Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-04-09
mARYVILLE ITEMS.
Quarterly COurt-The RaA road Tax
Gues1IOn-The Court Refuses 10
Levy Tax, Etc.

Quarterly Court met in hall over
Kinks jewelry and Tedford's dlus
store, nearly opposite to the runs u
the old court house. Questions vi ln
nortance being likely to arise, tue
,,,opobars of the court were all present
with only two exception, and not"lth-
standing the very Indictment weather.
a considerable crowd of people
gathered in from the country
all anxiously discussing the prop
able action of the court on
the two important questions to be
brought before that body, namely,
the rebuilding of the court house ana
the levying of a TailIOad tax to meet
The interest due for the past two or
three years on the Blount county
bonds. 1t was known that MessIs
Sanford and Taylor, representing inc
bondholders, wers in the town to IooK
after their interest, and speculatlons
were rife as 10 the result OF the CONFER
ence. Hon. NJ. l.. Mcconnell stated
to the court the object of their pres
ence, namely, to notify the court that
if a railroad tax was not assessed
to meet the interest on the
bonds. they would be COM
PEELED to bring suit and MAKE
good their claims. He cited several
opinions of the Supreme Court on
similar questions, aud expressed the
opiuion that if the matter went 10
trial the county would have to pay the
bonds and the additional cost. Gen
eral Hood, "a counsel for the county,
stated TO the Court that he feared the
results of trial, but if the Court IN
tended 10 let the courts of the country
decide 10 the question, he would DO
his best to worry the bondhoiders J;
and. if The courts decided sgsinst
them, he did not believe they could
collect. If the County Court asse 3sed
tax now, he believed, the people
would refuse To pay the tax. Ihey
were not satisfied on the question OF
: the legality of the bonds, and would
prefer to have the question settled by
/ the Supre me Court.
g Esuuire Brickell made q strong
speech against the assessment OF TAX
-. and was opposed to the bOndholders
ever being paid interest or principal.
He was hard on the bOndbOldeIs and
, legal fra.e rnity, and, it is said, repeat
ed bis last campaign speech when
candidate for the Legislature. Capt
Rowen recognized 1t as an old song
and seemed TO enjoy it very much. L
finally came to a vote, and only fOul
i or five voted for a tax; many, hoWeV
er, stating that they felt confident tina
the county would lose its case yet, a
y their constituents were not satisfied a
Is to the legality OF the bonds, they con
n cIuded that it would be best to hav
e the question settled forever by tn
u proper tribunal.
The bondhOldeTs expressed them
D, selves satisfied With the actor
n of the Court, as they ar
a anxious TO have the matte
l. finally adjusted, and as one of Their
le expressed it, if the bonds are iilegs
is and worthless they want TO know
s. and if good they want the matte
settled.
- The question as to a new court nous
n was not reached on Monday, but To
- court rented the public school buiit
ing for the purpose of transacting til
county business uutil new cOul
house can be erected. The prObabilit
:. is, as far a. we could learn, the Count
Court will order the erection OF ne
building on the old site. and will 3
be s1ss tax for that purpose.