Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1855-08-24
County Taxcs.-What becomes of the
People's Money.

pnndenco between certain gentlemen OF
Rumford. and the Clerk Of the Courts, for
the purpose Of showing the honest tax pay
or. how their money was expended. These
c.p5surs consisted Of attested copies from
tlc Records. They exhibited a strange and
most singular system Of fnancierius, on the
part Of the County officials, who hold the
purse strings Of the peoples money.
By these copies, we find bills pad i'r'oo--
large sums voted and paid TO men who had
prformed no s,rricc a, an cqui,alcnt-mon.
cys paid to party ayorites, ,riiiow any au-
horiiy Of larr-and other appropriations,
unauthorized and unlawful. We called at
tcntion 10 these matters, among other
things, to give those interested an opportu-
nifty to make any explanation they might
desire. and we have waited 10 give a fair
opportunity for that purpose. Not Hn-
gle charge we made against them has been
dcnicl-by their silence they stand convict
cl Of an pn'HgfR appropriation Of the pco-
Pies money, and that to largr amount.
We now proceed a stop further with this
matter, and will call the attention Of the
honest people Of the County to some other
items relating % County expenditures.
Tho records show that different, officers
have bc,n treated differently in tho allow
ancc of bills n cost, charged Nv the same
ror services Some certain deputy .hcrirs
have hal their f,cs for s'ryiug criminal
processes, svi d,,-n below legal rules, while
others have had similar claims almost en-
tirrly diallowci. How can the County
Commissioners Justify themselves in rcru-
sing 20 pay one deputy even hi' bgai fos,
and AZ the same time allowing Others the
most oIort,ari bills, unauthorized by any
law or prastiro' and yet all this has been
done T1s rror1, dor H.
Then again, The law provides that where
q Justice n the Peace binds over a person
examined loforc him, and The Grand Jury
find no Mn NJ Indictment, the magistrate
shill h. allowed no frcs
Different magistrates have hocu in this
respect differently dealt by Some magis-
tntc- have been in such casc-, a''o'rri fccs,
while other. have not
Some magistrates have been allowed un-
lawful f-, ami Others chcatei out of the
small pittiancc h,rfaHy belonging to them.
Why is an ti.'
Jonathan S. Harrington, of lowell, az
relrs 10 have belonged to the hrly cla'' n
officers.
Tho record. show that At single term Of
tho supreme Judicial Court, March term,
Isa.) ho va. allowed fnr services, the mod-
ct little sun 1t SlO3,7j. Just take two
Of the items II thi. amomt-Mcs.rs VIII
ley AMI Peek were indicted for a libel on
Hon. T.. l.. O..ooI. The warrants against
them were put into Farrinrton'' hands, be
went to Portland, served them, and they
gave hail for their appearance at Court.
For serving these two warrant, be WIS
allowed tl,c sum Of sj7,2j. The law al
low, officers four cents pr milo for travel
one nay, and fifty cent. Tor an arrst Our
readers can figure for themselves, 20 miles
travel in each case, would h. $500, two
arrests, sl,oo, total, $500, instead Of
So, II dfra allowances have been
male in thc,a cases, We should Ike to know
what they were Tor. W. have no time or
room t, give other similar bills We give
these as specimens.
We can this week refer To only ous other
matter in ,hi, connection
Prior to the appointment u Joseph To-
hin. as Jail5r, Jesse Drew occupirl that
place Mr. Drew was paid what the law
allows or boarding prisoners, To wit 81 80
pr week. Afcr Mr. Tolin came in, the
Commissioners rai..d the price Of board up
to $500 Per week.
Amer Drew was out Of offcc and Tobin
wa, in, We End az q meeting u the County
Commissioners, at the May term, 1853,
that they authorized the Clerk TO draw an
order in brow. favor, for Gny srnts pcr
week additional ray Cor each week that he
had boarded prisoners, daring his whole
term Of Office, amounting in the whole to
the sum II Sl94 80, which sum was actual
~ paid him from the County Treasury.
We should like to know by what law or
what authority the County Commissioners
had right To take Sloi,l9, Of thcr"oPlo'.
money out % the Treasury, AMI gre " to
Mr. Drew?
Drew had before tai. been paid al he
lar a1o,r,d him. Unless these Commission
cr, can explain thi. great outrage, We shall
permit somebody else to do it. We are de-
tcrmincl the people shall know how their
money has bccn squandcrcd.
The Republican party are determined to
strike fora r,foun in these financial mat
trrs. Our County expenses can, by a wise,
prudent, discreet administration Of aiTfirs,
he reduced one third, If not one baJ. They
can endure thi. enormous drain upon their
purses no longer. We again call upon the
rrople Of Oxford to look into tbs business,
% and examine the records for yourselves,
take carr Of your rights, and hereafter pro-
mote to Office only such men as will be gov
crncd in their official acts, by rigid ooHo'
my, aud faithful application Of the rules
of law, to expenditures Of the money be-
longing to the people.