Terms, $4 per Annum.
CHARLOTTE, N. C., , JULY 11, 1865.
Volame 13Nnnibcr 674;
SPEECH OF THE HON W. W. BOYCE,
Delivered at the Court House in Winnsboro,
g C'. on Wednexiat, the 2lst June, 1865,
at the meeting held for the restoration of the
civil Government oj South Carolina.
Darin? the absence of the committee to pre
pare resolutions for the action of the meeting,
(S3V3 the Winnsboro News,) Mr Boyce being
sited upon, rose and addressed the people as
sembled: Mr. President : I approve of the object of
the meeting. It is greatly to our interest to
hive civil government established in the State.
By the theory of our institutions, while a few
rcat interest are exclusively - confided to the
Federal authority, a large mass ot legislation is
reserved to the States individually. The soon
er we have a State Government in operation,
she eoouer we will have control over our local
egUlation, and the sooner we may look for the
withdrawal of military authority. The military,
tit true, are acting, no tar as I have learned,
otbiothis State and adjoining States, with
reat propriety. lut still it is preferable to
re under a civil government. I a in satisfied
":om what I learned at Washington that Presi-
eot Johnson will extend to this State the same
privilege ot establishing the State Government
la at be has and is extending: to the States of
torch Carolina, Mississippi, Alabama, and
eorgia, &c. No discrimination will be made
jraiubt this State. I am satisfied that the
resident is ready to establish our State Gov-
irnment as noon as he thinks public opinion is
ipe tor it. Ihe object ot this meeting is to
Make known the sense of the people of this Dis-
ict on the subject From all 1 can. learn up-
n this point, and I have taken every opportu
, ity of informing myself of the wishes f the
jtople of the State, 1 am satisfied the great mass
the people, by an overwhelming majority,
counting almost to unanimity, earnestly desire
I le establishment of State authority in entire
1 urmuny with the government of the United
, States. 1 apprehend that in this large meeting,
Sere will be but one opinion on the subject.
I might stop here, but-1 presume you desire
hear something of my late 'visit to Wasbing
n. At the instance of some of our most influ
sial citizens, I went on to see the. President
the United States. I had been well acquaiot-
with him as a member of the Senate of the
, iitcd-States. I had heard so much of him,
; talents, the obstacles he had overcome, and
lecontroling influence he had acquired in his
ate, that I took pains to form bis acquaint
ance, and observed him with deep interest. I
I'.'w that a man who bad accomplished what
Shad, who from the most adverse position had
en, to be successively, a member of Congress",
vernor and senator was no ordinary man. I
peeled in him the man who bad erected his
ii statue, and found Mr Juhnsou to be a man
eaiarkable talents, immense enerev. great
Id dense, a strung will, with perfect self-reli-e,a
man wbo belonged to himself and not to
ither.
sso one can have creater abhorrence of that
ally stupid crime, the assassination of Mr
iln, than I have, but I do not think that
eby the Southern States have fallen into
hand of a cruel tyrant, as has been imagiu
F suae. Emancipation is conceded to be a
fact. President Johnson. I ain satisfied.
deal with our people in no ungenerous spi
All who accept the existing order of
who, in good faith, desire to be peaceful
loyal citizens, will, as a general rule, in my
ion, experience the clemency of the gov-
Saieot. Un the great queston ot the right of
rage in these States, President Johnson has
pd the conservative position of referring the
ter to the States thenuelves. For this he
incurred the opposition of the extreme wing
ihe Republican party. We cannot but at-
ll the issue of this difference of opinion with
It interest, and I think the progress of events
iich as to indicate that these States will give
lukewarm support to the administration of
fident Johnson,
consider slavery as gone, and the best thing
lus to do is to recognize that fact distinctly
unequivocally, and accept it id perfect good
l with all its logical consequences. Any
r course 18 onlv 201ns? to tirntraet and valesi-
o r-" 1
e darkness of the night through which we
! sow passing. Let us recognize the great
that the negro is no longer a slave, and let
ct towards him in a kind spirit. This does
'i course impiy mat we are to sacrince our
s for him, but it means that we are to give
a fair chance. This is our policy, this our
Less than this Will not satisfy our sister
If then, after a fair trial, emancipation
jea to be failure and the negro race is an in- j
cnbus on the country, it will become necessary
to colonize them in another land.
