Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-02-25
Judge Raxter on Republication I'm
Tennessee.


Cincinnati Enquirer, 2lst.
Judge Baxter, circuit Judge Of tho
United States Court for the e@ireuit
which includes Tennessee. KENNEL
and Southern Ohio, is on the bench IN
this city at present. A special com.
mlttee OF one from the Enquirer had
the good fortune to engage him in con-
Yersation yesterday. 1t is a good for
tune at any time, but was %especialIv
so yesterday, in view of the fact that
he recently passed judicially upon the
situation in Memphis. The special
committee, after a few remarks upon
the subject Of the telephone, branched
off to Memphis and State Reputation
and the recent official act Of the
judge. rAnlu4mwon
why, l see that has been misun-
derstood, even by the New York Tri-
bpne. l was shown a Tribune article
which spoke very pleasantly of me,
but misunderstood the nature of the
case OF my action in regard to Mem
phis."
[Judge Baxter made the above re-
marks. aTI r
Now, for thebeneit Of the forgetful,
as well as of tens of thousands who
may read of this fact for the first time
in to-day's Enquirer, we take the lib
erty to state that what used to be the
city OF Memphis was about $4,000
OOO IN debt, or about fifty dollars for
every man, woman and child, white
and black, in the city. She petitioned
the legislature of the State Of Ten
nessee to take away the charter. The
legislature, a little over a fortnight
ago, took it away. The effect of that
prlvation was to wipe out the Mem
phis that made the debt, and leave the
Memphians who got the benefit of
what that debt was for to take a fresh
start, with no creditors to pay. Those
who hold Memphis city bonds must
look to the old Memphis, now defunct,
Tor their pay. If old Memphis living
was unable or unwilling to pay, it is
hard to see howa creditor is to squeeze
anything out of her estate when all
the realty that was supposed to be
hers Injured unincumbered to her sue
cessor-that is, to the new Memphis
which is to be made Of the same peo-
pie and the same houses, and the yerv
streets and other improvements paid
Tor by the money which old Memphis
borrowed and owed, and which the
new Memphis didn't borrow and isn't
compelled to pay. Now we are ready
to proceed with Judge Baxter.
Wherein the misapprehension ?"
quoried the committee Of one
Why, the legislature wiping out
Memphis provided for operating the
city government, %levying taxes, max
ing improvements, policing the city.
etc. | appointed a receiver. Now. it
has been stated that the functions of
that officer were those of a city gov
ernment, and one special duty assigned
him was to levy taxes and clear off
the debt. That is not the true state
of the case"
Pity 1t isn't" remarked the COM
mittee, mentally.
The Judge continued 1.-THE (old)
City of Memphis had, or is reported
to have due her, a fraction above So
OOO,OO0 delinquent taxes. appointed
a receiver to collect these DELINQUENT
taxes, and apply them to the benefit of
creditors. mean the delinquent
taxes, and other assets Of the city"
Other assets" soliloquized the
committee, and observed aloud that
this matter might give the courts
plenty to do.
just as you remarked of the tele-
phone, rejoined the judge nobody
can tell yet what is to come out ofit.h
But the effect on values in the
State interposed the committee, by
way of interrogation.
In my opinion it has deprecated
property 100000 900 already, and the
taxable property of the whole State is
only S222, 100000
"And the State debt 2"
Not above $25, 000, 1000"
too ?"
1t looks that way. If the State
doesn't squint towards reputation she
had better leave out the signs Of it in
some OF her prospective legislation"
About how much was the debt of
old Memphis ?"
ABOUT $1,000, 900 originally, but
she set about compromising with her
creditors and funded about 49, 100000,
81, 100000 for it, the holders of
giving a rebate of 80 per cent.
This left her a debt of about $1,000
900 when she departed hence
THE above is the substance of the
remarks, not his exact Ian
guage.
Did you ever hear Of a parallel
case?p
Yes. The city of Nashville was
taken out of the hands of the city
government six or seven years ago, and
put into the hands Of a receiver, and
remained there for about three years"
"And was she benefited thereby. in
n financial mint of uiam of