Daily Republican., 1881-04-15
Archie Giyen's Claim. .

house, was before the Levy Court yes
terday, and after an examination it was
referred back to the committee, and a
time will no doubt be set to-day before
the court adjourus to meet in an ad-
iourucd session within ten days or two
weeks to hear the report of the commit ,
tee, Ii will only be then that there |
will be a hard shown on the bill, but il
is known that Mr. Given's request -
havcLisloss on the building of the new
court house made good will meet with
opposition, if not defeat.
The opposition to such an apparently
Just claim is not that any member OF
the court disbelieves Mr.. Given-iLdecd
we believe that it is generally admitted
by all who are conversant with the dit
tirnlties that Mr.. Given had 70 contend
with, that he must have lost money on
the contract, but the opposition t" II
arises on the ground that iteXtra allow
anre is made in his case it would render
future contracts withthe county worth
less There is some foundation for this
argument, but still that does not Do
away with the argument favorable I"
Mr. Civen'S claim. II is well known
that Mr.. Given was one of the strongest
advocates for the removal Of the court
housp to Wilmington, and in order TO
effect that purpose he voluntarily went
before the Legislature, when tn" q''S-
tion was pending in the balance, and
guaranteed that it would not cost more
than SO, 900 to erect the new building
This was very low figure but it must
NOT be forgotten that at that time IRON,
stone. lumber and other building ma
terial were cheap. Had Mr. Given been
given the contract then and there for
building the new court house AT &9,HO
owing to the CheapnesS of material he
would in all probability have made ~
900. As he had guaranteed that such
building could be erected for $4,000 we
need not wonder that Mr.. Given want
ed 10 show tis faith by his works and
make his word good by the erection OF
the building It will be recoIIeCted
however tha, building material took a
sudden rise soon after Mr. Given was
awarded the contract This was entirely
something unexpected by him, and
that, with some trOuhl" with his sub
contractor. was the cause for his loss
II is said that this was one OF the risks
that he had u run, and W hat every con
tractor has to run, and therefore he
should moi complain TothoSe who are
,tirklerS for law at the expense Of jus
tice this plea may debut n"twithStand-
inc all this there is a higher law Of JUS
tice than the civil code rigidly enforced,
1t is that law which renders a just com
DtnSillbu lDl NaIH' i't'IN''At "i'' '''.' -
| is no better opportunity for putting that
law into practice than III the building
of a court house for the dispcnsation Of
Justice and fair dealing. Is it not just il
little inconsistent that court of justice
should be held in "A building erected
taking between 5000 and $1,000 from
the rockets of n citizen of the county,
simply for the reason that the
rich and pOpulous county of New
Castle had the advantage Of Mr. Given
in a written contract? ? But there are
those who are most exceedingly careful
of the cuunty's money and who fall
sack upon the plea of high taxes. How
much would Mr.. li,'s claim of about
S., 900, il allowed, be TO each voter IN
in the county? Let us see. There are
%, 900 taxables in the county. $4,000
divided amongst 1000 taxables would
make the enormous sum Of 40 cents
apiece, ous dS tnt dl4OulI' NVuA" De col
lected pro-rata as orher taxes are col
lccted the additional tax to laboring
man would be probably, from five
to eight cents and to the owners ofprop-
erty proportionately higher. The ques-
ton then comes, would it not be more
nnuitahln and honest for each taI-payer
in she county to give his little mite to
pay this $1,000 than to takeit all from
one man, aud that man the one who
has brilt the county more creditable
and hAnds!n1a court lau4a t4Jn can be
found in rahir4 at tHI miles of Will
mington and built for as little money.