and we are compelled to


pay them, and then we must pay the judges
and other State officers. Now, what right
has the Legislature to say that one set OF
individuals shall be paid, and that another
set or class shall not be paid until they,and
some other favorite classes are first paid,
and then if some other man was fool
enough to buy the claim of this man who
was uniustly denied pay at the State Treas


ury, he ought not to be paid at all,
he is SpeculdtOr. Is that the
sentiment of the Tennessee Legislature?
The Constitution of Tennessee, article IL,


section 8, is expressly intended to prohibit
fuUOritiMl and unjust distinctions in legisla-


ton. 1t expressly says that ''the Legisla-
ture shall have no power to pass any law
for the benefit of individuals inconsistent


with the general laws of the land, nor to


pass any law granting to any individual


rights, privileges, immunities or exemptions


other than such as may by the same tGlC be


extended to any member of the communi-


ty who may be able to bring himself within
the provisions of such law, which seems to


me to prohibit such unjust distinctions


against one class, and such JdroritiSs to


another class, as is now being made, and


by some sought to be perpetuated at the


State Treasury. The Constitution further
| declares ''that government is instituted for


N, common ben.tt," and never was in


tended to be run for the interest Of few at


the expense of the many. But it seems


that the unjust and oppressive distinc-
ton heretofore made in the payment
of claims is not sufficient to meet


the views of some men, for l notice that


resolution has actually been introduced


to Instruct the Comptroller and Treasurer