Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-18
PoLL-rAxEs coMmEscrD.
ihe wilmington Revision Begin yvor
on the Regular co,nnarts,u

O'Clock a. m. Monday. All the members
We're present. The assessment lists were
Immediately taken in hand. The out.
standing hundreds yet to get their transfer
New Castle and Red Lion. Nothing of any
moment occurred during the morning.
appointment was made to p. III.
=, Another little rifle broke out in Levy
court Monday when Levy Courtman
ellis offered the name of Alton u. Pyle to
De added 10 the assessment list of the
second district, Fifth ward.
The Democratic members objected on
the general principle that the law clearly
states that no names be added.
| MIR. Eliason commended that this was I'M
| precedented action. He demanded that be-
| fore anything be done the opinion of the
attorney of the court be mad on the
matter.
Mr.. Bradford was Immediately sent for.
United States Marshal Henry 9. Mahafly
was Pyle's voucher.
WHAT 1T MEANS.
This action foreshadows the determined
| policy of the Republican Levy Courtmen
that names can be added to the lists right
along throughout FEBRUARY. In a few
minutes h. G.. Bradford, the Levy Court
attorney, appeared.
MIR. BRADFORD SAYS "YEs.n
Chairman Buckingham drew the atten-
ton Of the members to the fact that Mr.
bradford was present and then informed
the attorney that "our friends claim that
names cannot be added in the month of
February-only in March,"
II hnd.n said Mr.. Bradford reading
from Vol. XVI, Laws of Delaware, moth
ing IN the laws to restrict the Levy Court
to the month of March. The law of Sl
does not say expressly March or February
merely makes provisions in regard to
other matters. So that in the act of 'S1
which amends that Of 70 there 10 abso-
lutely nothing to restrict the court to
March or February. II is absolutely silent
on that fact"
Mr. Bradford added that on lookingover
the law he found no difference in the Levy
Courts revising functions of March and
February, save that in March, it sits,
although not exclusively as u court of
appeal to add names, &c.
Il ind elsewhere" he added, .the
strongest evidence for assessing in Feb
ruary as in March"
III know" Mr.. Bradford continued,
that the popular impression has been
hitherto altogether otherwise As matter
OF law find no difficulty in advising the
court that it has power to add names in
February as well as in March,"
Mr.. Bradford then retired
Chairman Buckingham-"You have all
heard what the attorney of the court
SAID. Now the question isis this matter
DANGER AHEAD.
~ would feel, - Mr.. Buckingham added.
IF the Democrats brought over 500 names
here tomorrow to be added to the lists,
that il would be blocking the Levy Court
revision business. That is the only reason
that ! wait for in considering the ques-
ton"
Mr., Eliason-"Now we all know that it
will be several days before this court will
be at leisure. These new matters cannot
be attended to. They would be in the way
and out of order now. | insist again that
it is a very bad precedent to attempt to
put these names on
Marshal Mahaify explained that the
name was not to be put on the present as
sessment list but upon the office record.
Mr.. EliasOn-"Still it would be an in
terruption to our work"
Mr.. Hutchison-'I don't think it is law
full to turn this man down.
COMMUNICATING THE CHAIR.
Mr.. Sutton-'.Allow me to congratulate
you. Mr.. Chairman, on the opinion Won
just expressed on this question. 1t exactly
agrees with mine. ! can in one day bring
40 men from New Cattle who ought to be
put OH this assessment. But wont do IT,
] agree with you that it is impracticable. II
would impede business"
Then followed some warm debate be-
tween the levy courtmen and the United
States marshal.
Mr.. tirubb-'I think you should excuse
the marshal now, Mr.. Chairman. Yon
remember reporter was excused the
other day.
Mr.. Hickman-"Ith think this court should
have written opinion on this question
from Mr.. Bradford instead of his mere
oral statement
Mr.. Eliason-"The people of this county,
must say, have been a very long time In
finding out that they can have their names
added in February"
VOTED TO PUT ON.
The question was then put upon Mr..
Hickman calling for the yeas and nays
AS usual, IT was strict party vote, by
which the name was ordered to be put on
Mr.. buckingham was the first to vote.
His vote for the affirmative was surprise
to those present, as all thought from his
previous declaration of the mpractica-
bility of the innovation that he would vote
with the Democrats.
AT Monday afternoons session Of
the Levy Court, Chairman Grubb of the
committee revising the Brandywine
assessment list, reported the book
finished. The list allows 1923 names and
entries and 552 dogs. The report was
adopted.
THE TO 5 PRINCIPLE.
1t took United States Marshal Mahaffy
to bring the tagging Republican mem
bers up to the working point.
This was done, when in the midst of
the debate following the delivery of Mr..
Bradford's opinion, and the Janus faced |
statement of the president as to how the
attorneys opinion affected him in
dubious manner, especially in regard to
its practicabllty, Mr.. Mahalfy, with an
alert crack of the party whip, exclaimed: |
six will beat five-and if you've back
bone enough you'll put this man on
your list-you'll do it,.
That was enough and the laggard Re-
publicans saw the point II was driven, |
it is true, with sledge- hammer weight |
and without ceremony into their crani- |
ums. The quick witted marshal saw the |
necessity of heroic action and he dealt |
the blow unhesitatingly.
The instructions given the Republican |
members was so clearly in line with |
party policy that all Immediately obeyed.
II was most remarkable and interest |
ing illustration of official docility.
Court adjourned at 4 p. M, to 10 |
o'clock Tuesday morning.
Levy Court met in regular session on
Tuesday morning.
1t was bill day and numerous bills
and accounts were passed.
The following statement was read and
the commission amounts ordered paid
the collectors
DELINQUENT COMMISSIONS.
Statement of county and poor taxes
collected by the delinquent collectors of
the different hundreds since last settle
ment January Both to February 18th
1899: Irhe first amount is the collec-