Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-04-12
Communications.
Messrs. Editors:

Messrs. Editors: .@tsss
propounded several enquiries to you in'your last
weeks paper, on the subject of taxes, county ex-
penses, &c. A writer in the last American over
the signature of NJ, has volunteered to tighten
the public, on some of the matters embraced in my
interrogatories He has very kindly suggested for
my benefit that the information sought for, may be
found in the Library of Useful and Entertaining
Knowledge Now it doubtless will be very gra-
ying intelligence to the people, to learn that all
the wished for information about our county taxes
and expenses during the last year, may be gained
from-a work published at the East number OF
years ago. That the editors of the Telegraph, too,
"should manifest such gross ignorance of part of
law and usage, familiar to every school boy,' is
not strange; for most probable it never occurred to
them, that the Laws of Wisconsin pertaining to
these matters are found in the " Library of Useful
and Entertaining knowledge"
To that part O.. my enquiry, whether Messrs.
Towslee & Steele, have been appointed District
Attorneys, a vague and somewhat indefinite an
swer is given. His words are as follows" If
neither the writer of that communication nor the
Editors of the Telegraph, are aware that the Dis
trct Attorney is paid for services rendered in such
| cases, the same any other attorney, will take
the liberty to inform them of the fact" Now if
this answer have any meaning at all, it is, that
Messrs. Towsee g. Steele District Attorneys,
and therefore had right to charge in the cases of
Lake and Hubbell.
My object Messrs. Editors, in my communication
of last week, to elicit information on matters
which are made the subject of much public inquiry
Whether such vaporing and bombastic replies to
these enquiries as appeared in the American last
week, will satisfy the public mind, very much
question. The people of this county have been
burthened with taxes and public expenses beyond
almost any precedent in the western or eastern
country; and they have right to call their public
agents to an account. The duties of attorneys in
relation to cases of the character mentioned in my
last, are plainly defined in the statutes.
The District Attorney is the only person, (and
he only in Courts of Record) who is authorized to
appear Counsel for the people. If any other
person appears his services are voluntary or he is
employed and paid by the complainant. Magistrates
invested with powers specially, look after the
welfare of the people; and it is of their duties
to take examinations, hold to bail, fine and commit,
as the case may be. For these services, the mag
istrate is allowed regular fee, prescribed by the
statute. The district atty. of this once brought
In bill for services rendered before magistrate,
but the account was rejected. The above fact
learned from attorney in this place, who per-
haps is well qualified to decide in matters of this
kind as the correspondent of the American No
such bills these ever before heard Of as be-.
ing presented and allowed in Wisconsin, New
York, or either of the New England States. There
few second rate lawyers in this villa ge-some
| at Milwaukee, and some at Madison, (none howev-
er whose legal attainments can be compared with
the Americans correspondent who have transact
ed business of this kind but who have never
claimed, thought of claiming fee from the
county. The writer in the American did not even
state that Justices Bennett and Stryker requested
these soi distant attorneys to assist the people,
The truth is, they did not have such an apol-
ogy, poor as it might be, for charging the county
enormous fee for services unasked.
We have heard much said in relation to high
taxes in the State of Illinois during few years
past; but unless there reform in this Territory
| we shall soon be more noted abroad for excessive
taxation than that State. have often seen it asser-
ted, particularlyby Long John of the Chicago Dem
ocrat that taxes were higher in the Territory than
in the State. have recently made inquiry res
| pecting the amount of property assessed, number
| of inhabitants, &c. of our neighboring county
Uake) and find that the population of that county,
is but trie less than the population of this coun-
ty; and the assessed taxable property in that coun-
ty, is also but little less than this-the amount of
taxes levied in each of these counties for the year
| 1S4l, is as foows:-
| Taxes in Racine Co., A. D. 1871, $4,000
Lake 900
Difference, 7,1OO
Retrenchment, reform, honesty and industry, are
all that we need, to render prosperous and in
dependent. hold it to be the duty of every good
CITIZEN to expose and bring to light every thing