The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-02-24

Levy Court takes on the nnme OF Ed.
ward q. Bradford and puts on Charles
b. Lore. Is the Clerk of the Peace OBJ
liged to make up his duplicate In that
way2"
Mr.. Bradford-''Yes sir, under his
oath
The Chancellor asked Mr.. Bradford
to excuse him for being so inqulsitive,
MS he wanted to get all the light he
could upon tho subject.
Mr.. Bradford said the Chancellor
was very excusable. and it afforded
him the greatest pleasure to answer
his questions us FAR as he knew how.
Mr.. Bradford then read the duties
of the Clerk of the Peace and the oath
he took to perform those duties,
Chancellor SGulsburY-'Suppose tho
assessor should return 100 numes and
the Levy Court should drop thsm and
put on 100 others. Should tho Clerk
OF the Ponce take no notice Of the 100
names dropped?'
Mr.. Bradford -"He should obey the
Levy Court" .-..=
Chancellor Saulsbury-"Su Suppose tho
Clerk of the Pence was indicted for
leaving of those 100 names?"
Mr. Bradford-'If w,rs Judge, l
would instruct tho jury to acquit
him."
Chancellor Saulsbury-"Suppo 100
names wero taken from tho assass
mcnt OF the Fifth ward and an equal
number from some hundred put on.
which would the Clark of the Peace
plnce on his duplicate?"
Mr.. Bradford III the Levy Court
has power under tho law the right to
sttiAa from the assessment lists GER
tam classes OF names and does 1t tho
clerk of the peace must obey them. II
tho Levy Court Is acting illegally the
clerk OF the peace ia not compelled to
obey them, yet the clerk of the praCa
Is in no case an assessor
Mr.. Bradford then went into pow
erful argument to show that tho Lazy
Court has the Right to purge tho rs.
soS5mant OF illegally asses SOD Names.
This he said was a serious matter. Tn
der our constitution the duties OF tho
Levy Court while directly lelattng to
the fiscal concarns Of the county, in
directly relates to the elective fran
chiSe A fraud pernetrated by the as
SCISSOR can he corrected.
MIR. Bradford concluded his gr eat
speech at o'clock.
MIR sPRuANcE SPEAKS. ..
William G. Spruance, Esq, taking
the iloor said that Mr.. Bradford hal
made such u full presentation of the
case that there was but little LETT for
him to do.
MIR. Spruance said the case had h5en
eliminated of everything except the
, right OF the Levy Court to strike
names from the lists. 1t is pleasant
/ to come before the court this way,
thoroughly understanding each 9th
er and arguing OH plain legal point.
! Mr. Spruance then took up the law
from 1855 to 1873, showing the right
has boon exercised by tho Levy Court
) at all times TO strike Illegally assessed
names from the lists.
Mr. Spi uanco said he was counsel for
} the Levy Court from 1889 To 1870, when
he was succeeded by my learned
friend Mr.. Gray" but that was when
| good government prevailed, said tho
, speaker, as he looked at MIR. Gray and
} smiled. MIR. Gray'5 face turned red.
t MIR. Spruance then explained how as
+ Ses5mentS were made and explained
; the power OF the assessor, but an as
) SCISSOR has no more right to add ficti-
/ tlOuS name to the assessment than he
t had to cut his wfe's head of. All the
; assessors are not saints, as the other
) Side would make believe. The present
assessors are honest, the laws were
| made for the rascally SCISSORS of the
j past and that may come in the future.
: III IT wore true that an assessor could
. not DO held for any offence which he
4 may commit, he could keep his own
3 party in power against the wishes of a
A majority of the people and instead OF
. bong punished could ba sent to Paris
: TO laugh and snap his fingers and live
/ In atiluence. Law has not been SO
D blind. This countyis not in the hands
Of the assessors, for tue Levy Court
has supervising power which il ne
4 cessary and proper.
suppose Willard Salisbury had boen
= placed on the assessment lists 100
Times, would not tine Levy Court have
+ the right to take of 30 of these names3
3 1t would be proper for the Levy Court
. 70 have instituted an inquiry. and II
, they lound but one or two they should
+. certainly have taken of the others.
| Don't take an ordinary name, take
the name OF kaSkiuSco pulaski
/ suppose there had been two men of
that name assessed in the snne ward
( would 1t not have boon well for the
Levy Court to have made an inuuirvf
. 1t rtainly would. Yet those on tho
. other side maintain that these names
. should be left there. because they have
8 received the sanction OF the assessor.
!. MI. Spruance, proceeding, took the
/ ground that the Levy Court has tho
. right to finally settle tho Rssessnent
lists. They have tie right to purge
tHom OF fraud. Tho Levy Court has a
{ right to examine the returns made by
t the assessors. What is the use OF
them making an examination IL tho
1 Levy court must take the assa5soI's
, return. This court may hold the Levy
} Court responsible under the law, but
/ 1t Is poYerless to prevent tho Lazy
T. Court from exercising its Judgment In
/ this mGeter No court has jurisdiction
. in this matter except tine Levy Court
| Itself. 1t would be grossly unjust to
. anticipate lradd or mistake on their
part.
: referring to the fictitious names on
the lists, Mr. Spruance said they Will
: not appear i'll March parsona,ly. Ii
t would be dangerous IL" tnBm to bring
: vouchers. They weiG created In the
: brains OF the assesSor and his col
leagues. Let tic Levy Court handle
/ theM and thay sill be dead. They will
never apuoar again. II the LeYy Corr
Y doo7 not DO its duty, and the matter j.
I not settled hofors the last day OF
March, then the injury Is irreparaGle.
In this strain MIR. SrIuanca cUntlnn
d ed until go O'Clock, WHEN tho coQri
. adjourned until 10 O'Clock this morn
1 ing.
n Chancellor Salisbury said in recarl
Q to the power of the court Icing ques
toned:
:. II want thlt point argued II there /:
o any doubt nbuHt my jurlsdiu ion.
It assure you / would 1alhrr have paia
Sl00 th1n 10 hays tried this case tt
10 uuy.