The daily gazette., 1879-03-17
Shall New Castle County Have q
New Court House?
And Il -, When, Where and How
NEW nUILpINGs NEcEssARY.

hot suC Picocub SOuTL 11OuSe ~ NEW
Castle Is wholly insufficient and insult
able for the public needs, is not only
apparent to all who have recently had
occasion to visit 1t, but is put beyond all
question, by the official utterances of
those whose duty 1t is to take cognizapce
of the subject. The Grand Juries of
1870, 1875. and 1877 made formal presen-
tation and protests in language strong
and unequivocal.
The Court, In like manner, at almost
every term for the last ten years, has ex-
pressed Its dissatisfaction.
At the November Term, 1875 the
Chief Justice, addressing the Grand Jury
in reference 10 their report then just pre-
sented, said awe regret that you did
not take into account the poor and i'll
| sufficient accommodations of the Court
Hou'e, pulluted as 1t is by the fumes of
the Xxi chen Of the jail, which have been
constantly around us during the present
term OF court"
To this, the foreman of the Grand
Jury replied, speaking for himself and
his fellows, who stood beside him and
approved, "This sutject has been so fire.
quently aud unavailingly commented on
by previous Grand Jnries, that we
thought 1t useless to refer to it at this
time"
| The Levy Court, by their bill now be-
fore the Legislature, authorizing them to
borrow $10O,000 Tor the erection of new
county buildings-have added their tes-
timony to that of the Court and Grand
Juries-and have shown that they are
not insensible of their duty to provide
suitable buildings.
| All of the gentlemen who now occupy
the county offices, freely declare that the
fwretched little rooms to which the present
law cOnsigns them, are contracted, incon-
venient, and wholly insufficient for the
transaction of business aud the preserva-
ton of the rapidly increasing books aud
papers under their charge.
No physician who attends Court but
returns home disgusted that the courts
are held in a building reeking with foul
air and deadly vapors. A number Of
the most eminent physicians of the
county have sent to the Legislature a
memorial in which they, as experts, de-
| clare in the strongest terms that all who,
during the sessions of our courts, are
| obliged to subject themselves for few
days 10 the perncious atmosphere of our
crowded, lily ventilated and badly sew
cred Court House, do so at the risk Of
their lives.
WHERE SHOULD THE NEW BUILDINGS
BE ERECTRD?
Certainly where they would be most
convenient to the people OF the county,
| and as near as may be to the centre of
population and business.
| To the people of the Hundreds of
Brandywine, Christ ana, Mill Creek and
White Clay Creek the city of Whining
ton Is more convenient of access than
New Castle.
by the census Of 1870 the population
Of these four Hundreds, with that of
| Wilmington, was 1913, aud that of the
remaining Hundreds was 1S,202. 1t is
we'll known that the increase of popula-
ton since 1870, in the fl We upper Hun
dreds, and especially in the city of Will
mington, has been much greater than in
the six lower Hundreds, and that the ac-
tual difference is now much greater than
in 1870.
At the election of 1S76-the last at
which there was full vote-the five up
per Hundreds cast 9,268 votes and the
six lower Hundreds 3,349 votes.
The county assessment for last year
shows the value of property in the five
upper Hundreds to be $29, 1896, ,562, and
the value of property in the other HUI
dreds Sll ,595, ,Sl6.
OF the business in the Courts 1t is esti-
mated that not less than three-fourths
comes from Wilmington and the four up
per Hundreds.
The majority of the people in the six
lower Hundreds (outside of the city of
New Castle) go to .he county-seat by
rail-and to them Wilmington is almost
Lac 10 NJ, Ia g., g,
other reasons preferable as coanty-seat.
But i. is needless to multiply argu-
ments. Senator Cooch, of Pencader, in
his speech on this subject In the Senate,
stated that TO him and his neighbors Will
mington was more convenient and pre-
lferable-and such, it is believed, is the
sentiment of every Senator and Repre-
sentative from New Castle county, except
the member from the city of New Cas- le.
NJ More than 5000 of the people of the
county have petitioned for the removal
to Wilmington-andt there is not one re-
monstrance against that location for the
. county-seat.
The suggestion that in case of removal
the present Courthouse and Jail will re-
vert to the city of New Castle is pure
fiction. BY the act of 1872 the title to
this property was vested in trustees fol
, the benefit Of the county, and in nc
event can it be claimed by the city o
New Castle or its people.
The question where the seat Of justice
should be, is no longer an open one
l When We lave new County buildings s
; they must be erected in Wilmington, i
, any regard is be paid to the eonveni
: ence, interest, and wishes of the peopl,
: the County, as express d by themselve
s and their Senators and Representatives il
2 the Assembly.
WHEN SHOULD THE NEW BUILDING
BE ERECTED?
Almost the only argument now uset
against reno, al is one representation
= Admitting all that the friends OF th'
q = measure claim on the score ofthe insuffi
!. cheney and Inconvenience of the presen
Q building, and its location, it is insisted
= that the present is not the proper time TO
IS the change. Even our friends In New
:, Castle, VINO just now were clamorlng TO
a new Couit House to cost $lO0,0O0--
have within a few days discovered, that il
would not be wise to build anything any
!, where.