The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-10-07

| ed in the following sulns:-
Balance due and not heretofore
levied, for bridge at Gilpin' Ford $4,000
| Balance due on cmbanknent Of
| same, l2O.SO
| 70 complete bridge ut Basin Run, 5000
To rebuild bridge ut Pulling NJ Run 10000
| To :. Lords Factory ,3oD.Oo
To bridge Big Elk at Scott Mills l,O00.O0
Total extra lcvy for bridges So 80 80
The first three bridge items named are to
complete what was begun by our prcdeccs-
| sorS. and We had no choice in regard to them;
the rebuilding Of the bridges ut the Falling
| Mill Run and Lord 5 Factory wcrt also mat
tcrs of necessity, the old ones having become
dangerous and liable to fall when teams were
crossing and thus likely to subject the coun-
| ty to heavy damages. For the bridge at
| SCOTS Miils-wllcre the creek is deep and
| dangerous, and where the travel has largely
| increased and is increasng-(aS well us Tor
| the rebuilding OF the one ut Lorl's) the Leg
| islaturc had passed an Act authorizing its
ercction; the petition for it was numcrously
signed, and the interests of the public de-
handing it, we did not deem it our duty to
| reject their petition, but levied Tor its cree
| ton the sum OF $1,000.
| For the building Of this bridge and the re-
building of that at Lords Factory, we have
| contracted with Mr.. Ferdinand Wood, an OK
pcrienced bridge builder; first letting the
| masonry, for which his bids were far below
any competitor, and after Il second adver-
tscment, letting the wood work; which part
of the work on both the bridges together, Mr..
| John Donahoo proposed to do for $50 less
| than Mr.. Wood, but as the proposals Of the
latter included an extension of twenty addi-
| tional tcct-iivc feet ut each end of each
| bridge-norc than the proposals Of the
| former, thus better protecting the abntmcnts
and the ends of the timbcrs, the contract was
| let to him as the lowest biddcr;-bcsidc which,
his were tho only proposals specifying the
| sizes Of the timbcrS to be used, Nc, rs re-
| uuircd by the advertisement. The prices To
| be paid tor building these bridges, the ma
| sorry very heavy and substantial. the wood
| work of great strength and best manner OF
workmanship, and the entire entertainments
at the cnds included, is: for the bridge at
Lord $ 81 ,S25 ut SCOTS 81 SO. If we sue
| coed in having these bridges finished accord
| ing to contract, Of which We have no doubt
they will have no equals in the county i'll re-
gard to fitness and pcrnancncy.
Another item which we had of Necessity to
| include in the Levy, is Il balance of 5000 for
collectors Of the last two years, who had not
| in their hands sufficient sums to pay the
| amounts required by their uupllcllcS ana
special orders.
On the strength of petitions numcronSly
signed. and from Il knowledge OF the impor-
| lance Of such Il work to succeeding County
Commissioners in d"tc wninlng the propriety
| of proposed new roadS-who will thus by its
aid be able to save many times its cost-wc
have levied the sum Of $500 for II complete
and exact survey and map Of all the Iubiic
Roads in the county, which labor has been
undertaken by James McCaulcy, Esq, who,
in connection with this plot of the roads, will
Ilnln I,rtr bnr < a
laying down the roads, streams Of water,
towns and farms, several copies of which he
is also. to furnish the public Offices
| We have thus rehcarSHd some of the nn-
usual charges which we have been obliged to
: include in the Levy Of the present year, and
which alone have led to thc heavy taxes. BY
an examination il will be seen that most Of
them were beyond our control; that large
amount of them were cntailcd on us by our
prcdcccSSors;-to whom we do not mean to
attach any ccnsurc, but merely to state the
lact-and the part thereof which was within
| our discretion, seemed to us to be required
hy our duty as guardians, i'll these respects,
Of the public interests, and thus to claim at
tcnion with equally imperative demand.
The reorganization Of these unusual charges
; is as iollows:--
On the Aims House account as here
inbctore summed up, 50 O30I
| fDr y nionlilS hDau TcpulIS, -.'ifu wv
For Road Damages 565l nO
For Bridges, 33l5. so
For balances due collectors, 5OO,OU
For Map OF Public Roads, 10000
. Or, an Aggregate of Sl474l II
, Tie total amount Of the Levy for 1854 is
So GS7 %; the above sum of $lI ,74l.2l be-
ing deducted theretrom leaves so 1885
which would have been the amount of the
levy for this year, but for the unusual clarg-
cs; and that amount-by leaving the balance
to meet iusolvencicS and incidental expenses
$500 less, which could have been spared
thcrctrom--would only have required coun-
ty tax of 80 cents in the 500.
Comparisons of the county taxes Of the
present with those Of other years, have been
made, and doubtless will still be made by
!; persons interested in doing so, to the diSad.
vantage Of the present County Commission
! crs; we may therefore, with propricty make
t in this Report, as incidental to the sui beet
/ such comparison as is warranted by the
facts and iigurcs taking the last year, GhG
only one since the new asScSsInent,) AS oul
. example.
The amount of the Levy last year was
+ S31 .lS6 90, and the county Tux was 10 cents
l. in the 500. We have shown that but for I'M
= usual expenses 80 cents in the 500 would
. have been the rate Of tax this year; or,
: cents in the 500 less than last year. But t,
$ the SCI ,lS6.09 levied last year, So 900 re
Il ccivcd from the Railroad Company, and OK
e pended by the late Commissioners in addi
It ton to that raised by the tax Of as cents il
y the 500, is also to be added, making an az
c grcgate of $I3, 1868; to have raised whicl
e sum would have required county tax of O.
g cents in the 500; and as we are not at lbcrt,
y to suppose the influx of that railroad none.
l. led to any unnecessary expenditure on thu
: part Of the County Commissioners, such ta
/, was virtually imposed on the people by tax
It ing that sum, which, if uncXpcndcd then
e would subsequently have decreased thci
l. taxes to an equal amount SO we see that
+ in fact, the county tax in 1868 was cents il
1t the 500 more expensive to the people tina
v the county tax of 1854, all the Levy counted
n and "a cents in the 500 higher, deductin
II | I'm 11nnsIIul charms Ayn have cnunIn rni nd