Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-07-02
COUNTY MATTERS.
To the Taxpayers Of Shelby County.

Several times of late, hints aud inu-
endoes have been given in my pres
ence as to the meaning of the follow
ing in the late report OF the Grand
Jury of the Circuit Court:
"a SCREW LOOSE SOAEWHERE.-
The enormous expenditures OF the
7" county under the head Of 'cOntin-
g gentexpenses' and 'sundries,' leave
8 grave pprehensions upon the minds
-" of the jury that the idle and yaga-
Is bond persons seen in and about the
+" Court buildings, are the recipients
4" Of those appropriations in a large
" measure, and we recommend that
" the cause of these apprehension be
81 removed"
I recognize the fact that you all have
a right, and should have placed before
you at stated times, a carefully pre-
pared statement of all matters touch
ing the expenditure of your money,
and especially 50 of any questionable
matter.
The terms contingent expenses y
and "sundries," | grant, without eX-
PLANTATION, are of this questionable
character. / presume the items were
not brought to the notice of the Grand
Jury by the County Clerk, or they
certainly would have been just to the
Board of Commissioners and to you.
They were q body of honorable men,
above casting odium upon anybody
without a presumed cause.
1t might have been well TO have
corrected the above at the time of its
publication. l do sOnow, because the
true friends of Shelby county think re-
cent public "hints and queries" de-
mand it at once; otherwise / should
have waited until the tax for she pres
ent year was levied by the Board OF
Commissioners, when / intend sub
hitting q general statement Of the
present financial condition Of the
county as / understand ii to be, Civ
ing also the facts in regard to the
foregoing.
There have been many eXtraOrdi-
nary expenses the last year and n half,
which Justice required should be met.
(They are found under the head OF
contingent expenses and "suR-
drieS.N) There may have been those
you would not have passed. There
we're -tNtidl L NAAu llDN fDAt Nlta anu ~
with the other members Of the Board,
and yet ! am satisfied every fair-
minded man viii see, when said re-
port is made, that the levying Of a
moderate tax as compared with last
year, and without re-establishing the
distressing and 0nerOus tax upon the
sale of merchandise, county warrants
will be at par, with money in the
treasury, and the county expenses
brought down to ali inOppressiye rate.
Most, or a large proportion, Of the
items under the above headings were
caused by the heretofore low standard
of county warrants, old claims, attOr-
neys' fees, the iOng-cOntinued and un-
settled debt of the Insane Asylum at
Nashville, losses 10 county officials on
warrants, judgments against the
county which had to be settled. the
plating of the city and it suburbs, or
of the Fifth, Fourteenth and Fifteenth
Civil Districts "a big job so that q cor
rect assessment could be made, etc.
The items in general l herewith give
ysu:
Old warrants taken up, issued by
Judges Pellet Snd Leonard ..-.- ,050
Clerks and Judges Of electi0n-.-.-.-. 30
Pay 20 A. M%eTrinan, Ia year clerk
ship ..... go
Pub. Instruction fixed 10y laHf l55
Contingent fund, (eNpendsl by Mr..
Merriman, and accounted for regu-
larry to tire Board Z.G10
Back pay due Lunatic AsFlum.---.,s73
Judgements -.--.-...-..i,I 800
II. Woodward, eXhumjng cUTpses.. 20
J. Z. Williams, Registrar ......-.......... 500
w. NJ. Randolph. RttOrDCv...--..---.-. $40
Making plats for city and suburbs for
the
John League, Investigating Outstand-
ing 900
John League, for examining coupons IS
Fhos. Leonard, fees paid attorneys in
county -.. 'fHi
Warrants issued to Miss. Railroad in
place Of bonds, since redeemed and
Cancelled ....,....
Williamson & Parks. examining As
SCISSORS books for s6s....-..-...--... Ji5
A. J.. Sears. Registrar feeS......-...--... 407
g. N. Greeley, for ndeXing .-... 554
\. ?. Curry, conveying lunatics tothe
Asylum 1870
Coleman, paid back on liceuce..... 50
Rent, for polling places at the several
elections 100
orphan Asylum ..... go
Il. White, expenses to Nashville
TO get the bill giving the Board th-
right to issue bonds 20 settle indebf-
edness passed, ana q copy Of the
-
Losses made gO04 10 officers on
county warrants, losses which the
law forces rs make goed.........I6,.73 .
II will be noticed that there are only
.hree or four of the above matters that
will have to be provided for this year.
Not one cent of that contingent" or
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