Grand River times. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1851-18??, 1857-03-25

ABNER PRATT, of Calhoun.
DAVID JOHNSON, of Jackson. ,q.
For Circuit Judge-eghth district.
! HARVEY p. YALE, .-
! For the Regent of the University
i CORNELIUS VAN DER MEULEN. lad.
WHAT TT WILL COST TO CON-
/ 'STRUCTCOUNTY BUILDINGS.
In our issue Of March 4th, we expressed
an opinion that the inhabitants of the coun-
ty of Ottawa were lily prepared, at present,
to erect PERMANENT COUNTY BUILD
INGS. The people of many of the up riv-
er towns complain of the amount of taxes for
which they were made liable the year past,
and which, in many instances, was truly on
erous, though seemingly necessary and una
voidable. The construction Of necessary
roads and bridges, to accommodate citizens
and the travelling public, in most of the towns
of our county, has, since the first settlement
of these towns, and will for years to come,
demand large appropriations. And, again,
the necessary outlay for school-houses and
other expenses Herewith, in order to afford
the requisite facilities for the children of our
hardy yeomanry to acquire such an education
as is demanded by the progressive nature of
the present age, serve, in no small degree, to
enhance the amount of taxes annually assess
ed, and to be assessed upon the real and per-
sonal estate of our citizens: q"
Appropriations for the foregoing objects,
from the circumstances which surround lis, are
unavoidable, and tax payers are readily con-
WINGED of their necessity, and yield the per
cent thus levied on their possessions with
far better grace than if such taxation was not
almost imperatively demanded. Now comes
question of much Importance for the elect
ors to decide, to wit:
Are we prepared to pay, in addition to our
present contributions for local Improvements,
an amount sufficient TO erect permanentcoun-
ty buildings, suited to the wants of our coun-
ty, and such as shall reflect credit upon the
liberal spirit of its citizens? For unless we
can now erect buildings of such character,
we should defer their erection until we can,
and be content to make the best use of what
may now be available, though we may suffer
a little inconvenience thereby. In order to
decide the foregoing question understanding
ly, another interrogation suggests itself, to
w.t.
What will be the probable expense of the
erection, completion, and furnishing of such
buildings, and what per cent upon the taxa
BILE property of the county will be demanded
therefore Let us premise little.
We will suppose the entire cost Of such
buildings to be, at the minimum price, fif-
teen thousand dollars, and the taxable prop
erty of the county to amount to one million
five hundred thousand dollars. The tax will
then be one per cent on such valuation-one
dollar upon every hundred, ten dollars upon
every thousand, and pro rata for greater or
less amount iaf93
This, fellow-citizens, is plain, common
sense view of the matter, as we deem it, and
the decision of these questions will be sub
nitted to you on the 9th of April next
candidly and seriously upon
he subject, and then vote, not as you may
consider for your best interests, personally
md alone, but as you may deem it for the
,est interests of the county at large, and
hat, too, with the understanding that if
emoval of the county seat should now. take
lace you will be called upon, unquestiona-
ly, in the course of the present year, to APP
ropriate your share of the expense toward
he erection of such county buildings! q. /,
re- We are indebted to Mr.. HI. S.'CDUBp, '
,ditor and proprietor, prospectively, of the
e%eRcpublican paper to be issued here, for /,