Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-25
rha Rsautis. of Rscon,truotiou.

Lie AOuiofihc SU@tof, oitSi oomO
statement Of facts as to the former county
organization in Tennessee, the jurisdic-
tion and character of the old county
court, the wealth of Davidson county,
ete., which are too well known to be re-
peated here, contains the following:
At the last session of the Legislature,
this county court was abolished, and q
new court established in its place, with
the same jurisdiction and poacers, con-
sisting OF three commissioners, as now
constituted. No one of them is q law
yer, and the bench is composed OF two
white men of very common intellect and
education, and Randall Brown, colored
man, a slave before the war. Davidson
county owns about $4,000 of stock in
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
company, which is paying dividend of
6 per cent. per annum. 1t was procured
by subscription for stock, and paid for
in the bonds of the county, a large
proportion of which is yet un-
paid. OF course the county is
bound to pay the interest on the
bonds and the bonds at maturity. The
dividends are more than equal to the in
terest on the bonds. An application was
lately made to this new court of three
commissioners, by parties interested in
the Evansville, Henderson and Nashville
Railroad Company 1--WE believe it is some
times caled) to have submitted to the
vote of the county the question whether
the county should dispose of half its
stock in the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company by subscribing it in
the Evansville, Henderson and Nashville
Railroad Company. This question was
argued from time to time before this new
court for ten days or two weeks by some
of the ablest lawyers of the Nashville
bar; and the case involved some intri-
cate law questions, such as the lien of the
bondholders upon the stock and the divi-
dends in the Louisville and Nashville
Railroad Company; the right of the
county to vote stock or money to be ex-
pended out Of the county aud Statei the
power of the Circuit Court over the Court
of Commissioner, by means of the writ
Of mandamus, in compelling a submis-
sion Of the question to the vote of the
people of the county, etc.
Ii should be added that this new court
was elected by the voting people of the
county, this voting people consisting
mostly Of negroes, with smattsring OF
carpet-baggers and their native COM
peers, in no wise superior to the negroes,
except in superior cunning and intelli-
gence, and excluding from the polls the
vast body Of the intelligence, property
and manly virtue Of the county. The
result ofthe election was, Randle Brown
and two white men compose this court,
so important to the county. Subjoined is
the written opinion Of one Of the court
Raudle Brown( (colored), in the important
and dificult case referred to- 1t is q
commentary on Southern reconstruction
under the auspices Of Southern loyalty.
and yet it is not any worse, perhaps not
half so bad, as in other Southern States
Have the Northern people no respect for
the civilization Of the age, or sympathy
for their own rAce2 We will see in No
vemoer, .ss 1r,v mn isss
To the people Of Davidson county:
After carefully considering the ques-
ton Of so much importance l have con-
cluded 10 give You my opinion in writing
concerning the Nashville and LOUISVILLE
Railroad as understand the county Of
Daverson subscribed $3O0,0 900 to help TO
build that road and at the same time the
county subscribed S700.00e more 10 build
other roads leading into this city and IL
also sold its bonds upon the market
promising 70 redeem them in good faith
10 twenty years Every investment has
failed bot lhe Nashville and Louisville
railroad. Il stands to-day the only live
horse Of The Eve. All other railroads