Year: 1866

commissioners, ana tno c0ntrectet tOf uuius
ing one or more of these bridges have been
made since we have laid the levy. We do
not know at present what the various
bridges will cost, but Il cannot be less than
%, ,0O0-which will leave q, 900 70 b &C.
counted for. Several months ego We In
structed the oyerseers Of the poor To pur-
chase o tract Of land, and to have erected
thereon buildings suitable for the accom-
mediation Of the poor Of the county, which
we expect would take at least q 900 or
95, 900, leaving balance Of %, 900 or Is, 900
to be accounted for. We had received
notice from the Freedmen's Bureau before
we laid the levy that after the first day Of
October we would have to take charge Of a
large number Of negro paupers which had
heretofore been provided for by the Bu-
reau. We thought something might be
required in this way, and that these objects
would demand all of the Si5, 900 complain
ed of. "


Upon an examination Of the whole sub
ject, am satisfied that the whole amount
will be consumed for the objects last emu
merated.


Again: the prisoners are accumulating
so rapidly in the present Jail that 1t Is
highly probable that we will have to re-
build the old jail during the present year.
This will be an expense Of several thou
sands Of dollars. All of these things do not
appear on the face Of the order laying the
levy, but they received the consideration
Of the court, and were regarded as con.
tingencies, and formed the basis of the
levy. As before stated, the sum was not
the sum levied to meet remote contingen-
cies, but emergencies that we might be
called on to meet at any time. In fact,
several Of them have already occurred,
and we are doing the best we can to meet
them. The courthouse is already going
up, one or more of the bridges referred to
are under contract, and commissioners are
already appointed to contract for others.
These are emergencies that are already
upon US, and must be met, or the people
of the adjoining counties will compel us 70
meet them by resorting to writs of md,,dG-
mus.


will not contend that the court has
followed the strict technicalitieS Of the law
as laid down by those gentlemen who in
sist that every object for which the levy
was made should be specified. But this l
do contend for: the court has done no in
territorial wrong. It has not, as those gen.
tlemen contend it has, usurped power
never used by any court before for the
purpose Of expressing the people with .
tax which the demands Of the county did
not require.


If we have erred, we have done 80 in
following the example, not only Of the
court which sat before many of us were
born, but also in following the example set
by many Of the ex-justices, Of whom are
some Of these complainers Of the course
which we have pursused; more especially
Messrs. Atlee and Nuckols, who are now
amongst the petitioners.


Let it be remembered, gentlemen, at the
time the present court was organized the
county was in deplorable condition. Keep
in view, if you please, the facts that the
devastation of war deprived US Of o court
house, poor-house, destroyed nearly oil the
bridges of. the county, rendered the public
roads almost impossible, the culverts were
washed away or broken III, the number
Of fpaupers increasing on our hands. Re-
member that we have to encounter all OF
these difficulties and the court proposes
| to meet and overcome these difficulties the
present year by levying tax of fourteen
cents on each 800 worth Of property
owned by the inhabitants Of the county
This certainly Is very small tax, particu-
larly when we consider the Importance OF
overcoming these difficulties at once. All
of these things will be accomplished by
the present levy if it be let alone. II they
are not accomplished this year, who can
predict when they will be accomplished


The court could have no motive for levy
ing an oppressive tax. We are all tax
payers, and have to bear our portion of the
burden. It is not reasonable to suppose
that men will oppress themselves with
tax that is unnecessary.


Having gone over the whole subject, !
will conclude by saying we stand ready to
correct any error that we have made. so far
as We can. Should Judge Christian deem
It necessary for us to meet again and relay
the levy, we will cheerfully do so. But
we do not desire the people nor the Judge
to think that we have been guilty Of an
usurpation of power never before used by
the court Of the county, and by an impro-
per use of that power have levied for the
sum Of $4,000, for which the county had
no use for these things are not true.


WASHINGTON vs.. RICHMOND GREAT
MATCH GANE.-At the invitation Of the
Union Club of Richmond, the National
Club of Washington will arrive in this city
IN Friday next. and on that day or On