Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 3.djvu/211



days after the time appointed as aforesaid, for such general meeting of the said board of principal assessors, he shall forfeit and pay the sum of five hundred dollars for the use of the United States, and moreover shall forfeit his compensation as principal assessor. And it shall be the duty of the clerks of the said board of principal assessors, to certify to the Secretary of the Treasury, an extract of the minutes of the board, showing such failures or neglect, which shall be sufficient evidence of the forfeiture of such compensation, to all intents and purposes: Provided always, That it shall be in the power of the Secretary of the Treasury to exonerate such principal assessor or assessors from the forfeiture of the said compensation, in whole or in part, as to him shall appear just and equitable.

. And be it further enacted, That if the said board of principal assessors shall not, within three days after the first meeting thereof as aforesaid, be furnished with all the lists of valuation of the several counties and state district of any state or states, they shall, nevertheless, proceed to make out the equalization and apportionment by this act directed, and they shall assign to such counties and state districts, the valuation lists of which shall not have been furnished, such valuation as they shall deem just and right, and valuation thus made to such counties and state districts by the board of principal assessors, shall be final, and the proper quota of direct tax shall be, and is hereby declared to be imposed thereon accordingly.

. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the said board of principal assessors, diligently and carefully to consider and examine the said lists of valuation, as well in relation to the states which have been heretofore assessed, as in relation to the states which have not been heretofore assessed, for the direct tax for the year one thousand eight hundred and fourteen, and they shall have power to revise, adjust and equalize the valuation of property in any county or state district, by adding thereto or deducting therefrom such a rate per centum, as shall render the valuation of the several counties and state districts just and equitable: Provided, The relative valuation of property in the same county shall not be changed, unless manifest error or imperfection shall appear in any of the lists of valuation, in which case the said board of principal assessors shall have power to correct the same, as to them shall appear just and right. And if in consequence of any revisal, change, and alteration of the said valuation, any inequality shall be produced in the apportionment of the said direct tax to the several states as aforesaid, it shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Treasury to report the same to Congress, to the intent that provision may be made by law for rectifying such inequality.

. And be it further enacted, That as soon as the said board of principal assessors shall have completed the adjustment and equalization of the valuation aforesaid, they shall proceed to apportion to each county and state district its proper quota, of direct tax, and they shall lay the same upon all the subjects of direct taxation herein prescribed within their respective counties and state districts, according to the provisions of this act, so as to raise upon each county or state district, a quota of taxes bearing the same proportion to the whole direct tax imposed on the state, as the valuation of such county or state district bears to the valuation of the state. And the said board of principal assessors shall, within twenty days after the time appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury for their first meeting, complete the said apportionment, and shall record the same; they shall thereupon further deliver to each principal assessor a certain certificate of such apportionment, together with the general lists by principal assessors respectively presented to the board as aforesaid, and transmit to the Secretary of the Treasury a certificate of the apportionment by them made as aforesaid; and the principal assessors respectively shall thereupon proceed to revise their respective lists, and alter and make the same