Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1826-03-04

tlon, is 10 SneW mat The commissioners
court did not waste the resources oil the
county while had seat as one oil its
members. In order to shew this, il will
be necessary 10 call the public attention
! to few facts:
! 1t is generally known, that when Mr..
Barber, Mr.. Spencer, and myself, were
! elected, the county was indebted in the
sum of 5000 ga, and that this debt was
reduced, al the September term of 1924,
| ~ Sl4l7 %. | advert TO this merely
ior the purpose Of shelving that when
the county commissioners had the power
to diminish the debt, they exercised II.
But my principal aim is to shew that the
commissioners have acted under hoSftiUe
! la7v, aud 7utthout Discretionary hoSvers,
, in all the items OF expenditure whose
amount is Of sufficient consequence to
produce any material effect.
The amount paid for the support of
paupers is 8l936 90. This sun is ex-
pended by the overseers OF Inc poor,
who are required by law to take charge
Of paupers when ordered SO TO dc by two
justices of the peace; and when under
their charge, they are required 10 sell
| them to the lowest bidders; when this is
done, and the returns are made to the
court, the Commissioners are bound 70
ALLOW them.
| There appears to have been allowed
the sum OF $3.50 O5 10 the clerks of the
circuit court, and S 1917 81 to The sheriff,
for fees in criminal cases; making
| Sissy 7 More than tnreeiourlhs oil
The debt which has accrued since Sep.
| 1924 Il is worth while 10 show tina,
! this amount has not been added 10 the
burthen of the county by the arbitrary
act of the Commissioners by the llh
section of the act of March 90, 1919, re.
gulating fees, the county commissioners
are required to allow fees 10 the clerks
and sherlffs in criminal cases, where the
| defendant is either acquitted or nnabke
10 nay. This section was repealed b an
act passed January 3lst, 1921; and IRON
| that time no fees were pad by Inc coun-
| ~ until in June term, 1925, when II was
| shown to the court that this repeating
act Was in its turn repealed; and the
section which had been repealed by it,
thereby revived. The commissioners
were therefore required by statute 10
make the allowance. The expenditures
| and allowances made in the foregoing
| statement Tor elections, county commits
| sioners, attorney general and circuit at
torneys, sheriff and constables for attend
ing court, dieting prisoners, sherih's er
eficio services, and collecting taxes
have all been made in conformity with
positive law, which admitted not OF the
exercise Of discretionary powers. he
| road-law also vests but little discretiona-
ry power in the commissioners. Where
services are rendered they are bound to
allow for them. Their only discretion
| is to Judge OF the RESPONSIVENESS OF the
| charge in certain cases; the whole OF
which in the above Charge scare ly
amounts to $3.50. 1t is believed that a
strict examination OF vouchers would sa-
iisfy every reasonable man that the com
! missioners have not been lavish or im-
proyident.
Jail repairs are required by law and
| by the public safety, and the cost is not
thought more than reasonable or neces-
sary. Stationary is important for the
purpose Of keeping the records and fire.
wood for The comfort OF botn courts while
in session; and are required by law 10
be furnished by the court: as also, otri-
ces for the clerks OF the circuit and COM
nissioners' courts. 1t is thought tina, eX-
Iravagance cannnt be imputed in these
particulars. The compensation to The
commissioners clerk has been allow ed
| for services IN term times; and that 10
the assessor for assessing the taxable
property, &c. under provision OF the
law, and in The discretion Of the court.
! The whole amount OF the expenditures,
therefore, which are not fixed by the ope
ration Of law beyond the control o! the
com missioners, is about 1910 IL includ-
ing that part of the road expenses which
may be considered discretionary which
sum is estimated in currency deprecia,
ed SO far below par tina, S4l3 36 in spe-
Gle would purchase the orders on which
it is payable. Let it be further observ-
ed that S673 67 Of this sum is for sta
tionary, Different and Jail repairs,
which must OF necessity be procured
from persons nor under the control of the
court; and who would exercise their
right of refusing to furnish any thing to
the county without rec Giving its value
and consequently the conrt was under
the necessity of making the best bargain
it could. think have now shown that
the county com missioners have had little