Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-12-14
PROPOSED EXTENSION.

49,
PROPOSED h1rhNsIUN.
OF Tho iowa CT Hampton. A Word sf
Warning.
Hampton, Va. December l,t!:, 1899
Messrs. f. w. Darling. II. r. Booker
and others. Hampton. Virginia..
Lentiemen:-AOur. favor, asking my
views. especially in its legal bearings
CT the effects Of the proposed extension
of the Town Of Hampton. duly to hand.
In reply I cheelfully give you my
views on the subjec, for What tao, are
worlh:
In the first place l see no necessity
for extension unless those who tldvo-
cate it wish to crowd bond issues upOn
the. town and need more territory TO
bolster UP its credit We already nave
the main business portion of the town
within the corporate limits and i IN
sure that the residential communities
OF the East End and West End Go not
stand in need Of aid in this direction.
certainly not to the extent OF plastGr-
ing nIer 'thcil homes With Issues OF lnu-
Ei2ii,a bonds.
In the second place. the movement
necessarily means. ultimately if not
immediately. multiplication Of nluni-
cinai Offices in our midst, When III.
proposed extension is made. the iowa of
Hampton Will have a population IL
excess Of 5000: ana by operation 81
law. Will become II city With all the
paral heIG,nla o: such Il municipality.
II is provided by Section D. sub di.-is-
ion l6 Of CHAPTER , of :hc Code of VII
Sii-ia (r1syt. :,t) (" he word City shall
he construed to mean a town contain
Ing a population Of 5000 or mo g and
having a corporation CT musings coure.
and the wC.l Town to in-ul IN IN
cGlporaied town containing i popull-
Tor ot less than 1000. and this Deli
H';;on IS 50 plain simple anl posi,iNc
as To admit of 10 dCuDt as 10 *; mean
lNs llirl the constitution .: the
sl,"sc the town Will then not ONLY be
2nItie To but must have !, corpora ton
- musings c"2rt. {, judge and 4 clel',l
th@tctci q comm onwcsIth's ayin:LcN.
. CITY sergeant. q city OF tONn treas
uT"", q commissioner of the revenue,
and other petty officers which ncccs-
sariiy or naturally follow. 1t is the
n,ereSt ypaEnicaity. ana dalu=ion. 10
say That This result will not follow be-
cause TINS IS I. movement simply For TIE
endorsement CT the town and not an
Application for 4 city charter: as soon
as the act becomes {, law. Hampton be-
comes a city under the definition al
ready given ana at once measures up
to the constitutional standard here
after cited. There can be no lodging
the issue; the language Of THE const-
tuslon is mandatory, it is plain; roth
II.
For each city or town in the state
containing population Of 5000 there
shall be elected on the joint Vote OF
the two houses of the general assenb-
~ one city judge, who shall hold {, cor
i'oration CT hustings court I
"Cne clerk for the corporation or huS-
llngs court ..........'' One
| CC:nalonwsaith's attorney ....... i
One City sergeant Observation-Disclosures
One city or town treasurer ......'' and
One commissioner of the revenue"
See Constitution of Virginia Article
NJ, Sections IA, H. 16, II, IS and 10.
II the third place, such an extension
means an Increase Of taxation either
TO the town or county. perhaps to
bo;h This Will derend upon thu
W": dir" of the charter: If the charter
makes the property Of the town liable
for cou1rty taxation, then it means a
double tax to the town with consider
:t5l@ increase To meet the new order OF
things. t by the charter the property
CT tAe town is exempted from county
! taxation, then il means a CONSIDERABLE
increase in the rate Of county taxation
/ 10 meet the deficit occasioned by the
Withdrawal from county taxation of
! prCi'ertE lying Within the CORPORATE
: limits of the town. This will result in
such on"rous and oppressive taxation
upon the deprecated farming lands OF
! tae county as will, in my opinion I'LL
timately force the consolidation of the
remaining portion OF the county with
either The county of York or the coun-
~ of Warwick. Elizabeth CITY is next
+ TO The smallest county in the state; it
mas IN area Of only fifty square miles
/ WITH an average length Of about Sly
teen and tEro-fhrds miles and an ave.
age width of about three: it has in adj
+! d!tiGH. large floating population with
f, little taxable interest and. deprived Of
4 ttis large territory which il is proposed
\ to SCOOP into the town. the county will
/ net be able to sustain a separate gov
eminent. This result seems to me to
make the question one CT peculiar
weight and Importance to the people,
% the county; and yet, under the
scheme devised by the council, as IN
dcrstand it they are rot allowed a
vote or . Voice in the determination of
the matter. They must appeal to the
sense Of justice and right of the Cen
2:al Assembly Of Virginia.
Very truly yours.
| II. ARTHUR. S. SEGAR.
|