Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-05-16
A BILL FULL or DEFECTS,

run Text of the Measure aud some Of
Its Defects.
Trouble is likely to attend tho opera
tlon of the bill for extending the
limits OF the Seventh ward by the alb
sorption of Rising Sun and Rockford.
IL Is very incomplete, and the trouble in
making the new urban territory con-
form to existing municipal regulations
may eventually result in destroying the
purposes of tho enactment and practi.
cally multiplying the entire measure.
A reason for tho imperfect condition
OF the annexation bill is thus expressed
b. the Morning Nous.
when Senator Pyle offered the bill
in the Senate MS substitute for House
blll, which only took in small piece of
land, he expected that it would DO op-
posed by u number of people and that
ltwould have to be amended to suit all
OF them before itc0uld be passed. When
the bill was offered, however, II was
found that there was no opposition to
1t and it was passed without obiec.
ton" The quiescent attitude of the
people was not due to the fact that they
approved Of annexation, for they did
not But many of them felt disinclned
to TO to the expense, annoyance, and
possibly disgusting contact with cor
morant lobby, Involved in any organized
opposition. And so they trusted to the
measure being defeated in the House,
but trusted in vain.
The full text of tho bill is as follows:
TEXT OF THE BILL.
Sec. l. That the boundaries OF the city
OF Wilmington be further extended so MS
TO include the territory bounded and de.
scrloed as follows, viz; Beginning at the
intersection of the easterly side OF Gree IL
NIL avenue with the sOutherly side of
Twelfth street extended; thence north
easteriy TO the northerly side OF Kennett
turnkike; thence along the northerly side
OF said kennett turnpike to its intersection
with the eaSterly side of Rising Sun lane,
in Christlana hundred; thence northerlv
along said easterly side of Rising sun lane,
aforesaid, continued in q straight line TO
the middle OF Brandvwine creek, by tho
several courses thereof, to the point where
SAID line inlersects the present city line,
which crosses said Brandywne creek at or
near the mouth of Crooked run; thence
along the present city line to the place Of
beginning.
Sec. .. Within the limits of the city of
Wilmington extended by this act the
Mayor and Council of Wilmington shall
De vested with all power, rights, privileges
and immunitieS which before this time
belonged to them as nuncipal cor.
poration, and all laws, ordinances and
regulations IN force within the former
CITY limits, and not locally applicable
shall be extended and applied to the new
territory comprised within the boundaries
as set forth in the first section of this act,
Sec 3, The real estate by this act added
10 ana included within the city limits, and
nprgnng L.. n.
within said new boundaries, shall be sub.
lect to assessment for municipal taxes in
the same manner and subject to the same
rights, rules and restrictions as in other
cases within the said city; provided, that
the rate of taxation of said real estate
snail be for the period of five years ensu-
Ing the passage Of this act at one-fourth
we rate OF taxation on city property gen
orally, and for the ensuing five wears there
after at one-hali the rate OH city property
generally. and thereafter at full rate.
sec. 4, The new territory hereby added
to the said city of Wilmington shall be a
part OF the Seventh ward OF said CITY. and
part of the Third assessment district of
the city OF Wilmington, for the purpose of
assessment ana collection OF taxes for
county purposes.
See D. All acts and parts of acts incon-
sistent with the provisions of this act be
ana the same are hereby repealed.
EXEMPT FROM NEXT YEARS TAXES.
The chief defect in the bill is a failure
% prescribe any method Of bringing the
Lew territory under the operation of
We assessment and tax collection laws of
Wilmington, except by the general
provisions contained in section 2. The
CITY assessment for the ensuing fiscal
year mas been completed, and the City
Council has no right to order new as.
s,casmont to be made for the annexed
district. The residents of the new ter
f!tory, therefore, are likely to escape
cry AVIATION, for year, at least.
DOUBTFUL STATUS OF THE SCHOOL.
Inc Wilmington Board OF Education
IS also vitality interested. 1t will be ex.
pected q take charge of the public
school at Rockford, but the bill does not
provide Tor the transfer. The functions
oi the school commissioners of the
annexed district are abrogated by the
annexation, and the school is now
practically without legal custodians,
Though public school, it was built
largely by private subscription, and il
bears q mortgage Of $1,000 The dill.
Guilty will probably be settled bv the
Board Of Education taking charge Of lie
school, and depending upon the next
General Assembly to straighten the
tang.e.
CANNOT VOTE HERE IN JUNE.
A still more serious blunder in the
Dill Is failure 70 provide for the regis.
trailon OF the vo,ers of the new district,
50 that they mly vote at the coming
Gay election. The new territory com.
prises practically what was the High.
lands district Of Ghristiana hundred, the
vote Of which, at the last general cleo.
non, was $50 Republican and 1851
Democratic. There is no legal manner
IN which these new citizens may now be
registered, AS the Department OF Elec.
IONS claims tnat they must be con
sldered, in the absence of any law To the
contrary, rs Citizen moving in from the
rural districts, who must reside in the
city three months btfore being qualified
to register and vote The department
therefore, will make no attempt to pro
VIDE Tor registration aud voting facili-
ties for these people.
ONE TROUBLE AVOIDED.
The defect that caued the trouble in
the recent assessor contest, Ringing
upon the admission If the Twelfth
ward, is avoided by tie provision that
the new territory shall lie part Of the
Third assessment district of the city of
Wilmington. The matter of assessment
and tax collection for county purposes
Is therefore simplitied. The law, how.
ever, is in other respects a sud mess,
ana Is not likely to prove satisfactory
even 10 those VINO, from motives prob