The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-07-17


monts resolution Of yesterday.
McIntre "A. CO. thought the Board could not
begin too soon to build. But unless they did
contemplate building soon, the committee would
be useless.
Armstrong said the whole trouble was with
the present court house square rs a site. The
county commissioners never wanted it there in
the first place, and he was always against build
ing there. His town would be against court
house there. Mr.. Armstrong; idea would be to
take the present court house on the present jail
lot and concluded by saying the court house
would have been built 10y this time but for the
people of Ottawa
Pool, OF Earlville, said nothing new can be said
on this subject. shall vote against it,
Adams: Last year the assessment in round
numbers showed: real estate, SlS,0O0,00o, per-
sonal property, 100000. This year the figures
are respectively sl7,0oo000 and 50, 900, 0o0-more
nearly equal than they have ever been.
A. G. McIutire: "Thcrc is no use of appoint
Ing the committee until the Board are ready to
build"
Stormont: "How are you to get ready? This
committee is merely to help to get ready. 1t is
u lHuttCi requiring lliilc. lou We Sos W tHlhh
the matter over; and this committee is to give
you the information to think about"
5. S. Burgess: Building must commence in
the spring. Let the matter lay over until Sep.
TENDER, and you'll be just as far along
Flaherty: 81 differ with the gentleman.
voted to build a court house when only one other
man in my town voted for it, say the appoint
ment of this committee will advance matters.
Let the report come in in September and then if
il is decided to build the finance committee can
levy the tax for next years work"
Mr.. John Miller said he agreed with Mr. Fla.
herty Running over the history of the old court
house he said that the present court house had
been built when the taxable personal property OF
the county was only about $4,000. All the land
entered was at that time exempted from taxation
for five years. so that only a small part Of the
lands were taxable until 1871, only a few canal
lands and town lots being subject to taxation.
We then thought the court house big thing.
1t was And dear is the venerable old pile, with
its recOlectons Of the great men of the past in
our state, and 81 would hate to see it obliterat-
ed" But the west has progressed, and we mus
keep pace, socially and publicly, with it. We
ltNt buillNtu tIlul bulIulllS' VIC HCtu u d'Sti
one Nord do the people want to follow my friend
Armstrong; plan, Even he would regret to see
it carried out If in 1886 we, with taxable basis
of $4,000, could bHild a court house worth S40,-
600, our grand children can't object to building
one worth $4,000, with valuation of $23,O00-
600. If the matter were to fall into the hands of
the Philistincs aud our money squandercd, |
should be against it. But am for it because |
see that in the future we shall regret not build
ing. Your records represent millions of dollars.
Should disaster come to them, the loss would be
greater than 10 court houses worth $500 900
apiece. Wise men insure themselves against loss.
We as representatives of the people Of this great
county should insure it against the loss Of those
records. If we neglect this, we prove recreant to
our duty. Two years ago it was political death
to vote for a court house, but that day has pass
ed-The present location may be bad; but find
all court houses similarly located. / have no
fears that the re.erecton Of building there will
not prove satisfactory to the people You say
the people Of Ottawa are selfish. SO are all peo-
pie. But that they urge a new court house for
personal ends only, deny. There are four points
to the compass, and so are there four points in
tlc NllN anu ShpIp5C IL luu IptNtC NucIt
the other three ends will be your enemies to
blacken you. But you own that land. The title
is good. And tell you when you leave il, you'll
find something rCtten in Denmark" Let us
guard the peoples interests. The city of Chca-
go tried to change the site of their house in the
Legislature. The same difficulty would come up
here if you make the attempt. am not for any
Glue but for the interests of the county.
Armstrong: 81 wish to correct As assessed
in 1910 / know every acre in the county was
listed"
Miller: 81 referred TO 1886"
Pool, Of Earl: The people of Freedom are for
the court house, but the people of Earl are not
by 20 to |. They are not ready-this year.
The ayes and noes being called, the following
voted to reconsider: Adams, Armstrong, Bar
ton, Beach, Center, Flaherty, Fox, Gray, Hott-
man, Hoge, Klove, the two McIntircs, Metzger,
Miller, Nelson, O'Donnell Parr Singer, Steven.
son, Stormont White Wiley-25; the following
voted no: Bclinghausen, Burgess, Concrton,
Drackley, Fades, Fisher, Gardner, IIelmig, lIodg-
son, Lauf, Lowman $50. ottawa, Miner, Palmer,
Pool, Read, Reynolds-l5. Dresser and Fcrgu-
son didn't answer to their names.
Stormont was given leave to withdraw his mo-
ton.
Flaherty introduced a resolution instructing
the committees as TO the assessments. twas Ia
bled after Lewis had made a short speech, d.
recting the Boards attention to the fact that they
were there TO equalize the assessment as between
the towns and not to act as assessors.
The National City Bank Of Ottawa presented
petition exactly the same as that of the First
National. Its reference caused vast amount u
talk, important chiefly in demonstrating the fact
that in most Of the members minds there was
very muddy misunderstanding of the revenue
law. 1t was referred to the committee on abatc-
ments. BY this time, however, the Board had
become convinced that the committee could do