The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1860-02-22
For the GRAND Haren News.


ness to the County of Ottawa" signed,
" Another Citizen" and purporting to be
IN answer to my article in your issue Of
the LIST inst. The article starts out with
great pretentions toward honesty, such as
let us look the subject fair in the face"
and other expressions of similar import.
Now, very little scrutiny while read
ing the article will enable us to SEQ how
"eminently honest" he is in looking
the subject fair in the face" After say
ing again that he is going to be honest
he sets out with the following:
+" Suppose that two years since the ac-
count of State and County were balanced,
and no indebtedness then existing. In
Oct, 1858, is the sale of lands for the
unpaid taxes thereon for the year 1858.
After this sale, it is expected that the
county will be able TO meet her indebted
ness from the proceeds of such SALE But
we will follow this sale out and we shall
see why the people of the County are
doomed to disappointment"
Any one at all acquainted with the
payment, collection, return or sale of lands
for taxes, on reading the extract will, at
once, be satisfied that the writer of it
knows nothing about the subject--not-
withstanding all his pretended knowledge
and honesty. Under our laws it was i'm
possible to sell lands in 1853, for the tax
es of 1858. For instance: the taxes of
1857 were returned Feb'y 1st, 1858, and
sold October LIST of the same year. AT
ter the sale it might be expected-and n
few years ago it always came to pass
that the county could meet her indebted
ness from the proceeds of such sale; be-
cause we then had State officers who in
variably paid over all the money that was
actually due the county. l can tell how
the people of the county of ottaw a can
be doomed to disappointment in less
words than the writer of the above, and
that is, by the election of Daniel L. Case
as Auditor General, and John Mckinney
as State Treasurer a second time; and
will guarantee that our county will never
receive farthing from the State, so long
as those men have the chance of loaninS
the public's money for their own benefit
In another part of the article referred tC
the writer gives an example, taking 9
quarter section of land and following il
through two years, with all the additions
of interest, charges, &c, and finally leave,
it in the hands Of the State, showing ne
sale whatever, except to the State, an(
winds up his argument with the following
"Now, besides the vast amount of lane
thus situated in this county the taxes, cost
interest, DC, being unavailable 10 boil
State and County, there is yearly quite
sum that is charged back by the State t.
the County, land the sum usually is no
very small l think) in the shape of take
rejected for illegality or informalty, is
therefore any stretch of imagination t.
see the sum of $4,000 as credit to til
county, and would he an indebtedness
provided the State had realized tn
amount thus situated which she holds a
attorney for the County, placed in he
hands to dispose of for the benefit of th
county, and only thus placed, in point c
fact"
Eminently honest" like the Stat
officers. I would ask any candid man
that is parallel case to the indebtedness
of the State to our county? Now, sir:
by the politeness of our county officers,
have had the privilege Of examining thi
matter n little, and find that sever'
townships in this county return a larg
amount af nonresident land to the Cour
ty Treasurer's office, which by him is re
turned to the Auditor Generals offic
the amount of which ranges from min
TO twelve thousand dollars per year.
, Now, majority Of the non-rcsidents {
. the county, and nearly all the non res
dents of the State, pay their taxes at I'll
Auditors office-these are facts that ca
, not be denied. There must have bee
received, in taxes assessed within tn
J county, at that office, during the last yea
$4,000 or more; and in addition TO tia
!. the County Treasurer is obliged to pa
over the whole amount of money arisir
from his sales, amounting to some $3.50
: or $4,000, bcsidc-making some $40O
: in money as near as it can be asccrtaine
!, Such are the facts, and can be proven B
i their books. How docs this compa