Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1855-07-19
Communicated.
1859 90

Mr.. EDIroR: As in a few months the
Board Of Commissioners in accordance With
the Oh section Of an Act, passed May 9th
1853, known as the Supervisor Lsw, will be
cell upon 10 fix. the salaries Of Supervisors
for the ensuing term, would suggest to
them. through your columns, the propriely
Of publishing IN your paper, for the nspec
ton of The people of the county, the ac-
counts, or reports, as presented by the dif-
feren. Supervisors. ] do not for moment
wish 10 convey the idea, even By The reno.
les, implication. that those accounts are moi
in accordance with justice, for such an idea
would lily accord with the respec, enter.
Din for the various Supervisors, ss well as
for the highly respectable Board Of Com
missioners. who would adjust and &C. upon
them. i! would be satisfactory TO the peo-
pie 10 see those accounts with their various
items, in order that they might more fully
understand the bearing of the law, and un-
derstsnd more clearly the Interpretation
placed upon it's provisions BY The present,
Board of Commissioners. There is one
question ,ha, presents itself RICH, away,
which such an exhibit would Immediately
answer. The law gives the Supervisor the
power TO employ deputy or agent. Is
this deputy paid by the Supervisor, ou. Of
his salsry, or does he 60 upon The county !?
The Board Of Commissioners who fixed
the pay Of the Supervisors, the predecessors
of The present Board, took probably diff
ferent view Of The intention Of the law thar
that entertained by their successors. And
as they have been charged with being ra,h-
er TOO liberal in their allowance to The Su.
pervisors, will give you an idea as 10 the
construction they placed upon the law, SO
far as | understood al The time they had the
matter under consideration.
They regarded The law ss only changing
The mode Of appointment, the number, the
term OF office, Sc: tina. is, instead Of Gig
or ten Overseers for q district, appointed by
The Board Of Commissioners, The people
were 10 elect one Supervisor, and, like the
Overseefs, The Commissioners were to fix
his pay. His duties were of the same char
ac,er as those Of The Overseer, differing on
ly in The law being more stringent; for he
was NOT only fined heavily for malfeasance
in office on presen,ment by the grand in
qnes! oil The county, bu. The Board ol Com.
missioners had The power 10 turn him out
Of Office for tbs very same neglect Of duty
for which he had been fined in the Circuit
Court, end thereby making him virtually
liable 10 be tried twice for The same offence.
His duties, therefore, according to this con
struc,ion, were nnerous. He was required
TO do o vast amour, of labor, to take The
public roads in his disric. from their neg
lec,ed condition and place them in condi.
lion that would please everybody. n he
failed TO do this he nigh. 9. any time be
fined and then turned GU, Of office. Blu. the
law was silent as to the mode Of procuring
labor. This was question that q, once o.
tracted the attention of The Commissioners
and the only construction they could place
upon The law being silen. on this point, was
that the law did not intend to touch j, al
all, but leave The old law to accomplish it,
Another reason was the new law contained
no tepeslirg clause. They therefore very
justly rsme to The ecpc!usiop .h,t the Jaw