Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1897-05-06
COMMUNICATED.


Messrs. Editors Some time ago I
saw in the BEACON where Mr.. p. HI.
Redmond had filed with the Clerk to
the County Commissioners an applica-
ton for tax collector; and further, that
he offered to collect all the taxes of st.
Mary's county for the sum of $500. That
notice put me to thinking as to how il
could be done and where was the law
for it. Since then l have procured
copy of the Public Local Laws of st.
Mary's county and find therein the fol-
lowing law: "The County Commission
ers may allow the collector of the tax
for the said county per centum on the
amount to be collected at the rate of not
less than five nor more than ten per CEN
tum; but the whole amount of his CON-
mission shall not exceed the sum of
eight hundred dollars in Any one year."
Now, Messrs. Editors, there is the law
in full, and what is palmer than that
laws Ii clearly and distinctly sets forth
that there shall be but one collector in
st. Mary's county, for the law plainly
says the County Commissioners may al
low the collector, and the law does not
say collectors; and again it says the
whole amount of his commission-and
it does not say commissions-the singu-
lar is used all the way through the law
thereby conveying the idea at once
that there shall be but one collector and
that his salary shall be $500. New,
Messrs. Editors, / am thoroughly con-
vinced that my construction of this law
is correct, since i am borne out in my
construction by the very ablest and best
lawyers of Leonardtown, and, aside from
their opinions, addressed letter en-
closing the law to one of the ablest iu-
rists of this State, who happens to be
great and good friend of mine, for his
opinion, and he even conceded with the
exalted opinion of others, and then goes
little further and says, If your Com
missioners appoint collectors instead of
collector, they can be tried for NAL
feasance in Office and impeached; and
again, if they appoint q collector at 3
salary or commission for any amount
greater or that will exceed (the commits
sion exceed the sum of $500, they 1.-THE
County Commissioners) can and will
undoubtedly be impeached. Now, i
give our County Commissioners credit
for having too much good, sound, COM
mon sense to pay $500 or 81 500 for
work that they can get done for $500.
My acquaintance with Mr.. F. III. ], Read
mond is slight, but know Of him from
others, and large business houses of
Baltimore who endorse him as being one
of the best Justices of the Peace and
collector of notes that Sc. Mary's county
ever had or ever will have. One large
firm in Baltimore told ne II Mr.. Read
mond had been continued In Office they
would have gotten every dollar due them
in Sc. Mary's county. And now, with
the endorsements that Mr.. Redmond
has from the business community Mt
large of the county and the best busi-
ness houses Of tho largest city in the
State, and above all sober, cokscien-
tious man, man that don't care who he
pleases or displeases, SO he is doing his
duty. / predict for Mr.. Redmond that
he viii make the best collector that St.
Mary's county has had for many wears
should he he appointed, and that the
taxes viii he collected promptly and
paid over, and that at the end of the
year there win be few bills due on his
books and still fewer to be paid out by
him. have just seen the communica-
tion Of Citizen in the BEACON. and |
thoroughly agree with him and endorse
every word that he has written. With
best wishes for Mr.. Readmond's success
and above all of relief ef MANY hun.
dreds Of dollars lpEobably 81 200 or 81 :.
900 to the pSor overburdened taxpayers
Of st. Mary's county,
am, yours truly,
TAxPAYRR-