The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-12-01
Wrtklq Grprtss.
WEDNESDAY MORNING, .......DEC. /.
THE CODE AND THE DUBUQUE DEMOCRAT.

We may be eansured for our termerity il
presuming to differ with the sage law giver o
the Herald and Democrat of this City. NJ
man we presume in the state, holds himself il
higher self esteem as a critic of men and things
than this same veritable genius Of the lleralt
and Democrat; and it is with solemn awe ant
self distrust. that we approach responsibility
ion. But in his last issue, he renews warfare
upon the Code and displays an immaculate sen
s,iveness of mind, which leads him to oppose
as frail and frivolous everything which does no
emana,e from his own potent and prolific fountain
rf intelligence.
Serious objection is made to the present sys-
tenn of county organization, on the ground tha,
it confers too much power upon the officers and
saddles too heavy burden upon the people
We can discover no objection to the power con
ferred, when it is saving of expense to the
people and the officer is made duly and directly
responsible to the people for any abuse of tnc
power. That il is a saving OF expense has been
clearly shown, by published report of the af-
fairs Of the county. A better check upon the
officers of the county, by which the people
would be better secured against loss, by neglect
or design, might perhaps be established. This
we should not object to- Indeed we would like
doubt of the disposition and ability of the Gen
eral Assembly to bring forward and pass all
amend .nents necessary 70 promote the general
interests OF the people But outside OF this, we
1t is more correct and systematic and less ex-
pensive system, than the old 1t operates more
Justly upon the people for while, under the old
system, the expenses of the county fell upon all
in proportion to their property, under the new,
or present system, it falls upon that class of men
who are engaged in traffic, speculation and ti-
CATION. Under the present system, it is for those
who dance, to pay the fiddler. Under tho old
system, it was for the whole people to pay for
The dancing Of few.
But there are other objections raised 10 the
system 1t is objected that the Sheriff and his
Deputies should make the assessment, on the
ground that they are not competent judges Of
the value OF pr rper:y throughout the county and
it is proposed to confer this power upon Town
ship assessors. This would create an officer for
every Township, making in this county II
aficers to perform duty which one or two men
can just as we'll perform. 1t would necessarily
increase the expense to an enormous amount, or
endanger the interest of the county by the selec
ton OF incompetent men. To insure the selec
ton of good officer, you must pay him reas
enable compensation for leaving other business
to select ten or twenty men TO do The business
Of one or two, when fair compensation to the
one or two, would afford but a mere pittance to
twenty?
Blu, it is urged, that the Sheriff is not com
pe,en, Judge of the value of property. Why
not pray, just as good judge, as the man who
resides in the township? He is man who is
constantly travelling over the county and must
become more Intimately acquainted with the
people and property Of the county and the val
ue of property than any other man. The Sher
if, If he is proper man for the Office, is perhaps
more intimately acquainted with the neral
business Of the county, its resources in real and
personal property and their value, than any other
man in the county.
An other objection is raised to the manner of
assessing property. 1t is objected to, that all
men should be compelled to sware to the list Of
their property and it is rcoomme nded that this
power of administering an oath, should be left
discretionary with the Assessor. Why leave il
discretionary with the ASSESSOR Why compeli
one man to sware that he is honest and offer
premium for an other 10 swindle the county p
Are large property holders, who make their
wealth by their capacity for saving, and who,
under the newly proposed system, would in nine
cases out ten, escape the responsibility of an
oath. any more likely to give in correct list,
than those Of less means, less avarice, and there
fore less interest to evade the requirements of
law? An oath is solemn ordinance but vet,
is the mere fact Of its solemnity, to favor one
and screen an other. What harm can result
be urged, that it is rendering the ordinance too
common. But can as much evil result from this
cause, as to allow nine tenths of the community
to escape responsibility in rendering an account
of their property: Would not the effect, of
passive acquiescence, by both the Assessor and
the party assessed, in rule which carries no
binding obligation, or legal restraint with it,
bring about greater moral and pecuniary evils,
than wholesome legal restraint binding equal
" upon all? 1t seems to us that there can be
but one opinion upon this question. Under the
old system of laws, our neighbor's policy was
carried out, and yet it is notorious that the coun.
ty lost thousands of dollars by it. Under the
last years enforcement of the old law, men, who
were assessed at 5, 10 and SIS, 900, were assess
ed under the first years enforcement Of the new
law, at 10, 20 and $4,000. "a case can be
cited in this city, where party was assessed
under the old law at $4,000, while the very next
yeer, under the new law, his assessment amount
ed to between 80 and $4,000. Why this dis
parity' Was it from the advance of property,
CT failure of the Assessor to place proper
value upon the properiy' No. 1t was in all
pToOuUiHly lIOIu ld-l, tHdt III one case, the
party was compelled to swear to the list of his
property and in the other was not-that in the
one case, he was careless in giving in his prop
erty, and in the other, was compelled to be &C,
curate.
V Judge CoScKLIN, U. S. Minister to Me xico
and specially instructed TO enquire into the recent
Cuban troubles, arrived at Havana on the 23d,
on board the Steam Frigate Powhatten. He
was hissed and otherwise insulted by the mob
on his way 10 visit the Captain General
ILLINOIS.
Returns, nearly all of them official, from 90
counties, show majority for Pierce over Scott
Of 1899.
SouTH CARoLINA.-The vote for Pierce and
King in the South Carolina Legislature was IS
-thaya hoip0 "A in he oDnosition svho were