The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-02-14

Erahamesal AmaArS q kAepMePAm jCOnnty'
We regret that the citizens of Hennepiu
bare become involved in financial difficulties
sseh q, are represented by the expose which
we'to-day copy frpm the Republican. Our
neighboEs are, passing HthIoagdthe mill" Ioi
official rsscsaisy,,fhe same as vas the iate ol
Ramsey il her earlier days But stiff rein
bsad in the hands of honest men in Office,
and her great resources will bring her all
straight t'inaiy year or two. Let our neighbors
take courage, and resolve as one man hence
forward to keep all public money grabbers
out Of office. ogz1s 7s.4absa saa-L
te4s -ngeJ From the Mnnesotian Republican.
The AfGAirs OF Hennepin County.
The publishing Of an Annual Financial
Statement aof the siiairs of each county is
provided for BY law; end it is wise and we'll
that it should so be. 1t has never been
pIacticed in this county heretofore; but
the Commissioners Of this year resolved to
try, in this as in other respects, how it would
operate to comply with the requirements of
the States. 1t is right that the people
should know what has become of their money,
the state OF the public accounts, and how
their affairs have been managed by their SER
wants. Among the most valuable sugges-
tions of Gov. Gorman's late excellent mes
sage is this: that public prosperity r, quires
that the people should carefully look after
the details of their local, precinct and county
ful administration of the laws in small mat
ters.
The statement Of the commissioners has
given rise to a great deal of talk but {
months there has been widespread con-
viction that the affairs f our county were
getting into bad shape. Yet the worst Of
it does not appear in the statornelt, as We
shall show
Among the assets of the cOunty-tle
goods subject to the payment of debts"
the statement places ''uncollected tax, esti-
mated, $4,000" The estimate" agrees
very nearly with the books, but hard facts
are against it. Tie whole amount of un:
collected tax on the first of January was
about S25, ,093,l2. If every cent of it were
available, the school fund would claim 25 per
cent. of it, and the Territorial Treasury 10
per cent. more-in all SS, ,792, SO leaving ST.
3OO,53 to be classed as assets, or means
which can be applied to the payment of debts.
But the plague of it is, the tax is but lit
tie more than half collected; the tax list is
said to be full of errors, and nearly half
Sheriff Baker says more than half-of the
land in the county is taxed to unknown"
The sale of land for delinquent taxes is
poor way to raise money, "tax titles" not
being the kind to suit men who would make
investments. We believe the amount of
cash received from the delinquent sale last
year was but $40. The county bids in the
land and the owners redeem it at their
leisure. So that, for the purpose OF meeting
liabilities, itio hardly ~-r- - ---,nt on noann
than S lO, 900 of the tax uncollected on the 1st
of January ExSheriff Baker has Just paid
over to Treasurer Tenney S4,647 IS in county
orders, and $2,648.75 in gold. The gold all
goes to school fund, along with other money
paid over by the Ex-Treasurer.
The returns of the orders cancels so much
Of the county debt. But the whole sum,
together with all that Mr.. Baker had pre-
viously collected and paid in, only amounts
to about $l8,O0O whereas the whole tax of
1856 was $34,593,12.
The other item of assets is $1,000 in
county bonds, issued on account of the court
house. Here again the statement, while
agreeing with the other present facts to
which the commissioners could with pro-
priety refer, gives too favorable view; as
there is no probability that the bonds can
now be disposed of at their face
So much for the s'assetts." Let us turn
to the county's liabilities. Under the head
Of "Present Indebtedness" the Statement
gives only the amount of debts falling due
this gear. But any one who examines the
part Of the statement which relates to coun-
ty bonds, will discover that there is in prin-
cipal and interest. an additional debt of SS34-
16O, payable at various intervals, ending in
1866, which added to the previous sum makes
the county's total outstanding liabilities a
mount to Ss6S, ,30S most of which is on ac-
count of the Court House, which, so far as
is now kmown, will cost the county in the ag-
gregate and in the end, over S54 900.
AS to the Court House, it is noble edi-
flee, finely situated, and well adapted for its
intended use; and we doubt not the contrac-
tor has faithfully performed his part. But
thousands of the people of the county can
never look upon it with feeling of satisfac-
ton. The law required that the county
should erect that building upon land to which
it had an ''unencumbered title" But the
SoiAi"iSciOuCiS dSCCptcu lIOui DT. ttiilcS q
deed, conditioned that whenever the county
should cease to use it as the location of its
Court House, it should revert to him. And
so, after the location of the Court House had
been fixed, against the will of many of the
people, the matter is SO adjusted that under
no circumstances can a removal be effected
without forfeiture both of the land and of
the costly building which is placed upon it.
Whether this conditional title is an SUNNI
numbered title" or not the lawyers differ
Those who are not lawyers will probably
agree. ~
In respect to the amount stipulated in the
contract, and the steps subsequently taken,
it is doubtful whether a wise or legal course
has been pursued. The Legislature of last
winter authorized the Commissioners of the
county to issue bonds to the amount of $2O,
600, to enable them to borrow money and
build Court House. 1t also authorized
them to provide by taxation for the interest
on that amount. It did not authorize taxa
ton except for said interest; and it did not
authorize the borrowing of money beyond
what the bonds might enable them to do.
Hence by implication, it shut up the Com
missioners to the necessity Of building a
Court House which, exclusive Of interest
should not cost over $4,000. They let the
contract at $34, 900, and aftcrward added
extra work costing 81 400 more. They then
permitted the bonds to be negotiated on such
terms that the county is likely to realize not