Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1886-04-16
The Local La VS..


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The Local Laws.
We publish elsewhere by authority of
the county commissioners. five local avs
passed at the recent session of the Legis
lature for operation in this county.
The first of these reinststes the bounty
for the killing Of hawks, owls and crows
This law, which was very necessary and
proper one for restraining the too rapid
Increase of the mischievous birds TO which
it applied, was Gin order to do something
and not knowing what to do,) repealed by
Mr.. L. NJ. Soufherland when he was in the
Legislature. The bounty is now properly
reinstated. The rapid increase of crows
in the county since the law was repealed
and their greater propensity to mischief
since our former statesman threw the man
tie Of his protection around them has been
noticed by many. They had grown so
gentle and presumptuous that they disre-
garded the little devices which formerly
served to scare them away, and the injury
done to the corn crop during the past two
years by these birds has been very great.
The small amount paid 10y the county for
the bounties will result in tenfold ad-
vantage to the farming Interests by res
training these mischievous birds.
The next law is that regulating the APP
peintment of school commissioners in this
and three other count 'es, upon which we
commented at length in our last issue.
The third authorizes the county COM
missioners to borrow an amount of money,
not exceeding $4,000, wherewith to pay
off the deficiencies bequeaihed to Us by
the years of local misrule. In regard to
the subject matter of this bill there has
been much diversity of opinion among
our people. The weight of opinion, as
far as we have been able to discover it,
seems to be adverse to the fastening of
any further permanent bonded debt upon
the county. 1t is thought better to in
crease the next levy by an amount suffi-
cient to cover the 'defcicncies" handed
down to US by the years of local extrava-
gance and misrule, rather than put per
manently increased burden upon the coun-
ty in the shape of a largely augmented
bonded debt. There are many gentlemen
it is true, whose opinions are entitled to
much consideration, who take different
view and think that this burden should
be distributed through number of years
to come, by means of a bonded debt grad
ually extinguished, rather than put it all
upon the people at such stringent time
as the present. But the weight of opinion,
we take it, is the other way
But all concur in the opinion that money
must be obtained at once wherewith to
discharge the accumulated liabilities of
the county and avoid the expense of liti-
CATION. 1t will be observed by reference
to this bill that it is so drawn as to leave
the question still open for the considera-
tion and determination of the commits
sioners It will be seen that while these
bonds are made payable at the end of five
years from their issue, they are neverthe-
less reaeema6le at the option of the COM
missioners at any time after the expira-
ton of one gear. So the commissioners
have ample authority under this bill, if
they think proper, to borrow the necessary
money to liquidate the present indebted
ness of the county and provide in the
coming levy for the total extinction of
the debt so incurred at the expiration of
one year, or they may provide for the
gradual redemption of the debt annually
for the next five years. All things con
sidered, the former, we believe, would be
the wiser course and meet more generally
the approval of the people.
The fourth provides that the clerk CT
the circuit court shall keep up the gener
al index of the land records at the same
ex pense and in the same manner as other
public recording. 1t repeats the iniquit-
Gus job by which several thousand dol
lars has been put in the pockets of MI.
Stonestseet and Mr.. Switzerland for this
work and is in every respect an entirely
proper and necessary measure.
The other bill relates to the refunding
of taxes enormously paid by Miss Olivia
Floyd.