Our greatest statemacship now consists in
pacification with the North. Every man should
lend himself to this work. Whoever does a
kindness to a Northern man is doing a wise
thing for his country. Let us forget the hor
rible struggle through which we have passed as
much as we cau. Let us look before us and
not behind us. Let us not despair of our coun
try. God is wiser than we are. The history
of nations ns the judgment of God. . Let us ac
quiesce in that destiny from which there is no
appeal. Slavery is gone, but all is not lost. Our
fortunes are shattered, we are poor indeed, but
the heavens are still above us, and though the
way before us is rugged, let us with great hearts
move forward to fulfil our mission, whatever it
may be. '
We will soon be invited to resume our posi
tion as one of the United States, on terms of
perfect equality. As we have bad the greatest
war upon record, so I trust we may have the
greatest peace. Upon ourselves will depeud in
a very large degree how advantageous this peace
shall be to us. If we are wise there is still hope
for us in th future. If we are weak every step
will only plunge us deeper into the Serbonian
bog. We must act under the influence of new
ideas. We must not listen to our passions, but
to our reason. And the future may be more
auspicious to us than the most sanguine now
imagine.
NEWS ITEMS.
Colonel Edward W. Jones, of 1 lymouth, N.
C, has been appointed collector of internal rev
enue for the First District of this State.
The Petersburg "News" was suppressed on
Saturday the 24th, by an order from the milita
ry authorities.
The Richmond "Republic" of the 27th in
stant says the Virginia and Tennessee railroad
will be opened on the 15th of July from
Lynchburg to Bristol.
The Chattanooga Gazette states that the
Western & Atlantic Railroad has been com pie
ted as far as Aoworth, 100 miles from Chatta
nooga, and 38 miles from Atlanta. From At
lanta to the Chattahoochee River, a distance of
7 miles, trains run regularly. The bridge over
the Chattahoochee river was completed on the
20th, and it is expected that the entire road
will be in running order by the 1st of July.
No more five cents postage currency will be
issued. This ,is designed to bring small coin
into use.
A delegation from Richmond has reached
Washington, having in view an attempt to influ
ence the President to modihy Jus amnesty proc
lamation as regards the twenty thousand dollar
exclusion.
An order has been issued from the War De-
partment releasing all Uontederate prisoners
now held by the United States authorities below
the rank of Colonel.
The findings of the military court convened
to try the assassins will not be made public for
several weeks. The testimony and the proceed
ings of the court are now under consideration
by the President and the law officers of the
government.
Generals Shelby, Magruder and Kirby Smith
are now in Mexico.
Gen. R. E. Lee has gone to Cartersvilie, Cum
berland county, Va., to spend the summer in a
cottage on a small farm. He declined the offer,
by a citizen of Richmond, of a farm in Orange
couuty, which another citizen offered to stock.
It is reported that Atlanta, Ga., U being re
built much more rapidly than could have been
anticipated. Business is beginning to be quite
brisk. Many families which went North' after
Gen. Sbcrmau's evacuation, are about return
ing. Judge Trigg, of East, Tennessee, recently
charged the Grand Jury to induct Gov. Brown
low. The jury refused to find a bill.
The St. Louis Democrat says the new Con
stitution is adopted by more than 3,000 majori
ty. Without the soldiers vote it would have
been lost.
Several men recently broke into the State
Treasury at Austin, Texas, and stole $13,000 in
gold. The silver was left.
Hon. Richard. Busteed, of New York, was
appointed Judge of the United States District
Court of Alabama-Dy rar JLiincoin neariy a year
ago. and s expected to assume the duties of his
office at once.
THE TAX LAW.
