The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1891-01-30
FRIDAY. JANUARY 80. 1891.


A Bill Of Errors.
The Five County commissioners bill
Is very lengthy one and requires par
ticular care in the reading of to get a
proper understanding of it. They
were not, to use a familiar term, "Phia-
dolphin lawyers who drew the bill,
but Wilmington lawyers, who drew it
forpartisan purposes and have there
fore left for reading between the lines
many things unsaid. The Every
Evening, whose editor has his head
quarters at Dover, during the session
Of the Legislature, and therefore has
the full opportunity TO know and to
see all that is going on and watching
all the bills that go through. last even
Ing gave a full text OF the Five County
Commissioner bill, as 1t has passed the
House and is awaiting to 10 sent to
the Senate for action in that body as
soon as there is full attendance of
Democratic members, and it invites q
careful reading aud an expression of
views upon it by the taxpayers.
One OF the first things that strikes
the casual reader, besides the general
Inconsistency and partisan character
OF the bill, is an error which we hard
ly think is Intentional. In section 4
of the'bill it will be seen that: "rhe
said commissioners, so appointed. (by
the Govelnor) shall hold Office until
the first Tuesday in January, A. D.
1893" This is two years less than the
original bill called for. There was so
much objection TO party entrenching
itself behind four years OF power, that
the committee in charge changed the
term to two years and reported it to
the House where it was adopted.
But going on to section 5 we read.
"At the general election, TO he held in
the year 1894, and at the general cleo
ton TO be held in every fourth year
thereafter, there shall be elected from
the resident freeholders Of each dis
trlct, one suitable person TO he u menu
Der of the Board OF Commissioners
for New Castle County to hold office
for the term of four years, commcn-
cling on the first Tuesday ln the month
Of january next, following such cleo
lion"
If this is correct and there are no
typographical errors in the figures
used in the Every Evenings Published
copy, IL requires 10 close reading to
detect II aerious error perhaps not in-
territorial. By Section / tho terms of
the commissioners appointed by the
Governor expire the first Tuesday OF
January, 1898. liy the terms Of section
8 no commissioners can be elected
until the November election OF 1891,
and the commissioners then elected
take their seats the first Tuesday oil
January, 1895. What IS the county 10
do for commissioners for the intcrreg.
mum of two years between JANUARY,
1893, and January, 1895? No doubt it
would be decided that the Governor
should appoint commissioners for the
two years unprovided for, but that
gives the people no chance To elect
until 1894, just a. intended in the
original bill II this il an error, il
shows the harm that mey lie done by
distinguishing important bills through
the Legislature. II il is not an error
It shows the double duplicity Of the
bill and is the strongest kind Of an
argument why 1t should not become q
law.
1t was only by an accident that the
bill with this imperfection was moi
Tailroaded through the Senate and en-
acted into law and put into effect to
morrow, the 3lst Of january, the day
specified in the bill for Tho Governor
TO appoint commissioners, There may
be other glaring eirels. ii not of dates
IN some other respects that may per
haps work more injury than the errol
We have pointed out, and which woult
DO sufficient reasons why the bill
should he recommitted 10 a commit
tee of citizens Of acknowledged ability
nonpartisan in character and patriot,
and honest in their impulses to prepar
from it, perhaps better without it,
bill thai will fully meet the presen
demands OF real honest county re
form.
THE Lancaster New Era, generally