Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-03-10
FIRST EDITION.
The County Division Scheme.


oREAsED REPRESENTATION AND OPPOSING COUNTY
DIVISION ADOPTED.
AS compared with the meeting OF the Dividers
that of the Unionists at the City Hall, last
night, was twice az large in numbers, more en-
thusastic and far more representative body.
The hall was packed. 1t included not only resi-
dents OF this city but people from the outside
hundreds who helped swell the pronounced af-
firmative vote on the resolutions which renew
the demand for increased representation and
declare opposition to the division of the county.
Scores and hundreds came to the door, and find.
ing the Hall full, went away.
THE ORGANIZATION.
Allen Speakman called the meeting to order
and on his motion Vim. q. Whiteley, ESD, was
made president, and the following gentlemen
Moore, Lewis Thompson, Washington Jones, A.
Thatcher, II. M. Jenkins, Jas. W. Ware, Jno.
Fehrenbach, Phillip Plunkett, j. @. Stotsen-
burg. Joseph Teas, d. Chandler, Henry r. du-
Pont, James Delaplaine, Amos Sharplesa, Jr.,
Jno. q. Jackson. DR.. s. Chandler, George
Springer, Lewis Zebley, John Pugh, and X. Fl.
McMullen. Secretaries were elected as follows :
Jno. II. Moore, John E. Frock, s. W. McCaul-
ley and E. b. Frazer.
Mr.. Whteley stated the objects of tile meeting
in brief speech in which he referred to the for.
m alton of the county two hundred years ago and
said that it 80 happens that the county has been
preserved us then formed until the present time,
and that New Castle county has about CO. 900 peo-
pie with like number about equally divided be-
tween the two counties of Kent and Sussex. All
in this county, he said, are in favor of increased
representation, but some members of the Board
of Trade, with the harbor frozen over and moth
ing else to do, have jumped into politics and
seek to mix the question with division of the
county. He would say, however that Of the peo-
pie of the county
EIaHT-TENTHs OPPOSE DIVISION,
because by that measure equal representation
will be killed but he claimed if increased repre-
sentation had been asked for 1t would have been
obtained and will be yet If sought. Our present
county is historic, he said-it preceded Penn
and let us keep it, not quarrelling about division
but uniting on equal representation.
II you divide the county, what will you gain
inquired Mr.. Whiteley. 1t will be this that
while your taxes are now 28 Or 38 or 40 cents on
the one hundred dollars, they will then be four
fold. A court house and Jail will have to be
built, and in our day we have more enlarged
views Of what such buildings should be than
formerly. These will cost from 100000 to
100000, which the people are not able to
about the poor-house In swapping the farm
at Hare's Corner for the property on the hill,"
the difference will have to be paid, and this will
add from $50 900. to 800, 900. to the cost. So
far as future expense is concerned, it is not
probable that three hundreds can run a county
as cheaply as eleven.
Further, Mr. Whitley claimed that by divi-
sion of the county the people would not
ESCAPE GOING TO NEW CASTLE
for hundred or at least afty years. The va
rious officers of county government may be
started, and the people will still have to 60 to
New Castle for their titles. The records he said,
can't be copied for 100000. And after they
are copied what are they worth not more than
the paper they are written upon, for searches
will have to be made both here and at
NJ. tha hall in,
copies, the ease with which errors in copying
occur being generally understood. 1t is also
possible that forgeries might be committed in
releases Of Judgments.
Referring once more to the division scheme
Mr.. Whiteley said the county is none too small
for a population of 100000 But by this demand
for division he said the Legislature had been
perplexed as increased representation had
iirst been asked for, they now don't know what
is wanted The body OF the people of this coun-
ty, however, he insisted were not in favor of
dividing the county but of increased represents
tion.
AT tie conclusion of Col. Whiteley's address,
on motion of Col Grmshaw the following COM
mittee on resolutions was appointed A. IL.
Grimshaw, L. G. -adford, Jr., j. II. Publ, II.
Nj. Jenkins, Chas. g. Rnmford, and Allen
Speakman.
SPEECH ny ANTHONY HIGGINS, ESQ.
Whilst the resolutions were being prepared,
Mr.. Higgins was introduced, and reiterated his
deep personal interest in this subject, and ex-
pressed his belief from the evidences before
him that the people are against division of tho
county. He did not want to separate from old
friends unless for good cause, and still less did
he wish to put bar across the very thing de-
sired Remarking the necessity for unity in ac-
ton he expressed the belief that if representa-
ton by the district system had been asked for
unitedy it would have been granted. He then
went oil to explain what is meant by the district
or hundred system, where each hundred
IL 10 a,to VII S1aaaY
county is willing not only to give to the hun
dreds in this county that representation in the
Legislature to which they are entitled, but also
to,give to Wilmington that proportion by which
her adequate wants may be attended to. He
also claimed that by this system increased rep
resentation would not only follow, but 1t would
RID US OF THE DEEP-sEATED PREJUDICE
which is believed to exist between Wilmington
and the country districts. Each hundred would
be better satisfied if 1t elected its own represen
tative to the Legislature, instead OF the present
system by which the city elects the representa-
the city and the county in this manner is the
thing which creates prejudice, and division Of
the county will not remove the source OF hostili-
y.. o...,. .,,,,,,.,,;a -, .,,o
possibility Of dead lock in the legislature which
might be created by the division of the county
and the formation of four counties IN the state,
if two counties should be arrayed against the
other TWO, ,oDScrNlnB bilhb uuuor tue pIeheuu syb-
TEN of three counties such thing is impossi-
BILE.
Referring to the objection by the dividers OF
an unequal distribution Of the revenues of the
county he thought this might be settled in bet
ter way than by diyision-by change in the
manner of the application of the revenues, the
hundreds maintaining their own improvements
and the city its own. And when, after division
shall come the division of the poor house fund,
how shall it be made. he inquired On the ba-
sis of population or wealth snd he then showed
the Difficulty of such proposition.
In the matter Of
THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUsTIcE
Mr.. Higgins thought the court house should be
at Wilmington, it being the centre of business,
occupation and travel and he expressed his de-
sire for the removal OF the public buildings
hither. Cases, he said, could more cheaply tried
here and more rapidly disposed of, while it would
also afford an opportunity for more pro-
per adjudication of disputes, and bring into the
Courts many things which would be settled there
but which are now fixed ur in other ways. But
while he perceived the necessity for the )cation
of tho county buildings hore, he was unwilling
would have tendency to keep away the
people of the lower hundreds whose business in
tercourse we desire and need. The Christiana
il already too much of a division line, he said,
between the people of this county, and We need
greater familiarity with each other and more
homogenety. We want to increase the habit of
the people outside in buying their supplies here,
which county division will not promote.