Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-02-20
HOWARD M, RNKINs
EDIToH.
WILMINGTON, DEL.
Tuesday Afternoon. Feb. 40.
HOLE AND CORNER TRANSACTION OF PUB
TRn RU8INES6.

The transactions Of the Levy Court" are Of
the utmost interest and Importance to the peo-
ple-yet how many know anything about them
What means are taken to have the people in
formed when the Court meets, where, and for
what objects What methods are employed to
publish It's proceedings, and make the people,
whom it assesses, taxes, and registers for voting
purposes, acquainted with its doings How
many people ever saw financial statement, or
other exhibit of the affairs OF the County
Who knows anything about the condition of the
sCounty's business as controlled, conducted, and
administered, by the Levy Court
The plain truth is that the whole operations
of this highly important body are entirely too
much Of the ''hole-and-corner' sort. They may
be all right They may be perfectly pure, hon
est, and undcfled, They may be good deal
freer from jobbing than bodies whose doings
are apparently more public. But the acts OF
so important body should be spread before the
people. The taxpayers have right to be
promptly and fully informed of all the acts of
their servants and they have no guaranty that
their business is we'll conducted, unless they do
get this information.
AS to the means taken to secure public knowl-
edge of the Courts proceedings we have nothing
to suggest. The present Court is a Democratic
body it may have notice given Of the time,
place, and object of its meetings, and reports
made of its proceedings, in the Democratic pa
pers, if it chooses-that is none Of our concern
but what we do insist is that the people shall in
some way be officially informed on the subject.
Arlington, the Lee estate, belonged to the
wife, (now the widow,) of the General, having
been bequeathed her by her father. 1t contains
some 100 acres is exceedingly valuable, and
was sold for an unpaid tax claim Of S9207 the
Government buying it in. Mrs. Lee now asks
that she be paid for the property, and we give
our vote in her behalf. She ia justly entitled to
fair compensation, and Congress will honor
themselves and the nation by doing her justice.
Now that the magazinists have pretty we'll in
formed the outeide world where and what our
Peninsula is, let them write up some of its many
legends, and historic Incidents studies of its peo-
pie and scenery, &c, &c. 1t has only been
sketched, thus far, though Bayard Taylor, at
tempting to cover less ground than Townsend,
made more thorough work Of what he did at
tempt.
Gold closed yesterday at 11O25. Government
securities general advanced 1sal5. Philadelphia
stocks were active, with large sales of Pennsyl-
vania Railroad at an advance. The general mar
ket closed firm Cotton was quoted at 23i 5a24.
The House Committee on Civil Service have
agreed to report bill making it penal offence
for any Congressman to ask for civil appoint
ments, and allowing them to make recommenda.
tons only when requested to do SO in writing.
The Senate yesterday, confirmed the appoint
ment of Chas. Hale, of Massachusetts,, as Assist
antSecretary of State
There il no word in the Bible of more than six