Year: 1873

lecIlus 10 oOey WrItS OF mandamuS


levy the whole tax, it was stated to t


Court that it was impossible for
people Of Iowa county to pay a suffi


ent amount of taxes in one year


discharge these judgments. The Co,
said they did not wish to oppress It


people. but that they must manifes


disposition to pay something and t


attachments were discharged on p;


ment of cost, on the condition that ii


(Messrs. Levake and Rewey) wo,


enter into their personal recognizar


to levy tax of S25 900 year, a


the Court remarked if that was do,


they would not be annoyed with WI


of mandamus or attachment.


This levy was made for one or t


years and then abandoned. AT


that other writs of mandamus W,
issued and in response to them the f


amount of the tax was levied in t


dlnerent years, upon each occasiC


the town treasurer were unable


give the necessary bonds and no tax


were collected.


Now if the boaad of Supervise


should at the time appointed by Ia


levy a tax of two and quarter p


cent, which would raise neaaly $13


600, and pay one quarter of the who


debt at its face; or one half of it


hfty cents on the dollar or raj


nearly S264, 900, and sufficient to ps


one half OF the whole debt at its fac


or the whole of it a6 fifty cents on II


dollar; and if then some credit,


should obtain an attachment again


the Supervisors for not levying ia


sufficient to pay the whole indebted


ness, what wonld be the consequence


Simply this, the Supervisors woul


appear and answer 1--WE have bee


guilty of no contempt of this Court


We knew the ouly object of the Cour


in issuing the writs was 70 aid tn


creditors in collecting their judgrr ents


We have to the best of our abilit


and knowledge promoted that object


The only way to pay these creditor


is by taxation. The people of ou


county can stand a certain amount
taxation, beyond that they cannot 20
A tax sufficient to pay all these
judgment at once would have re-
quired levy of about nine per cent
A levy Of about two per cent.
is necessary for State and other
taxes, making total of about eleven
per cent, which would require the
collection of about $650,000. 1t is
perfectly idle to talk about collect
ing such sum. It is not there
The people have not got and cannot
get the money They cannot pay
it, and with feeling of discourage
ment they will not try, and these
creditors would collect no part of
their debt in this way. We have
twice tried the experiment of levy
ing tax sufficient to pay the whole
of these judgments. The result in
each case has been that we have not
collected anything. We have now
taken q new departure. Under the
advice of large and respectable
gatherings of our fellow citizens
and under assurances that they are
willing to pay all they can and as
fast as they are able, we have levied
a tax sufficient to pay off one quar-
ter, or one-half (as the case may be)
Of this heavy debt, and we are con-
fdent that the tax will be paid, and
the creditors of the county will re-
ceive more money and get it sooner,
than if we had obeyed to the letter
of the writs of mandamus. And it
is our intention within the next year
or two, or three at fartherst, ,sto col
lect such an amount as will liquidate
the whole Of this load of debt and
leave our people redeemed and dis
inthralled." What do you suppose
would be the reply of the court to
such an answer as this to their writs
Of attachment 1t could be no
other than "wen done good a faith
full servants" You have pursued
the wisest course. Depart in peace,
and we will require these Shylock
creditors to pay the costs of these
attachments.


Mr. Henry here inquired whether
the court would not make it con-
dition of discharging the attach
ments, that the money should be
paid into court. Mr.. Strong re-
piled: certainly not. The law of
1869 requires that it should be paid
to the fund commissioners, and the
court could not lawfully and of
course would not make any order,
making a disposition of the money
different from that made by the law.


Doubts may exist whether the
creditors would accept fifty cents on
the dollar, if the fund commission
ers had the money on hand to pay
them. I entertain none. On the
contrary [ believe if there was only
money enough on hand to settle half
the debt at that rate, there would be
such strife and competition among
the creditors to get it, that a consid-
cradle portion could be settled at
much lower figure.


But suppose none of them would
accept fifty cents on the dollar. 1t
will be seen that we could afford to
wait as long as they could, by a
brief resort to figures.


IF you were to raise $258,000 and
the fund commissioners were to in
vest it in Government bonds bear
Ing only 5 per cent. interest, the
semi-annual interest would be &c.