The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-05-26
heGtttelLi(eneer.
Can Counties Contract u Debt
Without u Vote OF The People?

Can Counties Contract q Debt
without u Vote OF the People?
We published yesterday an inquiry
from Cameron askipglwhether County
Court can vote to issue thirty thousand
dollars WOrth Of county bonds without
first submitting the question, to the voters
Of the county, To this inquiry we made
answer that 2 County Court could not t.
sue any bonds at all without first being
authorized so to do by the qualified voters
Of the county. To this answer Mounds
vile correspondent takes exception, and
asks us in note yesterday yhethsgWe
are sure OF our Interpretation Of section
sth Of Article x Of the Constitution. lal1
We may mention that the practical
point in dispute in Marshall County Is
the movement to build a new Court House
at MouudsvilIe, The Cameron people
object to building said Court House at
Moundsville, and are willing to offer boz
nus to have II built al their place, AT all
events they want the question passed up
on by the voters Of the County, And to
this end the point has been made by them
that 1t is not competent for the County
Court to create debt without authority
from the people. IT seems 10 uS that
such point is entirely in keeping with
the language OF the constitutional prOvl-
sion referred to- The whole section reads
as iollows; "
"No county, city, school district, or
municipal corporation, except In cases
where such corporations have already
authorized their bonds to be issued, shall
hereafter be allowed 10 become indebted,
in any manner, or for any purpose, 10 an
amount, including existing Indebtedness,
in the aggregate, exceeding five per
centum on the valne Of the taxable prop
erty therein, TO be Ascertained by the last
assessment for State and county taxes,
previous to the incurring OF such indebt.
edness nor without at the same time,
providing for the collection Of direct
annual tax sufficient 70 pay, annually the
interest on such debt, and tho principal
thereof within aud not exceeding thirty:
four years; Provided, That ,lebt shall
be contracted under this section! unless
all questions connected with the same
shall have been frat submitted to vote
Of the people, and have received three
ifths OF ali the yoles. cast iot and against
the same" lliiHti 1rti f'TqE
We are at a loss TO SeO how there can
be two opinions respecting the proper
construction Of this section Of the ConSti-
tuition. What does II mean anyhow. II II
does not mean to prohibit The authorities
Of any county from creating q debt with
out first taking vote Of the people ?
Why, iisuch vote Ia not necessary, did
our Board Of Commissioners in this
county feel called upon recently TO aSk
the people to say whether they should
vote the small amount necessary TO pay
off the debts Of The r. WSKy, Railroadf
Why did Brooke county do the same
thing. -
CaoFs IN Brooks CoukrY. I've had
yesterday pleasant call from Hon.
Lewis Applegate, Of Brooke county. He
informs us that the wheat prospect In his
section is decidedly bad, and considers y
doubtful II Ms much wheat will be ga
thcred IN The coming harvest 'hs was
sown last fall. Both himself and neigh
bors have ploughed ZIP a considerable
portiohiot Itheit wheat iandS, and sOwed
1hem In oats and grass. The oats crop has
had hard chance, and has made but lit
tie growth for lack Of rain; generally II
scarcelyhides the gtopnd, In regard @
corn, Mr.. Applegate says that considera-
Bile Of the earlier planting rotted in the
ground, owing mostly to the coldneaS Of
the soil, but in some instances to faulty
seed. The corn that Ia up, previous to
the late rain presented very sickly ap-
pearance, while the grass was rapidly be.
coming insufficient for the support Of
stock. We may readily conceive, then,
with what Joyful gratitude the rains u
Monday and Monday night were hailed
by the agricultural community. Speak.
ing of wool Mr.. Applegate Informs US
that the Brooke county growers are
in the midst Of The clipping. Forty cents
per pound for the new clip Is talked of, as
the auetioheets Aay, fct starter, but as
there are really no buyers IN The market
at present there cannot properly be said
to be any offerings made. Mr.. Apple
gate thinks that the same price at least
as last year willfule the present season.
this he ihietA from The fact that the gold
premium is such as TO leave our markets
to those who are content to take paper
currency for pay. Foreigners can do BET
ter With theit wool in other than Amer
can markets. The potato bug, Mr. A.
tells us, Is as lively as ever this spring. In
fact seems to have settled down petnna-
nently as one Of the contingencies 10
which the potato crop will henceforth be
subject. The extensive cultivation Of the
tuberS will in a short time, Mt. A, thinks,
resolve itself into question Of the price
and supply Of Paris green, which pres
ent seems The only protection OgAinSI these
destructive pests. t..t
MR Dtss.DEBARs HAND Book OF WEsr
VAN. j. II. Diss. Debar, formerly Com.