Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-03-22
EDITION
LEVY COURT.

LEVY COURT.
A Lively Time Yesterday, Occa.
stoned by the Objection - the
Character Of Vouchers.
The dead calm which generally per
vades the sessions of the Levy Court
was changed into quite breeze yester
day, by the appearance Of some twenty
five or thirty cOlored men who came
fIom St. Georges Hundred for the pur.
pose OF having their names placed on
the assessment list. Several Of the
members of the court were in the upper
part of the building, considering some
contemplated improvements that are
needed in the court room, consequently
the court did not convene until lilo
o'clock.
Messrs. Mahaffy and Morrison, who
were appointed the committee to ex.
anime the error list of Brandyw wine
Hundred for 1881, reported errors to
the amount of $79,4lO, which they re.
commended be allowed. They also re-
ported that they had found $50 errors
in the dog tax, which they recommen.
ded be allowed. The report was adopt
et. Several properties were exempted
from taxation, and stricken from the
assessment list, among them the Acad.
envy of the Visitation valued at SO,
000
| The storm commenced. when DR..
Ellison made motion that the name
of Wesley Cole, colored, be placed on
the assessment list Of West St. Georges
Hundred. Mr.. Polk, Immediately OBJ
jected, and charged that Gales voucher
who is also colored man, named VIM.
Downs, was not a respectable person,
and WAS so unreliable that he would
not believe him under oath.
Mr.. Febiger said that he was not
aware that the law said anything in
regard to the character Of voucher,
and requested that the law be read.
Mr.. Cochran, the clerk, then read the
following section:
"Be 1t further enacted as aforesaid,
That it shall not be lawful for the Levy
| Court in either of the counties of this
State. or any member thereof, to take
from the assessment returned to the
said Levy Court by any assessor the
name of any person legally appearing
thereon; nor shall it be lawful for said
| Levy Court or any member thereof to
add to any assessment returned as
aforesaid the name Of any person un
less the party himself personally ap.
pears before the Levy Court, accom-
panied by some respectable freeholder
of the county, who shall make oath or
affirmation in the form prescribed in
section 3 of this act, said oath or affir-
nation shall be made in open court be-
fore the Clerk of the Peace, who alone
is authorized to take an oath or atfir-
nation for that purpose, and 1t shall be-
unlawful for the Levy Court TO accept
| the oath or affirmation of any one per-
son before any other person than the
Clerk of the Peace Of the county in
which the party applies for asses sment;
and an application made in any other
manner than prescribed above shall be
refused. 1t shall be lawful for the
Levy Court to PROFOUND to the atfiant
such questions az they may deem pro.
per concerning his knowledge of the ap-
plicant, and If he should refuse to an
swer, they may reject the said oath or
affirmation, and further that the Levy
Court rhall be the judges of the respect
ability of the atfiant, and may reject
The affidavit or affirmation of any per-
son upon that ground, provided that
persons regularly assessed in any hun.
dred may, as under existing law,
be transferred to any other hundred in
the same county," etc.
Mr.. Sharpless would like to know IL
Mr.. Polk knew anything about the bad
character of the voucher, or if he oh.
tanned his knowledge by bearsay.
Mr.. Polk admitted that he knew moth
ing personally about Downs, and ap-
pealed to Clerk Cochran, to state what
he knew about him.
Mr.. Cochran thought that if Downs
was as respectable a man as Cole, his
oath ought to be taken. He said that
of his own knowledge he knew nothing
against Downs character and was GER
tain that Gale is resident of 81. Geor-
ges Hundred. Mr.. Cochran stated that
lie WAS positive that his cousin John
Cochran, had caught Downs in the act
Of stealing some corn, and asked the
voucher if he remembered the fact
Downs denied all knowledge of the act,
and said that he had never stolen any
corn.
Mr.. Wier proposed that Mr.. Polk
should vouch for Cole, but Mr. Ellison
objected, rs he wanted to have the
question in regard to Downs settled.
He said that 1t was probable that
Downs would again be offered as
har nd a w nNt NJ n bot
the Court intended to do in the matter.
The speaker had examined the assess
ment list of St. Georges Hundred, and
found that there were only two or
three colored mems names on the list.
These Colored men had come some dis
lance, and had brought Downs with
them 10 act on their voucher, and he
thought that their names should be
placed on the list.
Downs had acted as voucher for
others, and there had been no obiec-
ton made, and that is why these men
had selected him to act for them.
Colonel Febiger said that fit was
shown that Downs was guilty of the
things charged against him, and un-
worthy of belief. he would not ask
TO have him accepted, but if these
charges were made on hra say evidence
alone, he would vote to accept him as a
voucher.
"Hearssy evidence" said he, "is not
worth much for you can find plenty of
men in town who will say l and Chair
man Bright sre id rascals. Laugh
ter The court should object to the man
on heresay."
Upon vote being taken,it was decid.
ed to place Gales name on the assess.
ment list, although several Democratic
members voted against it.
Aaron Brown, colored, also offered
Downs as his voucher, when Mr. Polk
again objected, and upon a vote being
taken, the motion to place Browns