The Weekly register., 1843-08-26

office. But as we have hitherto enter
tanned high opinion Of his integrity,
we reserve any expression Of opinion
relative TO the transaction until sufi-
cent time has elapsed for this to meet
his eye"
have quoted the article entire, that
your readers, (for trust you will-pub
lish this) may The better understand the
explanation which | shall give.
Icannot guess TO whom you allude, as
your townsman, unless it be gentle
man who sent down to redeem some land,
and sent the clerks statement cf the "a
mount due, 10 be something over SIG.
The interest at Is per cent, and the
Collectors commissions Of 5 per cent. on
the amount Of sales, if recolect right,
had not been calculated by The clerk. -
Upon adding the interest and commits
sions, which was bound to do, under the
law, the amount was increased TO nine
teen dollars and@some cents, or about
three dollars more than the clerks esti-
mate. which he had sent me. Upon the
certificate Of redemption being sent him
by MIR. Rankin Dickson who made the
settlement for him, he wrote back ale
ging that there must be mistake. Up
on Mr.. Dickson's presenting his letter, |
re-exam;ned the account | had made out,
and got Mr.. Dickson TO look tower, and
we found there wassno mistake. The
mistake existed only in the mind Of the
gentleman himself, who, it seems, had
not acquainted himselfwith the law up
on the subject. His name do not re-
collect, but if il were necessary, by look
ing over my vouchers, that 1 have not
yet had time 70 enter on the books, /
could ascertain his name.
But it is true that when persons apply
to redeem lands, require them TO pay
the whole amount off he printers BILL
This, it is true, is painful TO my feel
ings, where the printers charges are, as
| believe oppressive. But an under
standing oft the law, and Of the circum-
stances attending the matter, will show
to any person that | dare not act other
wise. All who have examined the law,
know that it required the tax collectors
TO advertise the lands in a paper in the
county, or if there should be none in the
county, then in the nearest newspaper,
and placed no limit on the charges of
the printers. 1t also required the col
lectors to sell the lands for the taxes and
costs of. sale, inc{uding The costs of adj
uertising. 1t further required of the
purchaser, 10 Immediately pay down the
amount bid by him; and the 10th section
ofthe supplemental revenue act of 1842,
authorized the State to become the pUr-
chaser, under certain contingencies
But the law failed to give the Collectors
power 10 pay the printers fees for ad-
vertising in cases where the State be-
came the purchaser, and it also failed to
give the Auditor power to audit such ac-
counts, or to credit the collectors with
the amount, SO as to enable them 10 pay
the printers. Under these circumstan-
ces, many of the printers threatened to
withhold the proof of publication, which
ifdone, would defeat the law The deeds
could not be valid without tho proof of
publication, and the most disastrous con-
sequences 10 the revenue would have fol-
lowed Under these circumstances, |
had upon my o'cn responsibility, to a
dopt system of compromise with the
printers, by crediting the collectors with
q part Of the printers fees, not exceed
ing, in any instance, the amount allowed
the State printer by law for advertising,
leaving the question to the Legislature
to determine, what the State, as the pur-
chaser of the lands, would pay. Prior
to the decision ofthe Legislature on the
subject, is impossible fr me to know
what that decision will be. They may
decide that the Stale will pay all that
the printers have charged. Should they
do so, and ], in the meantime, allow the
owners ofthe land to redeem the land by
paying only the PORTION of the printers
charges with which | have credited the
collectors, the State will have lost the