Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-02
COUNTY MATTERS.


The great Importance of this subject
compels us to refer to it again. The
people in New Hanover county have
Just grounds for the complaints now
everywhere heard of their high county
taxes. and the hardships imposed upon
them in being compelled at this busy
season to leave their farms and work
shops to attend, day after day, as
witnesses and parties before the Grand
Jury and the Court, in cases SO trivial
and insignificant as to be beneath the
dignity of q Superior Court. No
wonder that the question OF new
county is assuming lively interest, IN
view Of the unnecessary p1i1ng mp OF
these enormous taxes and the unneces-
sary hardship upon our producers and
Iaborers in compelling them to attend
upon these Courts when neither the
spirit of the criminal law nor the good
order and peace Of the community
require it.
Our recent editorial upon these
wrongs has struck home. There
is Il painful hutterins among those
who. being :. heart indifferent to
the good OF the people, are never
happy, save when their greedy hands
are thrust III the public crib. No one
that has noticed these men and the
swarms of cormorants for place and
plunder, who live in this county, can
help wishing, if he be friend to
the people, that most Of them were
hard at work in some of our produc-
tive industries for the mischief they
do, their idleress. and the attendant
evils of bad example, dissipation and
vice, impose upon the necks Of our
working citizens burden as heavy as
it is unnecessary. We feel encouraged
to go on exposing these grievances and
wrony-doings. We shall cry aloud
and spare not. We shall hunt up
facts and figures as they bear upon
the expenses of the County govern
rnent and relate to County officials
and IL 50 doing will be actuatcd solely
by q determination 10 pursue that
course which will most contribute to
the supremacy of the la VS.. the rights
Of the people and the good order and
pros perity Of society.
. Let us return to the Grand jury and
Superior Court of New Hanover and
I. e f..T- IT
that have occupied their time. We
give the statements rs mad. to rs upon
responsible authority:
Case 1st. At the Term previous to
this one, two negro men were convicted
Of larceny ana sentenced to the work
house. There were several witnesses
in the case, which was one Of impor-
lance. These same witnesses were
AGAIN summoned to appear before the
Grand Jury OF this Term n the reTy
identical case, although it had been
finally disposed o. ct the previous
Court. These citizens were TINS com
PEELED to leave their busy tolls IN the
country and obliged not alone to attend
Court, but to wait, day after day, the
action of the jury. The County,
OF course, pays their witness fees.
Case 81. At the Term prior 10 the
last. 4 negro woman was pnt upon trial
for some petit larceny. After con-
s'llninG the principal part OF one day,
the jury in the case failed t. agree,
and tlic case wns considered, Of course,
continued over, and the witnesses
notified to attend next Court III The
same case. Among tila witnesses was
q poor negro woman, with & large
family Of helpless children upon her
LANDS, and 20 one but herself TO
support them, her husband having
abandoned her. She attended the
following Court as a witness for two
weeks, as the law compelled her 70 do
standing faithfully, upon her own
expenses. at the post OF duty in Court
all that time. Finally, Court was
about to liogirn, and she. rs Z matter
Of course, applied for her witness
ticket. Il was found that the
case Wa not on the Docket
And this pocr woman. with nothing at
home 10 feed her starving children
upon, was obliged, after losing her
witness fees, her time. ard her rations
attending Court, to trulge her way
back to them as best she could, and
al because OF ignorance or nlcycusable
neglect Of an important duty.
Case Sd. \ gentleman IL the coun-
fry missed an article of wearing APP
parel Of trifiing value, last winter, but
it was found returned to his posses
sion i'll d few days after. He made an
investigation blt could make ont
nothing above 4 breach Of trust, and
could not fit even that definitely upon
any of his household, and he dropped
the ease, thinking no more Of il. He
was summoned to attend npOI the
Gram. jury OF this Term in the case,
not only to his Own Inconvenience, but
the injury of the county il the item of
witness fees.
There is iamentable state Of affairs
IL New Hanover as to these things,
and it should be probel to the bottom.
WHAT THEY TANK GF' t1s.