Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-06-15
THE COURT HOUSE.

EDITORS CHRONICLE The action
of the Commissioners and the Just
Ices in locating the new Court
House, proposed to be built on the
lot known as Mrs. JOhnsOn's, on
Commerce, Second and Third Cross
streets, has not met the approval of
public opinion, SO far, at least, as it
has been expressed in my presence.
That location was not made by the
Commissioners, as the law requires.
When they selected the lot opposite
the Methodist Church, reported
to the Justices in session, it was re-
jected by them. When the same
Commissioners selected the site of
the old Court House and reported
in favor of it, it was again rejected
by the majority of the Justices, the
vote being II for and Is against it.
The lot now selected was not ON the
favorable report of the Commission
ers, nor was it selected by the County
Court. A majority of the Justices
selected that lot, but they were not
then and there in session as a legal
Comlty Court of Montgomery county,
under the laws Of Tennessee. They
were acting without the authority
of law and as individual citizens of
the county only. | do not propose
to go into the legal question now,
but merely to throw out the idea
that the location as made was
neither the act of the Commissioners,
they themselves not having been
legally appointed by the County
Court, nor that of the County Court,
of Montgomery county, that court
not being in session at the time.
The whole thing was honestly
but, as many think, not wisely
done-a catastrophe that is certain
to befall all human action that is
hastily performed. 1t is best to
move slowly in important public
enterprises. l therefore implOre the
Quarterly Court when it meets in
July to do the work over again and
to act with the deliberatiOn that the
importance of the subject demands.
No affirmation of what has been
illegally done by agents not legally
appointed will mend the matter
nothing short of beginning de no
10 will cure the error. The very
exceptions that were taken, and
very properly too, to the location of
the old Court House, that it was too
noisy a place for a Temple Of JUS
tice-made so by the rattle of
wagons on the streets, one on either
side of it, which produced a noise
and confusion that utterly drowned
the voice of witnesses on the stand
and of the Judge on the Bench
applies with greater force to the lot
at present selected, which is sur
rounded by three streets, Commerce,
Second and Third Cross streets, with
a large livery stable on one corner
and one of the largest warehouses in
the State on an opposite corner.
Amid the roar of carriages from the
stable, wagons and carts on three
surrounding streets, and the rough
and-tumble of tobacco hogsheads
Immediately in front, it may be
safely predicted that the still small
voice of reason will not be heard in
the Court House. This is no fancy
picture; it is true now, and in the
future, when business houses and
hotels are built close around, the
noise and confusion will be worse
confounded. That lot has been con-
tracted for, as understand, at near
s16, 900, and, judging from this Law
ish ontlay of the peoples money at
the beginning (When a lot more
suitable for Court House, less ex-
posed to fire and more convenient
to the business men of the city, be-
ing situated near the middle of the
west side of the public square, was
rendered gratuitously), we may
safely predict that vast amount of
the county revenue, wrenched, un
der the forms of law, from the
pockets of the people in the shape of
taxes, will be swallowed up in a
magnificent Court House erected on
a spot unsuitable for the quiet and
repose that should prevail in a house
where justice is expected to be adj
ministered. The ancients painted
] the Goddess of Justice blind, to in