The daily gazette., 1883-03-16
COL. FEBIGER'S LEAD.
HOW THE SENATE FOLLOWED
THE LEVY COURT.
LEGISLATIVE DoINGs AT DOVER
The Townsend Bridge Bill Defeated by
Unanimously Negative VOte--State Debt
Resolution Passed.

the Third Street Bridge Dill yesterday aIter
noon. Messrs. Belts, Cooper and Chandler
followed the lead of autocrat Febiger of the
Levy Court who came here and told them
not to pass it, and the bill, receiving the
negative votes of the New Castle delegation,
was also voted against by the Kent and
Sussex members The matter came up
shortly after the meeting of the Senate,
when Mr. Cooper reported 1t unfavorably.
He at once took the floor and made speech
1t can hardly be called an argument
against it., in which he held that the parties
had no legal claim to the money and denied
that the Legislature had any right to say
what the New Castle Levy Court should do
with its funds. He cited the fact that the
parties applying admitted that they had no
illegal claim" and read from the laws the
statement that the cost of the bridge should
be amply secured by voluntary contribu-
tions from private parties. He also claimed
that the parties had been amply reimbursed.
1t was all a mere one-sided statement of
facts which have already been published and
talked of from time to time.
Mr.. Belts also opposed the bill in similar
wav, and DIR. Chandler followed. The
gentleman from Mil Creek made some
amusing statements and arguments, among
which he said he was sorry aud couldn't
help it, and so on. If this bill was passed
the Legislature would be flooded with
claims for reimbursement of like
character The people who contributed
money for Eleventh street bridge would ask
for 1t to be paid back. Everybody who had
ever paid for opening street or road
would demand that the money be paid back.
The city of Wilmington was only waiting
for the establishment of this precedent in
order to swoop down with a petition and
demand payment for tie Court House lot,
donated to the county. The Doctor said
whole lot of other watery stuff like this, and
then the vote was taken with the result
| already published.
This action on part of the New Castle
members is simply astounding. In the
| fcce of public expression of sentiment in
favor of the bill which is very general so far
as petitions and letters go, and which may
be taken to be almost unanimous among
| the people of New Castle county, in the
absence of any opposition, the three Sena-
| tors from New Castle county have chosen
| to take course which is plainly unjust and
unfair, and in which they have allowed
| themselves to be led by Misrepresentation of
| the most biased character. In the posses
sion of Mr.. Cooper, when he got up to
| oppose the bill, were petitions from hundreds
| Of influential citizens and heavy tax
payers, asking its passage, and not
against it; and he had TO hunt through
/
to find the opposition of Colonel
Febiger's Lew Court to the measure. This
he read from the printed slip, and on that
he based his action. In addition to the long
petition favoring the bill, was one from meI
representing $40, 900, 900 of the property oi
the city of Wilmington, including such
firms as the jackson & Sharp Company, the
Harlan Il Holllngsworth Company, the
Pusey 81 Jones Company, the Lobdell CaI
Wheel Company, Bowers, Dure q Company,
George w. Stone, George W. Bush u Son,
the Joseph Teas Company and score OF
others. Further than that he had letters OF
strong endorsement from Senator Bayard,
ex- x-Goyernor Hall and Charles B. Lore,
ESQ, and a communication from j. Taylor
Cause, in which he endorsed the measure
with the fullest praise. Against these men
was Mr. Febiger and Mr.. Febiger's Levy
Court, and Mr.. Cooper thought his duty
was to follow their recommendations
(never transmitted to Leglslature.) In this
he seemed changed from the time when tbs
same body, meekly following Mr.. Febiger
attacked his little New Castle Court Houst
bill. DIR. Chandler had before him sufficient
evidence TO confirm in u favorable view eyel
such a waVering mind as his, and Mr.. Belts
went as he has been from the first anu III
! influence could have changed him even i
the fullest Justice of the claim had beet
shown.
Throughout the whole course of the biz
in the Senate there seems 10 have been bu
one influence against the bill and that infu
ence seems to have beer welded by thu
Levy Court, with Mr.. Febiger at its head.
Clerk Whitley of the Senate was sick to
lay and John G. Pennewill was elected
clerk pro tenn. Mr.. Roe gave notice OF ar
act to amend an act authorizing the town o
! Dover to borrow money Bills were passed
as follows: to divorce Louisa Cummtns frGn
William A. Cummins, to consolidate schoo
, , districts 1874 and 16 Sussex county, to di
vorce John G.. Creadick from his wife, ant
to regulate the practice of pharmacy in tn
State of Delaware.
Bills introduced: House bills authorizing
the Clerk of the Orphans Court of Ken
county to copy certain indexes (aecom
panied with peJition) relating to bastards
for stock law in District 1906, and parts o
Districts S4 and 81 Sussex county. Notic
was given by Mr.. Roe of a bill to amend al
act authorizing the town of Dover to issu'
! bonds for certain purposes.
= Two remonstrances were read from note
1 owners of Wilmington against the passag
of the bill forbidding owners of hotels fror
!. procuring license for more than one houst
! Report of the committee for the suppression
of malaria was read, which advised tn
: State Board of Health to take charge of til
n matter.
IN THE HOUSE.
o In the House yesterday the joint resoll
+ tion for the payment of witness fees in cast
: of State election officers indicted in IL
n United States Court, and not to pay Charl'
i B. Lore, Esq, counsel fees, as has bee
o charged, was passed without dissent III
4 House passed the bill proposing an amen
Is ment to Section II, Article IL of the Co
stitution, empowering the Legislature
le pass any kind of general incorporation az
X by vote of IA to 4, it having been amend'
v so as not to apply to railroad and can
6, companies. Other bills were passed as fc
to lows Requiring defendants in bastart
m cases to give $500 surety to free th
State from costs. For the copyin
of records of the Kent County Orphan
Court; stock law for Districts lO
w "a and 81, Sussex county; Incorporating u
1e Delaware Torpedo Company; supplement-
a. the act of the New Castle County Insuran
te Company; in relation to the repairing
ts roads in New Castle county; to change IL
q. course of road in Booadkiln hundred
81 Senate bill annuling the marriage of Ann
he and Thomas Gibbs.
of Mr.. Bates resolution relating to the Sta
1d debt, laid over from Wednesday, was talk
v up and adopted. This matter is reeeiviI
10 careful consideration from the member
H. and the committees OF the two houses
ed WAYS and Means will meet in joint sessi
er soon to consider the matter.
a. Mr.. Risler presented a remonstran
against the division of school district
Sussex county Notices of hills were civ