Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-23
NEW COMBINATION
IN THE LEVY COURT
-Four Beat Three and a Resolu-
tiOn TO Enforce Honesty
Was Defeated.
REQUIRED AFFlDAVITS IN
ALL CLAIMS OF OVER So
An Interesting Discussion At
tended Its Consideration
Proposals to be Invited
for Stationery.


Four beat three at the session of the
Levy Court, Tuesday, almost as 1T
d d in the palmy DAYS OF the old regime.
The Republican five did not stand to-
gother ON motion to require atidavi,s
to all county hills for more than s., and
the two Democratic members and two
Republicans formed the four who
successfully opposed the resolution.
Phlemma Chandler and Char.es Meg
ginson we're the Republicans and John
j. Mealey and John q. Armstrong the
Democrats who defeated the motion.
They ella med that Y was not advisable,
presupposing, as Mr.. Chandler held,
that everybody was dishonest, and he.
ing complicated and unnecessary.
|. The resolution ia question was offered
by Mr.. ltwart, and wRs as follows:
| Resolved, That all bills against New Castle
| county Tor work and labor done,or materials
| furnished for said county shall, before being
acted upon by the Levy Court Commits
! souers of said county, be itemi2ad so that
| il shall appear on each of said bills where
| said work and labor was performed, ana Tor
| what particular Improvements sucn ma
i ttrials were furnished, ard the particular
| kind of materials SO furnished, anu be 1t
| further
Resolved, That the person claiming any
money fiUm said county for work and labor
performed, or materials furnished, snail
make and attach to any srch bill where the
sum so claimed is in excess of tive dollars
before the same shall be acted upon by the
Levy Court commissioners of said county,
an affidavit stating that the sum demanded
Is Justly and truely due /; and in case OF
debt due to corporation, the cashier or
treasurer of such corporation shall make
sg.T f1IN ft1I tFN
partnership the affidavit of any one MEM
ber of such partnership shall be sufficient.
lie IL further
Resolved, That the, fee for taking such
affidavit shall be added TO the bill TO which
such affidavit is attached. and the same
shall be paid us nther expenses against salu
county are paid.
81 am opposed to that resolution, .
said Mr.. Chandler. 1T is not fair and
Just. livery person who does any work
for me | consider honest. Haven't we
any confidence in our fellow-men
know things have been very loose in
this court, but you are becoming ex-
trene in the other direction. Am SO
far gone that | am not to believe any
one is bonest2 | would not employ a
dishonest man. We will also have to
pay squire and people won't want to
work for this court | don't think it
is tight Why should we be more par
ticuar than any other persons? 1t
,, saems ridiculous. | am aware that
, there has been thousands of dollars
, taken out of here. | have confidence
in every man. If you are going to con-
, sider everybody rasoals, | don't think
,, it will be right, | believe every man
, honest until he proves otherwise.
, don't want to deal with men VINO are
not honest
i I'm settling an estate you make ALI
dayit," interrupted Mr.. Willis.
That may be-, but have you no better
opinion of your constituents? have a
better opinion of mine. think it il
a bad resolution, and that we should
have confidence in our fellow men.
Treat them honestly and ii the bill il
not right, don't pay it.. l would moi
: have anything to do with man il die
! not think him honest, concluded Mr..
Chandler.
II take the same ground as III,
colleague, " said Mr.. Megginson. 81
:, I would be against right and reason tt
! make them hunt up notary public
: '.In your district there is notar.
. puhlics dotted all around ism u there?'
4 asked Mr.. Willis.
: There are two in New Castle,
y think. "
= Isn't there one in Glasgow
:, 81 don't know. Notary publiDs hav
30 little to do that they are seldom a
. home and are hard to find.
y Mr. Willits asked. MIR. Chandler Il
!, take the chair and he himself to tn
floor aud said in part:
"You take the broad ground. Yul
take it that we mean all are rasoals
:. There are two States that | can nam
" that use this system and Chief Justic
:. Lore while standing on the corner thi
~ morning, brought up tho matter, no
: knowing that | was gong to bring j
up in Levy Court. II such plan hat
= a. been in force when the case of an ofiicia
y charged with drawing money in tn
!, name of Lawrence Whiteman had bee
= tried. che affidavit would have cleare
Il the matter up. There is man no,
,, serving in the workhouse or the char :
I, of obtaining $50 and our presen
y y system permits oollUsions to take place
u and an enemy can charge you with tax
!. ing money or making out false bills
. and this would be measure of protec
tion Tor US as we'll as the contractor.
this had been in force thousands {
a. dollars would have been saved and th
10 county would not have had such der
X piled up. If bill is honest,a man wi
a. not hesitate to make affidavit to it whe
n. it costs him nothing The public
at looking with critical eyes, 30 let l
=. make a record for ourselves, Let |
ST talk this matter over before voting G
q. it, "
A. Mr.. Chandler again took the foo
ID Mr.. Willis resuming the chair, but b
al speech had not convinced Mr.. Chandle
ne who said: MIR. President, I am
h. business man. If people come to me ar
40 want me to do work, and tell me thi
no they want me to make affidavit to Il
as bill, | would say No, give your VOL
al to some one else.
Mr.. Ewart spoke in favor of the res
luton, stating that there wss no refie
tion meant upon any member of Il
gs court, os any other man but that
ms was protection hat was needed bo
W. by the commiss oners and persons doll
VI, work for the county.
L. MIR. Armstrong objected to the res
of luton on the same grounds as M
by Megginson.
to Mr. Elliott spoke briefly IN favor
w. the resolution.
Whan Chairman Willis put t