Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-08-27
CARD FROM j. E. MERRlHAN.
A Review of the Report and Stric=
lures of the Grand Jury.

Editors Appeal: The report Of the
Grand Jury Of the Criminal Court,
published inyOur paper of this morn
ing, in its reference to myself, Is err0-
.neous in the following particulars: 1t
represents my having drawn tor con-
.tingent fund $1,000, for almoner fund
5000, and for the poor SllOO, IN all
5000. This amount, rs they have
given me no credit for legitimate out
laws, n is naturally led to infer L
have at present in my possession. The
Grand Jury could have had access to
the vouchers ! H4ye rendered, and
shown that these appropriations,
though made in my name, were for
Legitimate and laudable purposes, and
are in no wise chargaahle to me, unless
the proper credits of the vouchers J
have rendered are also made; these
vouchers will balance the account
within 5000, and this amount is every
day growing less by legitimate dis
bgrSemeAts,
This report also m~isrepresents the
facts where hestatemeet i9 made that
my pay for losses on warrants vas
more than tRa current rates for the
sale of county warrants you'd justify.
NV account, which l think the Grand
| Jury had before them, showed the
very gsuezse OF this in the sale of s0D1e
of my YaFFants, though l always sold
| at the highest rats fgT that day. | was
not able. it is true, TO realize tiic hlgh-
est msrkst value for the three months
following the issAS Gf said warrants.
| This Waa because 1 hoped c8gqty war
rants would advance and | held Gp tG
mine till, instead OF advancing they
! declined. Nevertheless, the average
| OF loss for the entire time for which
| loss was allowed by the Board was
very considerably ieSs than it would
have been if / had estimaE64 by the
curreIit rates of warrants during S4sq
time. and tie Fa4son why this was SO
was because | was able, on two occa-
siOns, 10 use Wy warrants AZ their tult
value.
In this connection, ME Editor,
allow me TO say that it Is reported That
I have been presented by the Grand
| Jury "a having unlawfully accepted
this amount Of 1869 for losses on war
rants issued TO me for my salary as
! Commissioner. If the law shall de-
termins that ] have acted improperly
and illegally, / shall, of course, be
compelled to aequiesce in the decision;
vet no argument that 1 have eyer
heard, or any that " expect 10
hear, can, ~ think, convince any
| fair and lust man acquainted With all
the circumstances. that 1 have not
earned all the money / have received
as Iegitiniately as any money Vas oyer
earned in this gOOdiyeity of Memphis,
The law gives me S2AO 10 cash; !
have not taken ten cents in excess OF
this. If have done ny duty, ! am
entitled to this much money. Why
should | accept deprecated scrip
when the law says ] Enl entitled to
money? If | have not done nay Gmy
| am liable to an indictment for that.
HOW am | Justly subject to such pro-
eeeding for taking what the lac al
lOJrs?
But this amount of 1859 is called a
loss to the county. Ifit be d loss, Mr..
Editor, to the general fund, Is it
not recovered by individuals who
pay their taxes with deprecated
paper? Every man who Pays
taxes, gets back his proportion Of the
loss when he buys a county warrant
to pay his taxes with. If every man
will pay the full value of his taxes, he
will help the county to extrieate her
self from all this trouble; if he will
not pay the full value Of said taxes,
but will insist on settling for them in
deprecated paper, | argue that such a
man has no right to complain Of the
Board of County Commissioners for
making good to all parties they are
indebted to the losses legitimately i'm
CURED through accepting in payment
the only tenders which the county has
to make. ApolOgizing for occupying
SO much of your valuable paper, i am,
etc, j. T.. MERBJNAS.