The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-08-28
SPECIAL CITY MEETING.

A Full Statement of the Situation in Which
Captain ID. r. Clarke T. Placed. from
City.
Editor Vermont Watchman:-A meeting is
called for September 8, 1896, to see if the
part Of the taxes on 1888 and 1889 tax-bills
OF the village of Montpelier not collected by
the then collector Of taxes, Captain Dayton
p. Clarke. Captain Clarke was collector of
taxes Of the town and village of Montpelier
and the Union school district for seven or
eight years, ending with 1889. The large
taxes of those years, not less than 100000 or
$4,000 year, were all placed in his hands,
which he collected and paid over from time
to time during the year without making
full settlement at the end OF the year, so
when he ceased TO be collector there were
balances due from him on several of his re.
ceipts for tax-bills held by the treasurers Of
the different corporations for which he had
bsen collector. There were also uncollected
and unabated taxes Of considerable amount
on his books, much Of which, from one cause
or another, could not then be collected but
with the assistance of T. j. Boynton ESQ
he collected what he could, and, by using
some Of his own money, settled in full with
the town Of Montpelier but was unable to
do the same with the village and two suits
were commenced against him and his sur
cites on his bonds for 1888 and 1889, in which
two judgments have been rendered against
the defendants Of about 81 300 for 1883 and
about $4,000 for 1899.
These judgments really represent all the
losses sustained on all the tax bills of the
town and village Of Montpelier and the
Union school district for the entire time
Captain Clark was collector OF taxes, ex-
cepting some small Attachments, and are not
large when the amount of money that
passed through his hands is considered.
The village tax-bill of 1889 was for $15, 507,
on which Captain Clarke paid 1000. The
amount OF uncollected taxes thereon was
81 ,343. The court refused to admit evil
dence offered by Captain Clarke to show
that some OF the taxes he collected on this
bill he paid on his receipts for other tax.
bills. 1t also refused to allow him any
benefit of the uncollected taxes because the
referee reported that there was no evidence
as to whether the amount Of uncollected
taxes, or any part OF 1t should be abated,
and rendered judgment as above stated.
Captain Clarke says he never mixed tax
money with his own III )ney; that he has
paid over on all his tax. bills more money
| than he has collected on them all. II the
| voters OF Montpelier will not give him any
help, he still insists that his sureties shall
not suffer. He will, he says, deed to them,
| or to the city OF Montpelier, all his real es-
tate. worth about $4,000, and pay the bal
ance in yearly installments out OF his earn
iings and his pension, his only sources OF
| income. No one charges Captain Clarke
with being dishonest or making anything
for himself out OF his collectorship. The
loss appears TO come from the neglect Of
both Captain Clarke and the village officers
in not making full settlement at the end
Of each years business.
The names signed to the application for
city meeting are: James G. Houghton,
Stephen Thomas, b. f. Fi6eld, c. P. Pit
kin, Hiram Carleton, A. q. Brown, r. w.
Mors-, George e. Tapin. A. G. Stone, j.
W. Emery, T. O. Barrows, George A. Peck,
W. N. Peck, p. II. Hinkley, Fred Blan-
chard, George L. Blanchard, l.. b. Hunt
ington, George Atkins, G. w Parmenter,
l.. p. Gleason, III. @. Gleason, ID. s. Wheat
ley, George w. Scott, #. A. Sherburne and
! Joel Foster. -.