The daily gazette., 1879-01-31
FOURTH EDITION
CURRENT CAPITAL GOSSIP.

DC.
Special Correspondence ofthe GAZETTE,
DOVER, Jan. 3l.-Mr. Dean is at it |
again. Yesterday he caused lively de- |
bate in the House, by presenting reso-
luton providing for the appointment of
a committee to look into the amounts re-
ceived by the county officers of New
Castle county. The object of this, is to
| find the emoluments of the said officers
and if the sum is thought to be too high,
to make a reduction. The discussion
INDUCED in covered the question com
pletely and the case was presented In all
its phases.
Representative Cochran opposed the
resolution because it was uncalled for,
and such a Llove as that asked for, would
be accompanied with great expense. In
the first place it was premature and ir-
regular, as il came before the House
without being asked for by a petition.
| The gentleman himself confesses that
there is no suspicion cast upon the Off
GERS in question, and we have no right to
inf ct such an invest CATION upon the
officers when no complaint is made
One of the State Senators had, he said,
recently paid visit to the offices, and al
his request was gwen permission to ex-
anime the books. That gentleman came
aMav and expressed surprise at the small
amount Of emolument received. The
| expense of the investigation would be
great and the results could be obtained
by any member in his individual capacity
He closed by saying that the proposition
was injurious to the people, and unjust
to the officers and LEGISLATURE
| Mr. Dean said he would be sorry to do
anything to disgrace State of which he
was SO proud. He thought that the ac-
counts in those offices were correct and
had made no charge of irregularity, it
may be tla you can get all information
you desire, but have not found ii so.
/ remember that not so very long ago,
representatives of the press, of Whining
ton, were refused information even when
the Chief Justice had gwen them per
mission to get it, it was refused and on
the grounds that the Chief Justice was
not on the bench when he gave the order
There is an opinion prevailing all
through New Caslle county, that these
officers receive too much pay, and many
petitions have been circulating, asking
for reduction. | have gone to the
county offices at New Castle and Instead
of finding the officers doing the work.
they were employing clerks TO do it for
them. All my motives in this action are
pure so far as i can judge myself, and
have nothing to hide. 1t is said that
there is a remedy before the Grand jury,
but sir, grand juries are, to say the least,
very uncertain in such matters. 1t is a
small answer to my argument, 10 say
that there is remedy in the fee bill.
You must 90 TO law on the fee BILL and
such action cannot always be depended
upon.
Il Mr.. Cochran, in replying, said that he
had lived i'll the county all his life and
had never heard of such demand on
part of the people for an investigation or
!, reduction of salaries, as the gentleman
(Mr. Dean) had described To-day the
J Trainer of the resolution has said there
was no dishonesty in those offices, yet the
other day he said that the fees were
; much too large and had always said that
one of the officers had overcharged him.
"Oh. Consistency thou art a Jewell
2 The fee bill is 80 years old and applies To
| all three counties. Why make New
Castle the scapegoat now?
, Mr.. Houston spoke against the resolu.
! tion, saying that it was unfair and costly
, The fee bill can easily be altered.
Mr.. Dean said that all he wanted, was
r to know how much these officers receiy
= ed. If they got too much the salarie:
$ would be reduced; if not they would b,
sustained and all would be well
He did not think that the investigation
u would cost very much, and no investiga
g tion will be Necessary if those peopl,
:. tell us the sum, and think they will
n Mr.. Dean said that if the House did no
e pass the resolution lie would feel com
IS PEELED to think that there was somethin
y wrong. The most just thing you can d.
= Is to vote for this resolution.
# Mr.. Houston again spoke against TIN
,e resolution, saying that the saiIe amoun
n of fees prevailed in Kent ana Sussex a
j. in New Castle.
H. Mr.. Hall said that il would be Or,
n, sumptuous for the House to pass thi
= resolution and thus make such an implie
II cha'ge without complaint. He did n,
y. know Of any charge against any Ne
Or Castle county officer.
Finally, the question was put at II. l.
- the debate having gone on for an hou
and "A half and the resolution was vote
down by vote of II to 3. NothiI
daunted, Mr.. Dean presented another r
u solution to appoint committee to recei,
all petit ons in relation to the offices
the New Castle county officers, viii,
was adopted.
Yesterday, Senator McWhorter sli
ceeded in gettiug the act providing fl
! the repairing and keeping in order of Il
tide washed roads of the lower hundrel
of New Gas lie county, passed by the Sc
ate by little urging, which he would
unable to do for two or three days by Il
routine customs. In this particular ca
prompt action is necessary to the fina
cial welfare Of the couny. As the S-n
5 tor said when he advocated a suspense,
of the rules in order that the act mig
pass the Senate, the tide of the Delawa
river washes it through the broken ban
. and swells the damage at the rate of Il
less than $50 every inundation. Mn
. time mus necessarily elapsa beiI
the work can be commenced upon [
damaged highways. 1t will take at le
three days before the House can pass
act, and after that Levy Court Co
mittee will have to visit the scene bef,
the appropriation can be mad. HeI
all possible haste is to be commended
z Senator Cooch introduced two a
- that are important, the first of these is
the benefit of widows who had childl
and who have married again, the act g
Al. ~: Al