Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1869-02-05
MUNICIPAL AFFAIRS.
Mayor .Cobb's experimentation of
.r the City Finances, Etc.

the City Finances, Etc.
To the Citizens of Clarksville: Du
ring my connection with the munich
pal affairs of your city, I have from
time to time, in accordance witt
what conceived to be my duty, laic
before you such statements of city az
fairs as deemed would prove inter.
esting, or at least give you correct
understanding of the financial and
other matters in which you all are
deeply interested; and on the present
occasion I shall enter somewhat more
into details of city affairs, from the
fact that I find many of our citizens
well informed on other subjects, who
are lamentably ignorant of city af
fairs, and this want of information
has, l am well convinced, caused un-
just uncharitable remarks
against many of the city officers
There has been great complaint OF
heavy and unequal taxation, and
many complain that, notwithstand-
ing their heavy taxes, the streets in
their immediate localities are left in
an almost impossible condition, with
numerous other complaints all of
which l hope, by plain statement
of facts and figures, to answer to the
satisfaction of all thinking and rea-
enable men.
First, then, Ihave to state that at
the close of the late war, when L,
with great reluctance, and only after
the urgent solicitations of many of
the most influential and worthy citi-
zens, became connected with city af-
fairs, 1 found the same in the worst
possible condition; not dollar in the
treasury many of the books and pa
pers relating to- the past history OF
municipal affairs either lost or so mu-
tilated that INSTRUMENTATION could be
gained from them, and even the re-
cords on hand, from the manner in
which they had been kept, leaving
no hope Of ever arriving at a satisfac-
tory history of past events and the
then financial affairs of the city with
out an amount of labor and patience
rarely to be found among a class of
men so poorly paid as your city off,
Gals. In addition to the foregoing
obstacles, it must be recollected that
a four years civil war had Frustrated
every interest in the country, had in
augurated military for civil rule, had
instituted anarchy and confusion, dis
cord and distrust, the suspension of
courts of justice, and the non-collec-
ton of taxes, and this state of things
continued for four years, whilst the
Indebtedness of the city, in the shape
of railroad bonds, bridge bonds, street
improvement bonds, notes and sight
drafts on city treasury, with other ev-
idence Of city indebtedness, were ma
turing and interest accommodating at
the rate of some eight thousand dol
lars per annum streets became al
most impossible, and last but not
least, was the great loss of confidence
Of the people in a speedy reaction,
owing to the then existing political
status of the whole country, and Of
Tennessee in particular, to its legiti-
mate and lawful and consequently
prosperous condition. 1t was under
these discouraging circumstances
then that those who now occupy off,
cial trust in your municipal affairs
We're inaugurated into Office, and as
some of us have, at your recent cleo
ton, been relieved from further off,
clal connection with city affairs, 1t
only remains for them to give an &C
count of their stewardship, and to
this end 1t is thought advisable to
take retrospective view of the f.
nancial affairs of the city for the last
fifteen or twenty years, and in doing
this we may, TO some extent, repeat
what has ON former occasion been
laid before You. ..f1n.
On the LIST of February, 1s49, from
the Treasurer's report, we find the
indebtedness Of the city to be $780,
1913 66a, and that $l2,4 IA Of this
amount was incurred for improve
ments on streets, the balance, ST..
s7s 81 for bridges across Red river. -
In 1854 the iron bridge near the
mouth Of Red river having fallen
down, 1t was deemed advisable to buy