Year: 1866

DugS S6Sb4F5-


III. EditoI-Allow me, through the col
ums Of your paper, to offer a few hints upon
a matter which should engage, at least to
some extent, the attention of every Tax
Payer in the County Of Hardeman That
is, the erection of our new Court House.


IF Lam not misinGorIned on the subject,
the Commissioners appointed by the County
Court at its January term last for the pur-
pose Of ascertaining- at what cost to the
County the lots owned by Individuals upon
the old site, can be had, viii have to make
their report at the April term, when, it is
reasonable to suppose, that the Court viii
take such action as they may deem neces-
sary, for the purchase of said lots, in view
Of rebuilding the Court House Viewing
this matter as do, have been somewhat
surprised that there has been so little said
and so little interest manifested upon the
subject, and can only account for it upon
the principle, that +" what's everybody's bus
mess is nobody's business In these times
/ Of hightaxes, it becomes every one, to look
to and guard well the expenditures of the
hard earnings Of the people, whether it be
for the building of Court House, or any
other public Improvement, such as Court
! House, Jail, public roads, bridges and turn
/ pixies, together with the support of the
poor and destitute, who; perhaps will be
thrown by the score upon the County,
before a great while. Every man of US will
feel the weight Of the pressure. 1t viii be
! too late then to complain of high and oppres-
siVe taxations, after we have set supinely by,
saying and doing nothing while these mat
ters are in progress. Now is the time, if at
all, when the people should see to it, and a.
/ full and free expression of opinions given,
in reference to these expenditures and i'm
improvements, and retrenchments if not re-
! form, should enter into all these arrange
ments. I don't pretend to know, nor even
to guess, the cost of these lots, but suppose
the individual owners will want and expect,
of course, price somewhat in proportion to
the price of lots generally, situated around
and adjacent to the Court house square. If
SO, they will cost perhaps several thousand
dollars, all of which will have to be paid out
of the pockets Of the people, without regard
to any pecuniary benefit in the least to
them, or as to whether they live in the town
! country.


Ifitispeccssdry however, to purchase those
lots, in order to secure a Court house, why,
letit be done and let the people pay for
them, but still, let it be at the smallest pos
sible cost or expense to the county


But just-here, and before it is done, I
would suggest that it might not be necessary
to buy those lots at all The Court house
might be built somewhere else, or upon some
other lot, and that too, without any real det-
riment to the town, or Inconvenience to the
citizens of the County. In the town, have
no doubt, a lot equal in every way, to the
one in the square, might be had for a small
sum, perhaps one. tenth Of what it would cost
to purchase those surrounding the old site,
to say nothing of the great expense it will
require to remove the large amount of rub
bish, hugely piled up, upon and around the
premises.


AS these are matters Of public interest it
has seemed to me that these Commissioners
should have been, at the first, charged with
the duty Of examining and making enquiry
as to other locations and positions in and
about the town, so as not to have been con
fined in their reports to one place.. 1 don't
say positively that these Commissioners
were not so charged, but if they were, 1 have
never heard of It, and as the County Court
is the agent of the people in matters of this
sort, they should at the next term of the
Court, appoint set of Commissioners for
that purpose, and full time should be given
them ssto make their report, before acting
finally upon the forthcoming report of those
heretofore appointed


This course could injure no one, and need
not necessarily delay the rebuilding of the
Coust house at all, as it viii require consid-
erabIe time yet to get up materials, make
contracts and collect the funds (taxes) with
which to build and complete the work, and
while these things are being done, the Com
missioners above contemplated, may have
full and ample time to make enquiry and
report to the Court what they shall have
learned. DARWIN.





John Minor Bolts is at the head of a move
ment in Virginia for the removal of Gov
Peirpoint.


The British Government has issued anoth-
or proclamation Offering two thousand three
hundred pounds for the capture of Stephens
the the celebrated Fcnian and Irish patriot
; The Governor of Iowa has appointed one
Miss Stebbins notary public. This is said
to be the first appointment to that Office ever
received by a female.


: No VEro.-The Governor of Virginia un