The daily gazette., 1881-02-15
Oar Legislative Letter.
A PETITIoN-A TRIP TO SUSSEX In
CONNECTION WITH THE DELAWARE
wRsTERN NOTES.

L
CONNECTION WITH THE DELAWARE
wRsrERN NOTES.
Specially reported for the Gazette.
| DOVER, Feb. IA.
When the Senate met to day there
was not quorum. A little discussion
as to the parliamentary decisions upon
the point made o few moments pass
away with stirring interest. But the
rulings of Speaker Rust were in such
concordance with the known ruler of
Assembly law that this little bit of
senatorial sparring passed off too soon
for you correspondents amusement.
The Senate sat a few moments in
wistfpl expectation of Mr.. Coopsr's
arrival. But few moments passed
when the expected Senator entered
the chamber and the legislative work
of last week was resumed, as you will
see In the columns of the GAZETTE on
the 6rst page. Nothing of striking
interest was done in the Senate to-
day.
The following petition signed by IA
| colored men of Little Greek Hundred,
ousSOA Souheyt Was pAOccAeoN AA bHo
Senate this afternoon:
Your petitioners, citizens of Little
Greek Hundred, Sussex county, re-
| spectfully show that whereas the law
now in force upon the statute books of
this State, providing for annual as
sessment Of colored mems property
and a tax levied thereon by the Levy
Court of this county Is burdensome
and discriminating, making heavy
tax upon those who have some real es-
tale and letting oilers go free who
have ne desire TO accumulate property
and, inasmuch as the law is ineffectu-
al in producing the free schools for the
colored people, through bal manage
ment or otherwi se, and many having to
pay monthly tuition for their children
in addition to the heavy taxes SO levied
we respectfully ask your honorable
body to repeal the law authorizing
the Levy Court of the county to make
an asse essmeut upon colored people for
the support of colored schools; and
your petitioners, as in duty bound,
| etc.
The negroes who have signed the
above petition are all property holders
in the town of Laurel. The number
| is IA. There are in this town at least
$50 negroes. The law is that the Levy
Court shall lay and apportion a tax of
80 cents on the 800, and SO pro rata
the assessment of the real and person
al property, and poll OF colored per-
sons as they shall stan upon the as
sessment lists of the several Hun
dreds. (Thls fund is set apart as
separate and distinct fund for the
maintenance of colo red sch ools.
TRIP IN SUSSEX.
Your correspondent on last Friday
thought that he would visit Sussex coun-
ty to ascertain the feeling upon the
passage of the Delaware Western
amendment to the charter of the
Wilmington and Western bill. We had
an interview with all Of any promi-
Dence in the county and our only dis.
pleasure was 20 see some of the lead
ers OF the Democratic party-those who
have influence in the Legislature OF the
State of Delaware snpposing the Della
ware Western bill. But our consolatI on
was that to man the opposition was
fred Some of tho Leading lobbyists of
the P w Il have admitted TO me that
Il they we're not Influenced by that
Wnlcn tn6y consider as purely legitl mats
they would support the Delaware West.
| ern bill.
Harbeson Hickman, of Lewes, and
a dozen Others, and those who con-
slider themselves prominent in govern
ing the public sentiment of SUSSEX
county, gave me to understand that
upon general principle of public policy
they were in favor of the passage of
the bill.
In fact your correspondent from his
observation in Sussex county and his
positive knowledge of the people of
Kent, thinks that the public feeling in
the lower counties is in favor of the
bill. Many persons inquired of mo as
to how the representative of Indian
River Hundred stood. We told him
that SO far as this representative as in
dexed by his previous votes on impor.
tant questions, he would vote for the
passage OF the Delaware Western bill.
Inquiries were made as to the others
we could not make any definite reply,
but as we knew this man our opinion
was without hesitancy.
|