The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1869-12-25
Removal of the County Seat.

Removal of the County Seat.
We guess the county seat will be moved.
meeting composed, as the american promptly
confesses, of about fifty citizens living in the I'M
mediate vicinity Of the alms-house property, was
held at Calverton on Saturday last, which meet
ing was duly organized by the selection OF Gen.
(2) Jesse Leazeer as President. committee OF
three was appointed to draft resolutions express
sive of the feelings Of the meeting which COM
mittec through Mr.. McClelland, its chairman,
reported the following: ~
'swhereas,w the citizens of Baltimore county, in
meeting assembled called together for the pupo OF
taking into consideration the best disposition of the
also take into consideration the best mode of les
SEEMING taxation and to consider the best manner OF ac
cOmmOdatng all sections of the county, besides ne
with which have business relations and whereas
the almshouse property contains by actual survey,
than thirty thousand front feet of ground which,
If improved will be worth two and ahaf millions OF
dollars to the county, which would lessen taxation to
situated for nineteen tbs Of the people Of Baltimore
county, and universal convenience to the demands OF
the people throughout the State that to make these
buildings already the premises available for county
purposes and far superior to those at Towsonown,i
believed by competent judges that 800 600 would be
sufficient for the change besides the direct advantage
of making two and ahaf millions of dollars available
which is now little value the amount Of taxes that
would flow into the county treasury from the enlarge
men the basis of taxation for miles around would be
immense therefore
Resolved by this meeting that committee of Eve be
appointed to confer with the members elect of the
coming Legislature Baltimore county and present
bill to the Legislature for the removal of the county
seat from Towsontown to the amshouse property.
The meeting then adjourned, to re-assemble,
it is understood, at some future day.
We last week thought that this little agitation
OF the subject of removing the county seat was
but movement of the Baltimore Amer,can's ed
itor and two or three others, who would like to
see their property in the vicinity Of the aims
house increased in value, as it would be if the
seat of justice was located there but it seems
that there are actually fifty gentlemen out of ten
thousand voters Of the county who desire this
removal, and these gentlemen have gone valor-
ousy to work, as will be seen by the several
whereases and one resolve reported above
''The property is more eligiby situated for nine
"tenhs of the people of Baltimore comfy !'-
This is a startling proposition, and one which
| certainly emanated from some gentleman but
county. The alms-house property is, as every
one knows, at one corner of the county, far from
its centre, with no conveuiences of access TO it,
save, perhaps, an omnibus or two running out
the Calverton road A horse rail road might, of
course, be built; but Towsontown has already
one Of the best in the State connecting it by
hourly trips with the city Of Baltimore, and has,
beside, the Northern Central and Western Mary
land roads to land passengers from the extensive
regions they traverse within Il short distance Of
the court house. And then, the removal Of the
courthouse to the alms-house, we are told by
the committee quoted, would be "a universal
convenience TO the people of the State" That
portion of the State outside of Baltimore county
is doubtless alluded to but we do not know
that we particularly interested in the Soon
" venience'' of any others but our own citizens.
II might suit Baltimore city better if the court
house was at Caverton but then, we think our
people will attend to their own convenience first,
and that of the people of other sections Of the
State afterwards.
The gentlemen composing this meeting have
extensive ideas of figures, albeit they warp and
twist them to suit their side of the question:
The alms-house property, we are told, contains
''more than thirty thousand front feet of ground"
which, if improved, will ''be worth more than
two-and-a-half millions of dollars How
improved? By the erection of splendid buildings
and costly residences and the grading and paw
ing of avenues, &C. ? 1t will take vast deal of
this kind of improving before this property be-
comes worth those two-and -a-half millions, par
ticularly when it is considered that the very
finest portion Of the property, that most eligibly
situated for building lots, sold very recently for
five hundred dollars per acre.
at is believed, by competent judges" says
the committee, ''that $50, 900 would be sufficient
&C for the change" that is to remove the seat of
justice. How modest the figures, in comparison
with the vast benefits TO be derived We had
supposed that if the court house was removed to
the new location selected by these fifty gentle.
men that they would want an edi6ce erected
there on style of magnifcence commensurate
with the great benefits to be derived but they
are content with thinking that $40, 900 will pay
all the damages, build new court house and
Jail and alms-house We wonder if Gen. La
zear, or S. T. Hatch, Esq, or Mr.. McClelland,
or Mr.. Wilson, (whose names are mentioned in
with this meeting) will take the con-
tract to erect these buildings for 500, 600?
We still think that this movement will end in
smoke, because the object of few individuals in
TO effect this change for their own
benefit is too apparent but as this meeting has
resolved TO confer with the members of our COM
ing legislature upon the subject would it not be
we'll for the citizens hostile to this movement to
take steps in the same direction?
Mr.. Fulton, of the Baltimore american, takes
us TO task for our remarks upon this subject last
week, and in his usual (?) sarcastic view pro-
mark il is very evident that Mr.. Fulton has not
visited us lately. If be could see the many fine
houses erected here during the last two or three
seasons, and hear the notes of preparation on
every hand for renewed building operations next
Summer, he would not think Towsontown was
finished" Mr.. Fulton also denies that his ad-
vocacy of this proposed change is prompted by
any selfish feeling, or any desire to see his own
little property in the vicinity of the aims
house enhanced in value. Very well; but why
The confession that if the court house is moved
10 Calverton, he proposals to sell out there and
and move to our neighborhood Does he not
expect, in that event. TO make "big specula-
1t tom out of his 'little property" and to be
able, with the money received from it, to pur-
chase more largely out here? Mr.. Editor, that
confession spoils your argument
We wait for further developments in this mat
ter.
FOREIGN LABOR EMIGRATION TO THE SOUTHERN
STATES, it seems, has decreased in remarkable
ratio during the present year, over twelve thous-
and emigrants going there from Castle Garden,
New York, in 1868, and but few over seven