The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1850-07-06
The Illegal Road Tax

The Illegal Road Tax.
J We have always stood ready, to make any cor.
Tcc,ions IA our statements in reference 10 This mat,
ter; and IN our very first article upon this subject
assured Mr. Hurlbut that il he could sati,f,etor;Iv
clear tins matter Up before the people, VIC would
be the irsi TO publish his innocence to the world
/ ont up to this present moment he has not proJ,.
eed' to our knowledge q single word in defence Of
MS conduct. We, therefore. have nothing to ,als
back, FOR us We have invariably ha,cI o,r s,a,o-
'u'"'S upon Tue BEST Information in our power to
obtain "nf, as they still stand uncou,,adi,tel NV
MI, IT, they must remain what they nre. RI, a.
the writer Of the following communicates ,.ro
'ehus 10 have examined the whole subject tho.
roughly and has taken the pains TO COMM, T..
views to paper We most ',illingy lay them b,s.y.
our readers, hoping hat Mr. II may eniov ,bo
iuu benefit Of them:
. .IeSsrs. Edifors-As You n well n, others IN.
peAr 10 be laburing under some mi,uulrrs,opiir,
IN reference TO the road tax Illegally collected ~
the citizens Of this place mud Peru two yeurs 500
and as happen to lie IN position to know Mi a.
ooatit have undertaken to give You the straight
OF the matter
. On the records Of the county court Of thi, conn.
F ~ of Scptembcr 1919, Immediately after the ON.
Try OF the settlement with the collector, i. the fol-
loving order
"Oricrcihy the court. that th, settlement bo
recorded, and that the collector be directed 10 ro.
tam the above named SS7Si6 until the matter
is legally adjusted"
} The "aboyc-namod S3TS46"arc Ills read tax.
The only legal adjustment" necessary in the
matter was, that, a. the circuit court had decided
the tax to have been collected OF the citizens Of
Ottawa and Peru, Illegally, the collector should n,
once pay 1t back to them This If wv ler.tapi
HIM rightly, the collector Processes himself alwoys
TO have been ready 10 do as they should indiv1
unlly, call upon him; although, ! think. the mat.
ter has not been generally so understood
In Ottawa, finding this fund to be in Mr. U,r,.
butts hands, several members Of the board oftnls.
tees took the pains to wait upon most Of the tax
payers aud get them 10 sign release Of their mo-
portion IN favor Of the corporation The sigma.
lures IN most cases were readily obtained but be-
lore Mr. Hurlhut would pay it over he demanded
a bond from the board Of trustees, indcmnifying
INN against any legal proceedings on the paft
OF the taxpayers for the recovery If their prppor
ton of the tax This bond it seems TO be vopr
impression rs well as that Of others. had been ten.
dcrcd to Mr.. II | find however, on inves tiration.
that although the trustees had among themselves
agreed 10 give the bond, through carclessress, or
Tor some other reason, II never was made cut and
presented 20 Mr. H. Meantime the money has re.
manned IN Nr. Hulbnts hands, anl presume
any person having paid road tx within the cor.
poa'ion- Of Ottawa or Peru in 1913. can nj any
time g. to Mr. II. and get hi- money back.
ST.
We have only one remark 10 make in reference
TO this communicating and that il, 1t nerer ,sas
our impression that this bond had been rendered
to Mr. H. We never deemed it necessary. for
even if legal action could have been brought
against NJ. II. by any Of those who had signed
their proportion over, we do not believe there is n
man ia town so mean as to have done it No no
When the tax PAYERS OF our town contribute their
money for the improvement Of the streets, pub
lie squares &c, they do not expect to sue the man
who carried round the subscription paper nor
any body else, TO get their money back again
We ask then in all seriousness, after the taxpayers
had made regular assignment Of their respective
proportions Of this money to the corporation.
would no, an honest man have paid it over with
out any further trouble This communication
looks TO Us more like trying to pet,iog around
the truth than boldly TO assert it, NJ
MrAS-Wc are credibly informed that one Of
our shop keepers who had on hand heavy stock
of fire crackers, circulated report the day before
the 4th among the boys that has rere he only gen.
u,as crackers IL, torn and that all the rest ucrs
bogus and did not crack half az loud as his BY