Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-02-25


manding the presence of the members OF
Levy Court in the court of chaneery on
April 4th was read in the court Friday
by the sheriff.
Its exact meaning was at first misunder-
$1,000. IL was supposed by some of the
levy courtmen that the day for hearing
the argument on the preliminary injunc-
ton was again postponed from Tuesday
TO the date referred to above.
me document read by the sheriff was
SIMPLY The chancery missive provided in
order TO prevent any captious delay. II
they (the respondents) do not answer by
| April 18th they arc out of court. If the
| preliminary injunction be issued on Tues
day, following the argument, MIR. Brad
iord has the right TO prepare himself to
ask that the injunction be vacated. This
he must do by the first Monday of April
according to the subpoena or a permanent
| injunction will be granted.
THE BOOKS HUNG OUT.
Clerk of the Peace Biggs took opporin-
NIFTY on Friday, in accordance with the
Laws Of Delaware TO hand out the assess
ment lists to be hung up in the various
hundreds as provided by law.
The Wilmington lists have not been
handed to the clerk rs they should have
been, so citizens Of this hundred are nm
able to enjoy the advantages of those in
the rural hundreds.
Mr.. JoLLs' SEARCH FOR GOLD.
II is understood that Chairman Jolls Of
the finance committee was busy for several
hours son Friday rummaging over the
| ancient archives of the Lew Court for the
| purpose of gaining evidence that the Levy
| Court has been i'll the custom of striking
on and adding names during February.
| His quest reached as far back az tho first
decade OF the century. He was, of course,
| specially looking for proof that this had
been done in Wilmington hundred. With
| all the musty old records before him, he
found no evidence during the first half of
| the century; none to 1873, nor after IL to
1881; nor, again, from 1881, the year of the
legal amendment TO the present time.
| IN TACT, his search was an extremely salts
factory and beneficial one for ii clearly
| proved that the custom always was and Is
in Wilmington hundred for the Levy
! Court reyisers never to touch the poll.tnx
assessment. In fact. 1t revealed custom
identical with that asserted and practiced
by Colonel Christian Febiger through his
| twelve years service ~ levy colIrtman
and which custom he emphatically pro-
pounded to and instructed his successor in
tho Wilmington chair ut the court, not to
| touch, neither add nor take from, the
| noll-tax list rs made ont by the assessor
| The point being that the levy courtman
| never arrogatcd to himself the statutory
assessor, Of saying what names shall
| appear on the lists or what shall not.
u was found, lt is understood, by Mr.
| Jolls on Friday, that in some of the rural
hundreds there had been some slight
evasion of the law. But in Wilmington,
where at all times there was necessarily
more stringent watchfulness, the mistake
was never made.
1t is understood that Republican levy
courtinen propose to trump up these
| obscure instances occurring in the outside
hundreds rs testimony that the custom"
existed at the Levy Court of striking out
ana adding names by the levy courtmen,
independent of the assessors.
| The righteousness of such an assumntion
made in order to establish an alleged Gus
4 tom, in the face of the more potent arru-
ment from the records Of Wilmington
| hundred and more Immediately so from
| the assessment books cared for BIZ Colonel
1 tobiger and now at hand in the office Of
! the clerk Of the peace, is too TRANSPARENT
in its evidently excessive desire 10 elaborate
a case, to command the attention of any
| citizen ordinarily informed on the merits
| of the question. However this search
among the old documents has done excel
lent service for the Democrats and has
| confirmed the theory they hold in regard
| 70 the contrasted responsibilities and
duties of assessor VS.. Levy Court reviser,
| probably more than any other of the incl
dental aids that have recently developed.
Levy court adjourned to 10 O'Clock sat
Eurday morning.
There were 10 new developments at
i Levy Court On saturday. Tile transfers
IN First and Second districts with ullthc
legal revisiOns have been completed. The
Third district Assessor Whann's is being
gone over, including the poll.taxables
|: But in. regard to the latter list of names
Y desired by the Republicans is being kept
by Revisioner CLARK. No attempt il is un-
derstood is being made to strike out any
| names. In the Third district the let
| ter 1 had been reached at noon. 1t isun-
| derstood that Levy Court Attorney y. q.
Bradford has invited the assistance Of
| William G. Spruancc in the Injunction
cease to come OF on Tuesday There was
be no session of court Monday it being
Washingtons birthday. Court adjourned
10 p. m
Late Saturday afternoon Me5srs. Brad
! ford and Spruance, solicitors for the
| Republican majority Of Levy Court
| filed their answer to the Bill Of Com
plant with Register Charles II. Nc
Whorter.
The Republican answer is Of particu-
lar interest as IL Is the first formal and
duly authorized definition Of that party's
| ideas on the question raised A careful
resding of the document brings the
perllser dlrectly TO the main point at
issue, VIZ, Whether me Levy Court can
assuilie Jug rlSht OF adnlng nalnestQ the
assessment y. ilsts. me Republican posi-
tiom iniefs lhat tne Levy Court has those
ppMels wlllch inc laws OF Delaware
V'eeIiy confer on the assessors. Here
VIZ democrats ION issue with astraight
ue MAJ
! ! IA answer q Messls bradford and