Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 August 1893 — The Gilford Drainage District. [ARTICLE]

The Gilford Drainage District.

On Tuesday, before the Board of Commissioners in special session, began the hearing efflfre petition for the establishment of the Gifford Drainage District, one of the three largest drainage enterprises ever undertaken in the County. The opponents of the district, who principally objected because of what they considered unequal and excessive assessments, were represented by Messrs. E. P. Hammond, M. F. Ghilcote and J. W. Douthit. The Drainage district was represented by S. P. Thompson. The remonstrants moved that the petition be dismissed on the grounds of the unconstitutionality of the law, in several features, and also that the petition was never legally filed, the claim being that it should have been filed in term time instead of with the County Auditor, during vacation, as was the case. Of the various points on which the constitutionality of the law was attacked, the principal were: That the law confers judicial powers upon the County Surveyor; that it designates the Board of County Commissioners as a “County Commissioners’ Court”-a term not known to the constitution 3 ; that in requiring the ditch commissioners to be residents of the district, it practically makes a man the j udge of his own case, AVedneeday morning the Commissioners decided against the motion to dismiss the petition, and granted the remonstrants attorneys time in which to continue the fight on other lines. AVednesday afternoon, after a short session, on request of the petitioners, the case was adjourned to September 1.3, to give opportunity for the petitioners to serve notice upon interested parties who had not been properly notified.