The United States Tax Bill is a subject of
much interest to us all, and one upon which
most of our citizens have had very little chance
of informing themselves; hence we publish some
of its most important provisions, that people
may know what they will have to pay, and what
they will not have to pay, that they may not
hereafter be annoyed by unnecessary apprehen
sion. "There shall be paid annually upon the an
nual gains, profits, and income of every person
residing in the United States, whether derived
from any kind of property, rents, interests, divi
dends or salaries, or from any profession, trade,
employment or vocation, carried on in the Uni
ted States, or elsewhere, or from any other
source whatever, a duty of five per centum 00
the excess over six hundred dollars and not ex
ceeding five thousand dollars, and a duty of ten
per centum on the 'excess over five thousand
dollars." "And the duty hermn provided for
shall be assessed, 'collected, an I paid upon the
gain, profits and income for the year ending the
31st of December, next preceeding the time for
levying, collecting and paying said duty."
This is the most important clause of the law;
the one of general application for the execution
of which it is provided, "That it shall be tbe
duty of all persons of lawful age to make and
.render a list in such manner as may be prescrib
ed by the Commissioner of Internal Revenjue,
of the amount of their income, gains or profits
as aforesaid," under oath.
No farmer, manufacturer, mechanic or any
person will pay any tax at all, on his income,
unless it amounts to six hundred dollars, after
deducting the necessary expenses for carrying
on his business. In addition to this be is al
lowed to deduct his house rent'and all taxes he
pays to the general Government, to the State,
County and town from his necessary expenses,
and he pays no income tax at all, unless his in
come amounts to more than six hundred dollars
after these deductions are made.
In tbe event that a man is unable to pay his
taxes Rod bis property has to be taken by the
government agents and sold for. that purpose
the law reserves to him the following articles:
"ihe tools or implements of his trade or profes
sion, one cow, arms and provisions, household
furniture kept for use, school books and apparel
necessary lor a lamily.
In addition to this there are many specified
taxes, only a few of which are ef general interest
enough to our citizens to be noticed in a short
artictle 'like this.
Merchants wbo sell over twenty-five thou
sand dollars pay fifty dollars tax those who
seil over.oae thousand and under twenty-five,
pay ten dollars tax, and those selling under pue
thousand are not taxed.
The tax on liquors may be summed up as
follows: ' Distillers making over three hundred
barrels, pay a license ot fifty dollars; making
less than three huodredpay twenty-five dollars;
those making less than one hundred and fifty
barrels of apple or peach' brandy, pay twelve
dollars and fifty cents. In addition to this, a
tax of two dollars has to be paid en every gallon
ot whisky and a tax of a dollar and fifty cents on
every gallon of brandy, and every retailer of
liquors must pay twenty-five dollars tax.
Lawyers, physicians and dentists pay ten dol
lars tax each. Auctioneers from ten to twenty,
according
to salt, ana one-iortn ot one per
cent, on amount ot sales. Uotton pays two
cents a pound;' manufactured tobacco forty cents
a pound; snuff forty cents a pound, and cigars
ten dollars per thousand. Carriages and gold
watches from one to two dollars eacb, according
to value; pianos pay from two to four dollars ,
according to quality.
All railroads and stage routes pay a tax of
two and a naif per cent on .the gross amount of
their receipts, and ferries pay three per cent.
All manufacturers of cotton or wool pay a li
cense of ten dollars, and a tax of five per cent on
the value of goods they make.
For the purpose of executing this law Norths
Carolina has been divided into three districts,
and an assessor and collector will be appointed
for each distrfct.
Each assessor will appoint as many assistants
as he needs; he and each assistant muit be a
resident of the district where he performs his
duties. They have to visit every man and take
a list of bis taxables and return the same to the
collectors. The assessors compensation is fif
teen hundred dollars a year and one per cent.
commissions on ail sums uuder lour hundred
thousand dollars each assistant assessor is al
lowed four dollars a day and small fees.
