Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-03-20
He Was to Have Submitted His
Claim for Building Seventh
III Street Bridge Today.
RCK TAXES MUST Be COLLECTED
zroperties on Which They Are
" Due Will be Sold If the
u Amounts Are Not Paid--
"A An Opinion on Reduce
tlon of Assessments.

his was the day on which Patrick
Eahey was to submit his claim CON
If terning Seventh street bridge. Com
missioner Philemma Chandler, who is
chairman of the bridge committee, re-
\ ported that he had heard nothing from
MI. Fahey since he saw him at the
X l1st meeting.
WA The following resolution, offered by
MI. Ewart, was adopted:
Whereas, There appears on the books of
Nc receiver of taxes large amount of
epunty and poor taxes outstanding for years
11S99, 1900, 1901 and
fs1 Whereas, The Levy Court of New Castle
epunty needs the said taxes for current ex-
fenses; therefore, be it
S Resolved, That the said receiver of taxes
NJ instructed and directed to proceed to sell
~ properties on which a delinquent tax re-
zhains unpaid after April 18th, 1902.
H&& MIR. Ewart had Secretary Janvier
xead letter from George w. Spicer,
\ gr., of Marshallton, concerning the
Marshallton bridge. He said that he
moved his fence in six feet for several
hundred feet to widen the road at the
N spproach to the bridge, and in return
for this concession Mr.. Lynn was to
build u retaining wall on the south
aside of the road of sufficient heighth
70 stop the overflow of water; but this
be did not get completed as intended,
the wall he built being neither high
Enough nor long enough. Mr.. Spicer
+ said that the cleaning of the bed OF
the creek beneath the bridge would
ellow the stream to take great deal
more water
Mr.. Megginson said he understood
She road was widened and supposed
Mr. Spicer was the man who allowed
nf hic to n tn1r .,,+
the road, Mr. Ewart will consult with
Mr. Spicer
Attorney Conrad presented the fol-
Owing opinion:
a* Gentlemen: Referring to bill of the
Az trustees of the New Castle County Work
house for $6S,Sl, covering the expense of
conveying prisoners to and from the work
house during the late February term of
Spurt, and OF guarding the prisoners while
m transit and at the Court House, would
Skay that in my opinion the items of car fare
contained in said bill, amounting TO $136l,
nnd representing the cost of transporting
the prisoners TO and from the workhouse,
should be paid by tie Levy Court but the
n remaining items of the bill, amounting to
S522 20, covering the services of tipstayes and
tprnkey, should in my opinion be paid by
the trustees of the workhouse.
Iz. Under the act to establish the New Castle
fNEounty Workhouse, the trustees of said in
Ntibullbil uIt EiNtIl 1lill tnuTkt ana tGIlIfpI
II OF all prisoners committed and sentenced by
ANY OF the courts of New Castle county. and
the duty is clearly put upon said trustees to
maintain and safely keep all prisoners COM
Xanitted to their custody until said prisoners
ARE discharged by the order of the proper
Ruourt; and further, said trustees are ex-
expressly clothed with ''all the powers here
fpfore vested by law in the sheriff of New
tastle county, I'M the Jail commissioners
nnd in the Levy Court. The said act fur
ther provides that out of the annual appro-
priation made by the Levy Court, the trus-
tees shall provide for the expense of running
The work house. y
NN The trustees ire also clothed with full
authority to appoint and dismiss all
%ardens, keepers and other necessary officers
wand agents, and fix their term of service
nnd compensation, il is made the duties
pf the trustees to provide all necessary
Vikings for the safe keeping, maintenance
pnd betterment of the prisoners.
The above provisions of the act establish
'eleary to my mind that the burden is on the
trustees of the workhouse to keep and main
tain all prisoners committed to their CON
trol from the time of their commitment tn
fheir discharge, and that the item of ex-
pense incident to guarding the prisoners
whiie gong to and from the workhouse and
while detained temporarily at the Court
Wliouse, must be borne by the trustees of the
Eworkhouse and not by the Levy Court.
M advised your body some weeks ago that
the expense of removing the prisoners from
the county jail to the workhouse should he
Borne by the Levy Court.
W j. Newlin Gawthrop, president of
the workhouse trustees, said he was
satisfied that the opinion of Mr.. Conrad
bwas correct The opinion was filed.
K3 On question concerning assess
5nents, Mr.. Conrad gave the following
opinion:
AM While the law gives the Levy Court full
authority TO revise and amend assessments
after the same have been duly laid by the
assessors, yet all changes and revisions must
be made at the time the assessments are re.
tflrned to the Levy Court, and the assess.
fnents being once fixed and established they
sontiifue outside of Wilmington hundred
for the full term of four years, genera
assessment being made only once in fouI
Years.
The only exception to this is in the case
Of real estate, there being an express provi
sion that when real estate has become less
J productive or profitable, the owner oil
possessor is allowed to show that fact and
the Levy Court is authorized to lower the
assessment in accordance with the dCpreciH
i tion shown. ] find no such provision OF
law as regards personal property and so am
; #forced to the conclusion that an assessment
! Npf personal property, us it stands on the
) books of the Levy Court cannot be changed
nj revised, but stands and is absolutely con
y
W* 1t was felt that the law was unjust
III not permitting changes in assess
uaents on personal property.
tDr. F. Harvey Day of Brandywint
l4hpndred presented a petition asking
: that the county take over Il hundred
bridge on the road from Sharple,
, School to Mt Lebanon Church. HI
: said the hundred was not in shape tt
attend to the bridge which can be pu
Into condition for $500 or 5000. Presi
. dent Willis said the court would con
/. Bider the matter later
Mr. Megginson said after the meet
Ing that he did not think the couri
u gould take the bridges except by act o
Y the Legislature. He recalled an in
Nance Of two bridges in New Castl,
7 hupdred which were attended, to b,
u the road commissioners when he wa.
. one 10 years ago; but since then thu
. sesinty. has built new bridges there
; Notwithstanding he has been unabl,
TO find any record that the county eve
took over the bridges 1t looked sus
Vpicious, he said.
u Mr.. Chandler offered resolution
: shat the members of committees mus
y Gpnsult with the chairmen thereof be
!, orc giving out work. 1t was adopted
u ibis is supposed to be Mr.. Chandler,
= mthod of hitting back because of the
a action of the Levy Court last week re
qnirlng chairmen to consult their com
: mitteemen.
N The Levy Court wants to know where i
Wbtands with reference 10 bills against tn
R&ounty, and with reference to the capitatiol
HRx in Wilmington hundred. As to the bills
| Ebe court Tuesday afternoon adopted