Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-02-09
A OURTHDUSE.
Shall we Build or Purchase

Editors Memphis Appeal
Having read in the APPEAL Of Wednee-
day an article on the subject Of public
Buildings, in which IL Is urged that the
county should erect or procure q court
house, IS q matter o. economy ss well as
convenience to the public aud members
Of the bar. As 3 member of ths bar OF
Memphis, l desire to say q few words In
behalf CT the profession, ss well as the
business men generally, who are required
to attend the cOurts, either as parties,
Jurors or witnesses, consequently, for
the time, neglect their own business af-
fairs, it is certainly a matter Of the great
est importance that any building which
might either ct present or in the future
be erected or procured for such purpose,
should not be located as far norta as
Wolf river, Or even the county Jail, IS
far east as the race track, or EimwOOd
cemetery, a. far south AZ Fort Pickering,
or even the RayCEo House; and that fOr
SO important en- object, individual inter-
est and personal speculation should be
ignored. That some central location in
the business portion OF the city should
be selected where, for the present tse pub
lie convenience LAY ha served, and
the interest OF the county by the adj
vanGement in value Of any purchase
which might be made, ~ 8 consequences
Of the future growth and development OF
the city,
II is clearly evident that for an invest
ment ia real estate, there has not been,
and will probably not he, 60 opportCne a
time in Memphis during the present gen
GRAFTON. Property, SIS q consequence Of
the unsuccessful crops, and other causes,
since the war, is below what It has been,
and probably ever will be again in this
city. The voice Of the bar will be man.
imoQsly in favor OF any measure by
which g suitable building can be obtained
that can accommodate all Of the courts
under the same root, and the present i'm
mense sacrifice Of time and expense
saved to the attorneys, as well as to all
concerned in Judicial proceedings /; sud
above all, that itmay be located in a cen
trail position in the city,
There are two questions Ia relation
to this subject which have been
suggested on the street. l. What
would it cost 10 erect a suitable
building in Court Square ? %. Can any
building in the city suitable fer a court
house, and as well located be obtained
for a less amount?
II the county should conclude to build
in Court square, taking inc new jsil as
an evidence Of the probable cost, it is
very clear that nothing at all for such q
purpose could be built By the county
short Of one million dollars; and If, ss
Ia the case OF the jail contractor, the
county should make Gp 80 the builder
me discount on warrants, st the present
rate OF sixty-hve cents, the cost would
not De less than one million five humid
red thousand. Thls would DO a very
large debt the question il, could The
county do better9 It 10 certainly $ ne
cessity that this county should have 8
courthouse, and SO long as the present
plan OF renting rooms is resorted to for
court rooms, the administration of ius-
tice will and nuss Do greatly impeded
that the leases for rooms now ia use have
three, four or five years to run, Is no
reason why action is not had nov
for II a courthouse ina TO bs erected, that
tlme Will expire before it Is nnished.
So that IL the work OF building q court
house were commenced at once, and il
were nnE pressed forward with greater
rapidity than public works usually ara,
We would again be without a c~ourthouee
before it would be completed, unless the
present leases are extended.
Should it be decided 10 purchase some
suitable building already erected instead
OF building one, it might be urged as an
objection that We would have &c con-
tinue 20 pay rent for the building now
under lease to the county until those
leases should expire. But grant that
were so, Il Is not improbable that the
building which might be purchased
could BE- made 10 serve the purpose Of
accommodating st our courts, and still
have unoccupied room enough to rent
for a greater amount than would be
sufficient to pay the rent OF the
buildings now ia use, assuming that the
latter could not be rented for any other
purpose for the u~nexpired term OF the
present Lessee, But are not public balls,
offices, private rooms, ETC., IN sufficient
demand in the city to exclude the prob
ability Of any danger that they could
not easily be disposed Of at a rental nearly
II not quite equal to that now paid by
the county. By all means let Us have q
courthouse somewhat more eligi6ly sit
uated than in the garnet OF q grocery
store, or the loft OF q livery stable, and
with it's different apartments something
less than a mile apart, 50 that lawyers
and the other unfortunate victims who
have to undergo the torture incident to
the administration Of the laws, even
under the most favorable circumstances,
may have at least q small chance to live
out something like half OF the "three-
score and ten years allotted TO man.
VIII not u worthy Board of County
Commissioners take the matter under
serious advisement, and take some &C.
ton looking to at least an ultimate relief
from our present sufferings?