Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-03-15
FIRST EDITION.
Meeting mt Institute Hall.

ERs.
1t is proper to eay, first, that the meet.
ing at Institute Hall on Saturday evening, was a
large one, the Hall being very well filled. But
1T may be said with equal truth that it WAS q
gathering of little comfort to its managers.
Whatever Of unanimity OF feeling there was in
favor Of division seemed confined to the stage,
where the leading spirits in the movement sat,
and seizing control of the meeting from the
start conducted it to the close. Very little en-
thusiasm was manifest, and the amount dis
| played seemed to proceed rather from the funny
veins of the speakers than their arguments in
| favor of separation. AS manipulation of public
sentiment in the direction of division, which was
the sole purpose for which the meeting was
called,it was an absolute failure, as the sequel
will show, and of which tho originators them
selves were evidently fully impressed.
| THE ORGANIZATION.
Promptly at o'clock organization was effect
| ed by calling William Reynolds to the chair, who
| proceeded to state the object of the meeting,
interspersing his remarks with frequent "we's"
meaning tha Diyiders, OF course, and referring
to ''we" as the originator of the meeting, there
| by revealing its true character. The following
ce.Presidents were chosen, all Of whom were not
present on the stage or in the meeting: w. y. Nc
| Caulley, Chas. b. Lore O. Hill Brinton j. Brad
| ford, w. Bush, Patrick MCCARTHY Jno. Townsend,
$. Bancroft Jr., John Given, Il. Belts, Preston
Lea and Edward Bringhurst. Walter Cummins
md Il. A. Van Trump were elected secretaries.
| On motion OF Geo. w. Stone, the chair appoint
| ed the mover, j. Park Postles and Preston Lea
committee on resolutions, during whose alb
sence VIM. @. Spruance, ESQ, was introduced.
Mr.. Spruance occupied considerably more than
one hour in his speech, the first part of which
| resolved itself into
THREE PROPOSITIONS,
| being the reasons which have heretofore been
| assigned why the county should be divided, viz j:
/. Because Of the inequality of representation,
| showing this both in population and in wealth.
2. Because it will secure increased facilities for
| the administration of Justice, celebrating the
many advantages which he claimed would flow
from the location of the county buildings in the
| city. 3. Because it will secure what we have not
nova Just and fair division of the county taxes.
In the discussion of this proposition, Mr. Spruance
| dwet at some length upon the manner in which
| the amounts raised by the city were expended in
| the hunureds, claiming that it was sometimes ap-
piled in violation of law, in certain improve
| ments the hundreds are required to undertake
| them by the expenditure of their own taxes but
instead of this they draw the necessary amounts
| from the county fund.
That portion of Mr.. Spruances speech which
was of greatest interest was his reference to the
| cost Of division and his ideas of the
SOURCE OF REVENUES
with which the expense shall be borne. He
claimed that new court house will soon be
needed for the county because Of the lack of ac-
commodation which the present one affords both
| for the records and the tactation of the county
business, and inquired if the people of Whining
ton were willing to erect it at New Castle assert
| ing that such would have to be done unless the
| county should be divided. Kent county, he said,
| had Just built new court house, at cost of
| 1856 900, which is ample for either Wilmington or
New Castle counties. With it's previously erect
| ed fire-proof building for records the present
value of the building is S48, 900, and he was sure
for $50,00O Wilmington county might erect
at1pl. anftrt hnt 10 AAHQ txrflp 10
| room for records, etc. For an additional $685.
900 city building might, he said, be added to it,
and for 1926, 900, more than the cost OF the pres
ent Jail at New Castle, suitable prison could be
secured, or 800, 900 in all.
THE COUNTY ASSETS
with which he would erect these buildings he
stated as follows, placing an estimate of $SO,000
| upon the amshouse property, which he thought
| the lower county would concede to Wilmington
If the latter would transfer its right in the pres
ent county buildings, Jail and the Hare's Corner
farm to the former the 8th street square, $780,.
| 900 the City Hall property, 1000 the basin
lot at 10th and Market $70,000-in all $3.50, 900.
enough to erect the county buildings and pay
out clear the whole expense of division. The
Court house he would erect at 10th and Market,
and the Jail the 9Th street lot, or further back
on the hill. between which he would have a
| 80 black maria established, 30 as to avoid the
pestilence of tue city hall cells and place the
| prison outside the limit of habitation
THE COUNTY RECORDS,
| he thought, might be amicably disposed of by
the appointment by the Legislature of a Com
| mission (for he claimed there would be much
minor legislation necessary before the scheme
is perfected) which shall inspect the records,
| and apportion to whichever of the two counties
those parts which shall have the greatest inter-
est in the same, while for liens he would limit
their validity to five years, after which they
| should cease to have force, The cost Of copying
the records he thought had been exaggerated.
| aud for tba 1ao at tba yvnuld ha
no binding effect he thought it an absurd prop
osition in the face of enactments by Congress by
which copies of records in one State are made
evidence in any other State, and our everyday
experience in regard to probated wills, nc.
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Upon the conclusion of Mr. Spruances speech
the Committee on Resolutions reported the fol
lowing
WHEREAS, A proper increase Of representa-
ton from New Castle county in the General AS
sembly Of the State is justly demanded by al
classes of citizens
AND WHEREAS, There is an urgent necessity
for seat of Justice with increased Court facili
ties in the city of Wilmington;
AND WHEREAS, 1t is the right of the citizeni
of the State 10 have submitted to them the
question whether the division of New Castle
county will not best accomplish these desirable
ends therefore
Resolued, That we request the General Assem-
bly, to pass an act proposing constitutions
amendment for the division of New Castle coun
ty to the end that the people may have the op
portunity to discuss and vote upon the same a
the next general election.
"dAG"
At this point in the proceedings the chairman
advanced to the front of the stage and extended
general invitation to any ono present to 'speal
to tho resolutions" when number of call
were made throughout the room for "Lemon,
''Iemon," referring, of course, to Mr.. Da
yd Lemon, an opponent of division
who had manifested his presence
during Mr. Spruance's address, when the chair
man very coolly remarked "that as the oppo
nents of county division had no prepared speak
ers present suppose they abandon the discus
. sion" thus cutting off the privilege of MIR. Lem
on or any one else from speaking, whicl
was clear application of the gag, and by
!, bold movement an attempted conversion o
. the meeting into one-sided affair. Thus wa
! "free speech" made not free, and even ha'
t. there been any one present who desired to rep
= fto any points in the preceding speech the
would hardly .have departed from the propret
! of the occasion and done
Before the introduction OF the next speak er
= Mr.. Geo. W. Wells arose and offered. the fol
y lowing
Il AMENDMENT TO THE RESOLUTIONS
Q WHEREAS, We have been for years suffering
II from the injustice of taxation without represen
taton