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Research Aids Legislative Petitions & Acts Petitioners of Greene County, Tennessee, Asking for Reduction in Taxes, Etc., 1809
| Petitioners of Greene County, Tennessee, Asking for Reduction in Taxes, Etc., 1809 |
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Source: "Ansearchin'" News, Vol. 11, No. 3 (July, 1964), pp. 123-124. No copyright infringement is intended by presenting this information here. This information is very pertinent to Sevier County because Greene was a parent county for much of present-day East Tennessee. Transcribed by Jewel B. Standefer (Mrs. E. M.) To the Honourable the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee now sitting in Knoxville. We your humble Petitioners, Citizens of Green County of State afores'd with the Prefference [sic] of Prospect beg leave to submit &lay before your Honourable body the Supreme power of this state, The [sic] grievances which we labour under, and hope that you in your wisdom will take the several complaints under your wise consideration and supply each of them as you in your wisdom may deem right. We your Memoralists finding it Extreamly [sic] difficult from the present Embarrassment abroad, to procure money for a support of meeting the public demand: We hope that you in your wisdom will point out a way by which our Taxes may be reduced: Your Petitioners are astonished when taking a view of the Acts passed since the year 1804: Raising of salaries session after session till at length some of our officers of Government has [sic] double the salary they had when we first became a state: and --- what alarms your petitioners more, is we believe that in the period of time our number of Taxable Inhabitants of the state are double the number than what they were when we first became a State, and we are of the opinion that it would be right for you in your wisdom to repeal every Act passed since the year 1804, giving larger salaries to the officers of Government of every description: On the whole there are many of your petitioners that are scarcely able to procure the common necessaries of life, although called upon --- yearly: Your Memoralists further State that after t.urning(?) to the state land law and perusing it, we are of the opinion from the Expenses incur'd, & the dreadful effects it may produce in future upon those who have been Innocent purchasers from the state of North Carolina, when their Grants are found without vallid [sic] warrants annexed to them: We learn from the 37th section of sd law a preference of two years is given to all who have purchased such grants to procure a vallid [sic] warrant to secure their land perhaps a 2d & 3d times, but when we read in the latter part of sd section we come to a proviso as follows - viz) provided nothing therein shall be so construed as to prohibit any person having a good & vallid [sic] warrant from laying it on the land, where we your petitioners are living on, and have paid the State of North Carolina for it long since: And since have been your obedient subjects paying towards the support of Government yearly: And we your petitioners discover that the day of preference is Elapsed on the 3d day of December next: Is it possible that we should become a prey to the desperate speculator Turned out of doors to rove at large: or spend all we have, at a Suit of law trying Cavate, when in fact according to the land law we have no right at all, or at least many of us expect we must purchase more warrants at six times the value of them: And many of your Men now are of the opinion that we have great reason to believe/when taking into view the Act of Congress granting unto the state of Tennessee power to make Titles on all Bonafide Claims/Congress has a reference precisely to the Session Act & Refers to it alone as a guide, but what has been the decision in Judging Claims, why truly we learn the claims which were long since declared Invallid [sic] by the Session Act are now judged to be good in the hands of the money'd men & speculators. Is is [sic] possible that we are to have no End to this dark & unknown measure. We therefore, hope that in as much as Congress in her Act in the 3d section has promised to purchase land West & South of sd line to satisfy good & Bonafide Claims that you in your wisdom would pass a law to compel all warrants to be laid in a given time within the present limits: so as to have an end to sacrafising our best Interests, and by an Act of yours make good all grants obtained from the State of North Carolina where a consideration has been paid & now in the hands of Innocent purchasers: And your petitioners further pray the replevening law to be continued as you in your wisdom may deem right, and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Levi Vail (Nail) The following wording appears on the jacket of the petition: Wonderful praying |