The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1842-07-15
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The last Free Trader contains a report
signed by Simon p. Slope, Abraham
Trumbo, Charles G.. Miller, Ebenczer
Nef1, and David Shaver, styling them
selves ga committee, appointed at a mass
meeting of the citizens Of LasaIle county,
relative TO the financial affairs of said
county," which implying. as it appears
intended TO, censure upon the present
commissioners OF this county, and con-
tainlng, at any rate, gross miscellaneous
and deductions, !, as one OF the COM
missioners, feel bound to reply to and
Correct; and previous to doing so, | will
remark, shat although the committee were
informed by me at the time of their NEE
ting, that | would afford them any cxpla.
nationiin reference to their Investigations
they might wish, they yet, it appears,
chose to present the result Of their inves-
legations to the public in such shape as
to reflect ccnsurc upon my conduct rather
than ask an explanation which they knew
! stood ready to give. This sufficiently
evinccs the notires by which this COM
mtlee were aciuated. now proceed to
correct the errors and misslaements of
this report.
Ist. The cost of the present Court
House and Jail up to July LIST, 1912,
principal and interest, is stated to be
$4,000 %. This is incorrect. They
have computed the interest on the I'd
bond up 10 18th July, 1914, which OK
ceeds the amount due on that bond on the
18th July, 1912, by 81 900 90. Another
error occurs in computing the present cost
of the Jail. One bond of So, 500 90 was
issued, as stated, on the 9th of January
1871, due Jan. 5, 1915, drawing 10 per
cent interest. The interest on this amount
is set down at $1,000 GO in the report
(bcing the amount OF the four $3.50 bonds
issued to cover its accrung interest,
whereas, in fact, on the 9th Of July. 1912
only one year and six months interes
was due, amounting to only 1915, which
deducted from the 81 900 set down in the
report, shows a further error Of $625
Ten bonds of $50 each, are alec set dowr
as constituting part of the cost of tht
Jail at the time of the report, which they
did and do not. They were inicrcs
bonds, not yet due, issued to meet tht
interes: TO accrue on the 50 500 bond
This makes further error of $500.
Total mount of errors, SO, l25 0;
This deducted from $40, 1920 % leave
the present cost of the Court House an,
Jail $30,S95 II
including the fractions of interest between
the lst and l2th, and lst and 9Th OF Jul,
respectively, which would diminish tn
cost on the lst July, few dollars more
The actual cost of the Court House an
Jail, exclusive Of interest, is $24, 500 OC
With the cost Of the Court House an
Jail the present commissioners hav
nothing to do, except in issuing the il
terest bonds. The contract for the
structure they found already made b
their predecessors and the work progre.
sing, when they came into office. I
their opinion of its propriety or impr'
priety attaches no more weight or respol
sibiiu than to the opinion of any oth'
q citizen. The law enjoined on them Il
duty Of fulfilling the contracts Of the
predecessors, whether those contrac
were wisely or unwisely made. 10 ISIS,
the interest bonds in the absence of fun'