The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-03-27
COT MY FINANCES.

TO THE EDITOR ui fHE tEDL " H!u:
The undersigned having heard many
rlmors. favorable and unfay"r.hle. il
regard TO the manner in whi,h IL" c,'t!n-
/ ty finances have bcrn managed by ON
Commissioners. desires Ia present /" our
tax-parGrs 4 few facts. which throw some
light upon affairs in the Hole i'll the
Wall" The writer is moved to do this
because Ha believes that the tax payers
have right 20 know how the Commits
Sioners. whom they eject 10 represent
them in tie management of our cnunty
/ linances-a high and sacred trust. have
,le,neancd themselves while iii the dis
charge of thcir official business. Tn,
writer feels sure that ali-h"th theI VIII"
, pay l;ttle and they who pay mach are
anxious to know whether The money.
which Is Wrung from oVcrhrrirned tax
payers. is taken from them under thc
warrant Of law or Eot-wherc it goes.
and especially whether the high taxes We
now pay may not be cut oil or greatly
diminished. Ii is not proposed ROW tore
view the general management of "nr
county affairs by the Commissioners dur
/ ing the last few years. Int t. Offer 4 lew
facts iii reference 10 the matter al county
bonds. which certainly prove that or
finances have been managed i'll 4 way
! which. to say the least. demands invc>ti-
cation.
In the year 1870 i'll order to enable the
County Commissioners to build Il new
Jail the Legislature passed an act emit
tied An act to authorize and empower
the County Commissioners t" build or
repair certain public buildings in said
county,. (Sce laws OF Maryland, Acts
of 1870. chapter 1871. pages BOLD The
first section of that act authorizes and
empowers the Commissioners in their
discretion to build a new county Jail, or
repair or rebuild the old one, and To re-
pair or remodel the present court house.
Section 1 (>ame act) reads: " And he it
enacted. That the said County Commits
SioncrS of Cecil county. or majority ii
them, to enable them to carry into effect
the first section OF this act, he and they
are hereby authorized and empowered. if
in their discretion they deem ii rXpedent
and proper. to issue on the credit of said
county bonds to an amount not
EXCEEDING FORTY THOUSAND DOLLARS.
or so much thereof as may he necessary
to carry into effect the first section Of
this act. the said bonds to be redecmahc
on or before til" first day Of july. 1879.
at the discretion of said County Com
miSSionerS with legal interest payable
Semi-annllaiy. and the faith and aSSeSSa-
bic property of said countN are hereby
pledged ior the payment and redemption
of principal and interest OF said bonds.
In the wear 1876 the Legislature (sec
laws of 1876. chapter 1I2. pages 263-4
passed an act entitled " in act to author
ize the County Commissioners of Cecil
, county t. fund certain Indebtedness OF
the Board of County School Commission
crs OF Cecil county by issuing bonds
therefor and to levy tax for the pay
ment OF the same. Section | of said
laSt-ilamcd act empowers the County
Commissioners to issue bonds to an
amount not exceeding twenty Thousand
dollars in sums of not less than one iun-
dred nor more than one thousand dollars
each. said bonds to bear interest. paya-
BILE Semi-annually. Section ,. of same.
provides that said bonds shall be issued
to mature ut such dates as shall not re-
uuire the payment in any one year OF
more than four thousand dollars OF the
principal sum thereof, and that said bonds
slal! be rcheemahic at the pleasure Of
the said County Commissioners. but none
of said bonds shall he issued to mature
before the first day of April. in the year
1873. Section 3 provides, that tn redeem
said bonds the County commissioners
shall annually levy q tax sufficient to pay
the interest thereon and tn" principal %!
Such. portion as may mature in each ana
cvcrv, wear after III" date Of their issue.
Under the said act Of lh.0. the books
in the office of the County Commission
ers show March 18th. 1850 that the
Commissioners issued county bonds for
SO. 200. in order to build the present
;ail. the last Of which were made t" ma
ture in the wear l~19. The said books
also show March ~. isS0) that the Com
niSsionclS. under tine authority conferred
in said act oil 1876 IL issue bonds to fund
said school debt. issued county bonds to
the amount of S2h. tI5". The total amour;
of county bonds. therefore. issued under
the said acts is %tn. 2ih. Now what has
been done b. the Commits ioIeT~ i'll the
matter OF lcyNing tax IN provide funds
for the
PAYMENT OF ?AlB GnEp>o
The books in said office show (Marrh -.
ie20) thai there has been levied for the
>DeriH j"yprs, OF paying said county
bonds as follows under said arts Of 1870
and 1915:
Year 1871, -, Geo pay print, =. ooo pay int