Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-02-28
The Court Hou.e Removal.
ARGUMENT OF THE NEW CASTLE PEOPLE, IN oPPo-
sIrION.

ARGUMENT OF THE NEW CASTLE PEOPLE, IN oPPo-
sIrIoN.
Special Correspondence Of gte Commercial.
DOVER, February 49,
The use OF the Representatives Hall having
been granted TO the delegation from New Castle
to present their arguments in opposition to the
removal OF the County Seat, the. Chamber was
pretty well filed ct half past seven O'Clock, when
Dr. Lesley announced that it was proposed to
defer the hearing, until after the lecture by Mr..
Comegys.
About O'Clock, the hall again filled up, and
an informal organization was effected. Speeches
were thon delivered by George Gray, Esq, VIM.
G. Whteley, Esq, and Alex. D. Cooper, Esq,
against Removal, and the speaking was
closed by q discussion, and a highly en-
tOrtaining address from Sam. Townsend,
Mr.. Gray spoke quite earnestly, and with evil
IDENTIFY carefully selected language He de-
scribed the Court-Hou as in a splendid condi-
tion, fit for use for twenty years to come and
better than other buildings for the same pur-
pose in surrounding counties. He dwelt upon
the time-hallowed traditions and reminiscences
belonging to it.
said the proposition Of Removal was part OF
haI1i i 4arandiziHg spirit Of Wilmington, which
o'u D swallow up every thing The people
tuofo' wanted the Court House, now, and would
soon want the State House. few uneasy
spirits had concocted the idea, reckless AZ to the
expense. They were piling up an immense mu-
nicpal debt, and running the city rapidly to ruin.
The opinion Of the City Council upon the ques-
ton was of no value whatever; he could go
upon the streets, and get nine-tents OF the Dem
ocrats to demonstrate against the proposition.
Mr. Cooper took up statement made by SEN
Ator Bayard, that the interest on all the county
expense for a new Court House would be saved
from the extra mileage OF witnesses attending
Court from Wilmington, in criminal cases. Mr..
Cooper estimated that during 1872, there we're
400 such Witnesses, whsse average attendance
was days each, end each was entitled to $l.4
per day, making an aggregate ESQ he estimated)
Of S576. But the increased expense of 220 wit
nesses living below New Castle, II the Court
House were at Wilmington, would be $3l6.80, 90
that the demonstrated saving would be @2o9.2O.
The Court House, he said, would cost $15O,OOO,
of which the county share S75,O00,) would
make an interest change Of $45OO, toward which
Senator Bayard had raised, by his plan, S25O.2O
Mr.. Cooper stated that in 1879, Wilmington
paid less than three-sevenths OF all the County
tax. The sums we're Wilmington, $4,000
rest of the county, S105, 900. He denied thai
two-thirds of the business in the Courts .camt
from Wilmington. At the November Term ,l8Il
out Of 37S suits brought, only 142 were from .Wil
mington. 1t could not be possible that It cost
the Loan Associations of Wilmington $4,000 |
year for searches of the judgment aud mortgage
records, for the whole fees for all searches, fo
everybody, only reach $4,000 year. He averrec
that the County offices were amply large, witt
plenty Of room for the records, for ten years t.
come. He thought the boundary line OF the
State might be affected il the Courts did not 81
at New Castle, as the famous 12-nile circle wa
drawn with the Courthouse q centre. Is.
removal of the Courts, you would destroy Al
ancient and Important landmark. He was o
opinion, too, that il the Courts were removed TIN
property reverted to the town OF New Castle.
Mr. Townsend's sallies covered great deal o
ground, and were received with much good hu
NOR. He earnestly protested against leaynl
the question to vote by the people of New Cas-
tie county, and said that the less voting ther
was the better he liked it.
No reply by the gentlemen present who wer
in favor Of Removal, was made, they having dc
cided, upon consideration, that they would ayoi
all appearance OF interfering with the full heal
ing Of the New Castle gentlemen, and that the
would decline to speak, at this time, even il ask
ed to do 30, by members of the General Assem-
bly,. They stated, however, in conversation, ,thi
all the addresses made, during the evening
could be conclusively answered, and their III
soundness thoroughly demonstrated.
n AaIn L