The duty of tbe collectors is to receive tbe
list from tbe assessors, collect the taxes and pay
the money over to the government. He can
appoint as msuy deputies as he needs for the
due execution of his office, each one of whoa,
as well as himself, must be a resident of the lo
cality where be performs his official duties. The
collector is entitled to a salary of fifteen hun- '
dred dollars od a commission of three percent,
on all sums under oqe hundred thousand dollars,
and a commission of one per cent on all sums
over one hundred thousand.and less than four
hundred thousand. Out of this salary and these
fees he has to pay all his deputies, as they fcaw
no salary or lee. . . '
The tax of forty oents a pouqd bid on man
ufactured tobacco, was intended to be paid by
the manufacturer, but there" is no officer in
North Carolina, authorized to collect it. Hence
it can only le paid by those wbo ship tobacco
to other States. The same may be said of the
tax of two cents' a pound on cotton.
Tbe foregoing is the present United States
Revenue Law as it now exists; in it there is
no tax 00 lands at all but in the place thereof,
a tax on tbe income of all farmers wbo dear
more than five hundred dollars a year. .
There is, however, a back tax on lands to bo
collected fur one year only, as the law was re
pealed after one year. This tax is Eighty centa
on every hundred dollars' worth of laud, valued
by the tax books of 1860.
This tax will finally be collected in every
county in the State, but a very liberaf time will
be given, so that all may have a chance to pay
without inconvenience. -r-Raleiyh Standard.
$200,000 STOLEN.
From the Aagusta, Ga., Transcript, Jane 2.
A few days since two of the officers of tbe
Richmond banks, whose assets were removed'
from that city upon the evacuation in April,
reached Washington, in -this State. They were
empowered by the authorities to remove their .
effects, consisting of $320,000 in specie, to tba.
capital of Virginia. Procuring teams and a
guard of twelve men these gentlemen set out
upon their return home, intending to take the.,
railroad at Chester, South Carolina.- .
At "tbe end. of the first day's journey they en
camped on the grounds of Mrs. Morse, eighteen,
nyles from Washington and three from the, Sa
vannah river. The officers retired and the
guard fell asleep. About midnight, a party of '
twenty mounted men, who were evidently aware
of the value of the train, suddenly dashed upon
it, and tbe guards surrendered without firing a
gun or making tbe slightest show of resistance.
The freebooters immediately went to work burst
ing open tbe specie kegs and helping them
selves to the. glittering contents. One fellow,
it is related, bad a large leathern haversack
which he filled; but just as be was mounting
his horse tbe straps gave way, and tbe precious '
metal fell clinking to the ground. He eagerly
scraped up the gold and sand, leaving a number
of pieces,-and placing the coin in a bag rode off.
The next morning a negro teamster found fira .
dollar pieces scattered in profusion all about the
ground.
Some two hundred thousand dollars were sto
len, leaving about one hundred and twenty
thousand. - With this amount the bank officers
journeyed on, sadder "but wiser men. . Upon
reaching Abbeville, South Carolina, they offer
ed a reward of twenty thousand dollars for (he
recovery of the property.- The robbers are sup
posed to bo paroled soldiers, who followed the.'
train from Washington. It is singular that it
the present demoralized state of the country the
gentlemen in charge made no secret of their val-.
uable possessions, nor did they use any extraor
dinary measures of precaution to preserve their
property. .
The Virginia Legislature adjourned , sine die
after a session of five days. Nearly all the in ear '
sares required by Gov. Pierpont to assist him it
tbe wcrk of reconstructing the State, Govern- '.
tnent were passed, eliciting, little or no debate. Itt
their passage. Tlie most iinporfaut of these
was that extending the elective franchise toperr
sons who were excluded from.it by the. Alexan
dria constitution Tbese pereons are tocse wna
have voluntarily given aid and comfort to the. '
rebellion since the 1st of January, 1864. t T&a
election of merabers of Congress and of the new
Legislature is to take place 00 the l'Zih olnexf,
October. At this election toe peopje are aiao 10
decide whether the Legislature shaU have po-
tA riwil the constitutional provision, which) .
excludes from holding office-all who bare beenx.
engaged in the. rebellion.
The election in Norfolk resulted in the teleon .
tion f Thomas.C Tabb for Mayor and the de-
feat of Mr Stone, the Unconditional Union can
didate. A correspondent represents Mr IwBV
n the candidate ot. "the Amnestied ptj.'
i