Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-06-16
For ne na.tern Timss.

II
observe in all our newspapers this year. reports Of the do
ings Of the City Counc d anticipated much benefit TO
the city therefrom In awning and keeping alive in
terest in pubic affairs community, which is
tia to the preservation ur excellent institutions. Eer
nal vigilance 10 the pm OF Mbertyn without constant
watchfuness the paH the people, free institutions
can be long maintained bu will slip from their grasp
they aware leavneem encirced in the Of des
potsm. n sA.r rw
limo school the pple learn to exercise vigilance
better than in observnn studying the operations Of
Municipal Governments and IL II doubtless owing to Town
Meetings, where each nan has the privilege Of exercising
his power by voting oery proposition that effect the
public welfare and uently has his interest excited by
being called upon to and feels fun Of personal
responsibility that Of Freedom is kept alive so
wen in those States wTe towns exist in what may with
propriety be called thesl New England form.
In South Carolina, Nhere town meetings unknown
and where the people have direct action upon con-
troll over the public fnaes either narasng expend
ing the effects Of sys opposite ours may be clear
" seen.~e
While, therefore, h rejoiced to observe the growing
interest in public affairs manifested have been sorry
to notice In your paper some reports Of the
actions Of the Common Duncl, which with your leave
will endeayor to set righ give true version Of the
whole matter which has such preracted discussion
in City Council. &a
On the 31st Of March m order passed the City Council
nsructing the Finance cmmittee o estimate report
what necessary to be raised to meet the abi
Of the city during the prevent fiscal year." After several
meetings Of the Committee report agreed to in sub
stance, follows, to wThat $3s7O0 be raised for the
several departments oe City Government and to
loans and interest fa this year. And as 1t was not
known at that time whit the County would be- vote
was passed that $4,000 be raised by taxes the re-
mainder by loan the Members supposing that the amount
Of the County wou be before the report was
made to the Council and the precise fixed accord
ingly and believing that would be less than year by
$500 least they presumed that the reported to be
raised by loan would nd $1,000 On the report be-
ing made the Council the Mayor Chairman Of the
Finance Committee it as found that 5000
be raised by loan withs any condition qualification
whereupon in the Cohcn Council the following amend
adopted: crowded the State and County taxes
shall equal the above estimate otherwise, the amount
be raised by loan shaH reduced the those
fall short Of the above estimate" This amendment would
the report In the hape agreed upon Committee
shall show what DISPOSITION made of this amend
ment the Board Of Aldermen, after remark upon an
other point in the casesS
When the question raising money for the Fire Depart
ment up in connttee proposed raise 5000
only, this year, and ae following given in
support Of that proposition list. That would be all
that would be required during the present fiscal year ad
diton to the sum standing to the credit of the Department
on city books accounting in all to $212s So for the
year. ID. That the City Council had authority to
raise appropriate money for any purpose not falling due
during their official te Sd. That the constant and uni
form practice sncethe remen received pay, both
under the and city governments, had to raise
and appropriate each TEAR the supposed to be
AZ
the in meeting assembled nor the City Council
had voted to ada1t different 4th. That
whereas in consequenceo item in the published
Of the finances city year, this subject was
then thoroughly discussed and settled by the unanimous
Of the committee Averse that statement and af
ming that much nney should be appropriated for the
Fire Department wod be required for fiscal year.
and more hatthe City Council did year vote
to appropriate the a $500 SO only, in addition to the
already standing he credit Of that department on
the city books making ID all the Of $1,000 notwith-
standing which in the sement Of finances this year. Il Is
made to appear that $500 appropriated last year in
addition to the standing the credit Of the Depart
ment, making the wli4 amount $500 AZ, thereby in
creasng by mnistera1 the appropriation made by
the City Council sn $l499 47-therefore we ought
in accordance with Ouahs Of Office and in fuhlment Of
duty guardians u the public purse to express our
disapprobaon Of that Mode Of managing the city finances
Notwithstanding the stove reasons motion was made
In cnaee decided by the casting vote Of the Chair
an appropriate $2Oe0ths year the Fire Department
and reported tothe City Council. When the re-
port came down to the Common Council on May 4h It
amended by striking Of that appropriation s14oo
and to alter the ootng correspond the sums to
be raised should be by taxes s77OO by loan with
the proviso stated the State and County
taxes The order for raising money which was submitted
he ale
above, and other verbal amendments one Of which was
made to fill hiatus WE'VE made by the Common Council.
When the report and oeder up again in the Board
OF Aldermen, they disposed of all above amendments
Sin one fell swoop" by che following endorsement read
and non-concurred in ae amendments" They did not
condescend to taketce enough of the amendments
made by the Commons Council to take any question on
them separately (some of which could certainly be OBJ
jected to by one) but made omnibus rejection.
On the appearance Of Che report in that shape in the
Common Council it considered by some as virtually
saying, "Gentemen Of tHCommon Council you take
the report send 50 you. We shall allow of no
amendments on your part, matter how necessary
proper they may be bit WILL disregard parliament
ary law, place any number you may make by
single vote Others attributed their summary mode
operating to inadvertan their part after vari-
notions the report ordered to be recommitted,
which being afterwards in by the Aldermen the
Finance Committee agn met the evening the Sd inst
when the subject taken up de novo, and each item
again considered TRappropriaon for the Fire Depart
ment fixed at $7OA which with the sum standing to
the credit Of that department the city books,
s2223 Sc for this yea Several other alterations were
agreed to in words and figures which being DONE the
question of the amount raised by tax and the
by loan, to suit the aed circumstances of the report
naturally up. The Committee being still uniformed
in regard to the amount a. the County taxn order pre-
vent any farther trouble 10 relation thereto
ing that the amount AGREED upon besides State and County
taxes $4,000, it was moved that the precise sum
Of $4,000 be raised by tax and $1,000 by Oan which being
agreed to- made Immediately memorandum of the same,
and to avoid any farther then
ed rehearsed the mattel above and unanimous
| y acquiesced in.
On the LIST instant, the Common Council being in
sion, paper handed by the City Messenger which
presumed was the repot agreed upon above. was
very much astonished Seadng that paper to perceive
that it recommended to b9raised addition the State
and County taxes only the $2S 600 by tax while
proposed to raise $4,000 By read the paper and
expressed to the Council establishment but in the
words of your Reporter AMI here wish particularly to
rect his report He makes say, cit had unani-
mousy decided in commee that the necessary to
meet the ordinary expenses Of the city should be raised by
taxation, and to loan the amount necessary to meet the
loans and interest becoming DUE and the extraordinary ex
of the city" Thmeaning OF the sentence is not
perfectly clear but that when he uses the word
'loan" the first time, heneans hire. deny, howev-
err that made those remarks at that time or any other
4