Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1878-08-06
JEFFERSON" AND THE COUNTY
BONDS.

A writer in the last number of the Free
Press, over the signature of Jefferson" at
tackled undeservedly, unfairly, aud ignorantly
the conduct of the President of the County
Court and the Commissioners appointed to de-
liver, under the terms of the subscription,
the bonds of Jefferson county subscribed to
the capital stock of the Shenandoah Valley
Railroad Company. The impression sought to
be and really conveyed by the communications,
is that the above named gentlemen delivered
to the Railroad Company bonds with all the
coupons for interest prior to April l, 1878,
attached. That it was his purpose to convey
this idea is manifest from his enquiry "Do
the people of the county intend to pay inter-
es. on these bonds for the years they have
been laying in the vaults r
We have cndeavored to ascertain the facts,
as it was the duty of Jefferson" to have
done before his assault, and have bound
them to be as follows: The intention of the
President of the Court and the Commissioners,
was to detach all coupons for interest to the
time of the delivery. As, however, the in
terest is payable annually, on the 1st day of
April in each year, and no coupon is divisi
BILE; and as just one third of the year since
the last maturity of interest (April l, 1879
had passed when the late delivery of bonds oc,
Cured, the proper mode of adjusting the in
terest was to detach the coupons to April
l, 1879, from one-third of the bonds and
permit them to remain ON the other two
it'd tba tbo5 inf AoI fo ho
pursued, but, by pure mistake, the coupons
for hundred dollars moro than the
Railroad Com pany was entitled to, were de-
livered to it, and by it, turned over to the
contractors to whom they wero due for work
and materials done on and laid in the road
and finally passed to third hands before the
discovery, by any one, of the error-an error
which We have ascertained from all the par
ties concerned will be m ost cheerfully cor.
rected on the next delivery. The bonds
were transferred with the consent of all the
commissioners but even, as stated, had
there been but two of them present, their
acts would have been valid under the rule
of construction prescribed by the Code of
West Virginia, chapter ID, section II, clause
second ''Words purporting to give a joint
authority to three or more persons, confer
such authority on a majority of them, and
not ON a less number"
A second ground of complaint in "Jef-,
ferson's" alarming article is that there is
likely to to be bond used in payment of a
debt duo by the 8. V. R. R. Co. to. Mr..
20 loft aof 10 rubi oh
is very difficult to see can DO Of the least
concern to any but the S. " r. r. Co. and
Mr.. B9teler. Tho facts as we are advised,
are these: Tho company is indebted to Mr..
b., to whom it has give order for bond
to discharge the indebtedness. This order
is on the Commissioners of the county to de-
liver to him bond out of those earned by
the Company under the prov ision of the
county subscription. We suppose it is a
matter Of not the slightest Importance to the
people of the county. after work has been
done by the Company and it has been paid
for in bonds, what use it may make of them,
except in SO far as it might be satisfaction,
in a general way, to honest people to know
that honest debts were paid by Them.
The foregoing are, substantially, the
troubles that are disturbing the equan unity
of Jefferson" and have caused him to
mount his Rosinante (Which seems always to
stand ready at the hitching post for service)
and with lance in hand rush to the assault.
If he has mistaken windmill for giant, and
a flock of sheep. for an armed host, he has the
qualification of knowing the same error was
committed by his great prototype, the Knight
La Mancha.
PEN INK AND SCISSORS