Our State Taxation

During' the last sessioa of our Logislature an nmeudud tax law was pas&ed As it had been prepared by K?publican official, and passod the ordeal of u Leg slative Connnittee, t miglit be fairly takefl as th embodied wisdom of the llopublican party upoo that subject On examina tion the only imerjdments. wcre fouud to be nn addition of 15 per cent. on delinquent tnxes not paid bcforo Juno, and an adilition ot 5 per ceut. upou delinquent taxes not paid belore Ju!y. Tliis was siinplj doublinir the peualty upou dt,-liustieii Lu. Au extra exjonse wi:s oin-rc: i at the AuditorV üffioe, and an cxlia expense for advertisiug. Ilere was refoi ni with a veiifreanco. Uut the law Vina nKido rotio-prciivo, so as to mposc tiiis exees iipou unpaid tuxoH ot 1SG-S. Undor tina tíu iho Auilitor Genera! eoilected t Le delitujuciit tases of 1SG8 wilb 5U per étñt added instond of 25 j)or ceirt. as uuUer llie provious hw. A casu was oarried to the Suprime Court to test this letrospective feature of the law, and tbere decidod adverso lo the law. The uolleotlOQa of 50 per een!, made by the Auditor General wcre deolared illegul. Tho Stute, tliereibre. liad no claim to this extra per ceutage. And }ct tho Auditor General has not rufuuded, and now rolusea toseltle 1S6S delinquencics in accordance with the ddoiiiiuD of the Supreuie Court. Every pwson payiug ttiis exiru per e:iitage bat a clai.ii porsoimlly upon Mr. Humphiey, a he alone eommits tlie wrong. üur lax laws vcry muoh iiecl a c.uiu ful revisión. lt is extreinoljr detrimenUl to the Stute, aud reurdiutr t growth, to have these harsh and iiuperfect tax laws. The time of pavinent (.hnuld bc uhauged. lu ühio they colloct tho laxi.'.s iu two semi-anuniil rmyments, iu June and Deoetuber. If tlie cwiinip ladde had nofrall beeu wasted ou tavontcs in paymeut ior the poomal i ouii.s t-vr luid out or woihed, we wuuld k ior soiue actiou on thttt matterj but the speculalurs have obtalurd üie lands and 110 nd[uitiistriition c:i: ■ ■ theni li:i(;k. The Slato of Mich'gan lias beon b;idly :i.)iiiimst.'red, and tha K-puhlicans -hould bu iwiuei out nukaid ! eels. 'J'he Stato hag had prepeny n "iigii, if prg perly taken cutu of, to pav iifl tb i t x't't tor Hionext ten yesrn, but which bas beea friiiered nway. If tho swamp ]uq js I luid been s ill for their value the State to-day oould build half tlio projoctod railroads with State moneys. The pcople are called upon to look atlight Stato tnxes and light expenditures, without an exposurc of tho atnount of property sacrifioed. Millionsof dollars' worth of pine lumber have beeü sold frorn owamp lunds, out of which the State did not realizo na triany thousands. - And yet tbe Kepublicans talk about an cal