Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1857-11-11


s.h. AZ can b. printed We invite any havins com
r>apds 10 give our oh,ce thai.
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On Wednesday evening Of last
week Alderman Hubbell introduced
in the Common Council series OF res
olutions which have met the concur
renee of every tax payer in the city OF
Davenport. Although on the score OF
prudencc our citizens are unanimously
opposed TO further increase Of the
city's indebtedness, that consideration
is with us, by no means, SO important
ss of the fact that that increase will
violate the Constitution Of the State.
Improvidence is folly; the violation Of
the Constitution is a crime. We pre-
sumo any man who puts plain con-
struction upon plain words will deny
that this city cannot add one dollar to
the debts she already owes without
trampling upon the organic law OF the
State. One of the few, the very few
wise provisions Of the New Const'tu-
ton is the prohibition of the mourning
Of large debts by municipal corpora
tons. SO prone have legislative bodies
shown themselves to extravagant cx-
penditurc that the people OF every state
have demanded and obtained check
in their fundamental law upon legsa-
tive prodigality; and the wisdom Of
such limitations is demonstrated 10y the
action Of some members of our Com
mon Council We have no doubt that
those who have axes to grind see
prospect Of great advantages to the
people OF Davenport from increasing
their already oncrous burdens, but
we confess ourselves SO blind as not
perceive the benefits OF q grinding tax
alton. Were there no constitutional
objection, clear and decisive, we should
question the wisdom Of swelling the
c,ty's debt at tins time of financial dis
tress, of mourning liabilities when the
means OF meeting them are daily be-
coming more inaccessible. But aside
from considerations OF expedcncy, the
fact that the Constitution in express
words declares that "any county, or
other political and municipal corpora
ton shall incur an Indebtedness that
shall i'll the aggregate exceed live PEI
cent Oh the value OF the taxable prop
city within such county or corpora
ton should prevent any action whici
will swell the city's debt. The indcbt
edness OF the city at the present tim'
exceeds five per cent on the taxable
property within its limits. The Ia,
assessment for 1857 Is 1925, O95.9l
Five per cent of that sum is 1854
The present Indebtedness of the city il
s2s7,5O0, from which it appears thai
the debt Is already greater by s26,2it
than the Constitution of the State per
mits. That Indebtedness, was, how
ever, all incurred before the Constitu
ton was adopted, SO that the city il
responsible for the excess over the five
per cent. Not SO would it be with
any further increase. The city would
not be bound for dollar OF any in.
deb.edness it may create until its debt
Las been reduced within the prescribed
limit. 50 much for those with whom
j, may deal. They are not, however
the only parties interested. The PEG
pie have right to demand that thei
supreme law be not trampled undo
foot, that the will Of an alderman shal
not ride roughshod over the Constitu
ton of the State. There is the Consti
tuition; its provision is plain, intellegi
bic, unmistakeable; and any man dis
regarding its prohibitions and increas
ing the burdens of the tax payers, sin
with his eyes wide open-against ligh
i. and knowledge.