The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1859-10-21

To the Sheriff of Abbeville District You
are hereby required and commanded 10 summon
the eiaforesaid Commissioners 10 be and appear
before the Judges Of the Court Of General Sps.
sions and Common Pleas to be holden nt Abbe
vile Court House aforesaid, on the first Monday
IN October next, to report their action in The
premises aforesaid. And have you then and
there this Writ.
Witness, Matthew Mcdonald, Esq Clerk of
the said Court, nt Abbeville Court House.
this twentyeghth day Of July in the wear
of our Lord one Thousand eight hundred and
fty.nine, and eighty fourth year Of Ameri.
can Independence.
J.P. REED, Sol.
MATTHEW McDoxALp, c.a.rscr.
We. the Commissioners of Roads and Bridges
for Abbeville District, beg leave to make the
following Report to the Cour! Of General Ses-
sione for Abbeville District TO be holden at Alb
bevllc, c. IT,, FRS. Monday Of October, 1859:
Asmuch of the Report Of the Grand Jury,' for
the October Term, 1858, as relates to the Com
mssIollers OF Roads and Bridges in reference 20
the management of our Generul Treasurer, we
beg leave to say, VIXEN the General Treasurer
was elected to Office, it was expected that he
would give bond, and would have done so, if
ne had been asked TO do 80 OH The day of his
election. Not giving bond, he was solicited TO
40 80 the March following. He said it was re-
Election Oh his integrity. The General Trcasl,rers
that had preceded him had not given bond, at
least two of them-he took precedent from them
and former bOurds. and refused to give bond af-
ter the Report Of the Grand Jury, Oct Term,
1853. March Term 1859. he threw up tho office.
and was elected ny IL majority orthe board to con-
tinue III Office, the remainder of the Term
without bond, and we believe, and report, that
there is no danger of the public suffering loss
6u' would recommend when there is new board
formed, that they go back 10 former usages Tor
tho sute keeping of the public money.
AS much Of the Report as relates to Commits
s'ons taken by our General Treasurer, was not
III accordance with the wishes of the General
Board. Their order was in as much as the for.
mer General Treasurer had taken five per cent.
we would go back 10 former customs and give
STU a year W our General Treasurer, which
would save the District near $500 lilo chose
to tnke the five per cent. in us much ms the for
mer General Treasurer had taken it, and it had
been allowed him by one Of our Judges of tho
Court of Common Pleas And we, the Commits.
sloners of Roads and Bridges, do think il out of
place 10 Report, as in this notice, if after bat. .
tling with it for years. the General Treasurer can
60 into Court-nnd OIL application to the presid.
ing Judge. be allowed five per cent. in oppcsi.
tion to the wishes of the board
We must say in connection here, thai when
our General Treasurer was reelected January
1899, he was allowed by the Board or n ma
Jority OF them, to take five per cent of the puI.
lie money for Roads aud Bridges, for reseivinp
and paying out. The understanding with those
who voted Tor il, was that one General Treasurer
couhl go INTO Court and he allowed il, 10 mutter
what the views Of the Board might be- and il
was ns we'll 10 allow by order of the Board as
10 have 1t allowed by the Court. But we are
satshed That majority Of the Board are only
IN favor OF resonabc conpensntion-say one Dcr
cent. And the reasons why it has not been done,
are those above stated. Now what we want, is
Tor the Court 10 say, whether il will allow 1; vo
per cent. to one General Treasurer, or ALLOW the
board TO say what will he reasonable compensa
ton.
AS much of the Grand Jurys' Report, Oct.
1893, as relates to the cxtravag:,nce of Commits
sions III raising from the public, more money
IMAM ~ necessary TO pay current expenses. This
~ no' so featty-It may appear so TO them. there
being $4,000 III the General Treasurcrs hand.
Oct, 1858. But they must recull.ct the Commits.
s,oners year will not be out till June, 1859, and
thls Surplus that appears will all be absorbc 4,
before that time, and in place Uf large snnls be
ing held over from year to Year, we have uwavs
been III debt whom the end Of the wear comes.
and when we make over assessments in Janunry.
we have always TO nuke them in reference 10
that incf. As far the interest on these a,uoru II,
Is concerned, it never has been the practice TO
require our General Treasurer 10 pay interest
on the amount Of Surplus in his hands neither
would it be right. They ore generally meu living
in the country, and If they were TO lend Out ,I,.
Public Funds. could not iay. them n, command
when needed. A banker could use the Funds in
this way, and safe banker in the village has
proposed to take the Funds Of the Board give
bond and security for the saio keeping Of the
money; receive and pay out, make u yearly re-
port OF The sumc for the Use Of tho Funds, with
out making any additional charge: We ,cish the
Court to say whether this would lie lawful or
not
we bog leave TO Report, in answer to the Grand
Jury's Report, March Term 1880 in reference
TO the building Of Bridges with Light Timbers
and OF a kind that will uoL be duruble and with
reference TO timber, its size, that we have not put
a aeeper on Bridge less than by l6 and 6 by
10, and every one that knows anything about
ths strength OF timbers, know thrta piece of
TIMBER Of the ubove diamcnsions is much more
stronger and durable than q Sill IL by l2 inches
-lrss liable TO rot. and much steadier With re-
gard to the kind of timber used, We have always
used the best that could be found. If the Grand
Jury will put themselves to tho trouble to attend
10 the letting of bridge. they will find there
always bill Of specifications, bond to comply
with the same Such thing as letting in any
other way Is never done. We can report AS
good set Of Bridges as ever was in Abbevile
Dis.rct, and we would say the best, The greater
part Of them being built on improved plans and
new. ss
The Grand Jury Report, March Term, 1859,
that relates 10 the condition of tho roatls, and
the time that should b, taken up in work. we
beg to make the following Report: The eondi.
tIon OF tile Road could not be he,tered by ork
but injured materially. The rain. continued so
late, 1t was generally impiaclicabls TO work the
Roads. The roads generally since have been
worked wei! and are in good condition. AS to
the time OF working roads must depend on the
road, and Hlc amount Of travel Oh it-some roads
requiring, twice as much labor as others-the
Commissioners endeavor to equalize the hands
according to the amount OF labor, giving some
roads hunds to the mile, and others g. w.,
We have in the District, according 10 the Re-
port OF the several Commissioners an aggregate Of
3 hands TO the mile. If these hands are prop.
erIy attended to it will not be found necesssary
to work over days in the year to keep as
good set OF ltoads as can be kept under our
eystem OF Road work; and we do not presume
the Law requires I2 days in each year expended
on The roads. but IL daYs if NECESSARY So that