Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-05-19

HtPUIteu IUI IHe IIues'
City Government.

PREsENT-Messrs. Covell, d. Crooker, ].
Croker, Haines, Hayden, Larrabee, Lemont,
Lincoln, Marston, Morse, Shaw, Trufant, Up
ton, Weeks and Wilson.
Absent-Messrs. Cox, Eames, Quinnam,
Ross and Smith.
Mr.. Haines presented petition Of Henry
Smith for leave to occupy portion of Front
street while repairing store lately occupied by
M. F. Conant. read, and leave granted, under
| direction of the Street Commissioner.
Mr.. Wilson presented the petition of VIM.
Ledyard and others to shave the new. loca-
ton Of Water street discontinued" read and
referred.
| Mr.. Haines offered an order, directing the
removal of the town clock from the old South
| to the Elm Street Church; the expense of the
same not to exceed $3.50. Laid on the table
The petition of J. L. Spofford for leave to oc-
cupy "small portion of the street in front of
his house with small pile of lumber for few
weeks" was referred in concurrence.
The report of the Finance Committee was
taken up, the question being on the amendment
of Mr.. Morse.
| MIR. Morse said the ground was all gone over
last week and he would now only state the
simple object of the motion, and that was to
use what money was already raised and stand
ing to the credit of the fire department, instead
of again raising the whole required amount.
Mr.. Shaw perfectly agreed with the gentle
man. Last year they supposed they had got
this matter settled, and how this $3.50 came in
the treasury, he could not understand. He
believed the taxes for that amount were lille
gally assessed. He couldn't understand IL. The
Chair by request read the order of last year,
requiring the assessors to raise certain
amount ofmoney with which it appears they
complied.
DIR. Shaw wanted to know where the $50
came from.
Mr.. Morse made some explanation in regard
to the framing of the appropriation bills OF last
year, but gave little light on the inquiry of Mr.
| Shaw.
Mr.. Hainss would like to make few in
quiries. 1t appears in the annual statement
of financial affairs, that $15OO,S3 stands TO the
credit of the Fire Department. Was tina, to
4
answered, for last year. Now, said Mr.. H.,
this present Council has passed an order, en-
ploying $50 men at 10 dollars each, whose term
extends some six weeks beyond our own, and
why should we not provide for the payment Of
those men. The report provides for the pay
ment of salaries for services not yet performed.
and for the building Of reservoirs, none as yet
being authorized to be built.
Mr. Lcmont said if we appropriate this money
now, we shall lose eight Or ten months inter-
est
MIR. Lincoln must confess that for all the
discussion he was not very much enlightened
1t struck him, however, that the last Council
got into quandary, and which we are now
called upon to remove but by the light he had
been able to obtain he should certainly support
the report of the Committee.
lie was aware that the appropriation was I'M
usually large but the increased and extending
population must Of course be attended with in
we should impose on our successors the bur-
dens which we ought to bear. Each year
would bring new demands upon the public
purse; a new City Hall would be wanted a
market house, additional school houses, streets
lighted with gas, sc. Hence each year would
have its own peculiar burdens to bear, and the
motion looked like throwing additions thereto.
The l50 men you have employed must be
paid, but how? 1t seemed to him right and
proper that we should devise the means to dis
charge our own obligations We are told,
meet this demand by loan when it becomes
due, but such loan may be difficult to effect.
owing to pressure in the money market, or
could be effected only at exorbitant interest,"
He believed the true interests of the city would
be better secured by the original report than by
the amendment, and should therefore vote ac-
cordingly.
Mr.. Morse really hardly knew where 10 be-
gin, SO little of the gentleman's remarks were
applicable to the case under consideration. 1t
should be borne in mind that the Financial
year commenced the first day Of March and
ended the last day Of February while the
fremens commenced on the first day of May
The uniform custom has been to provide for
the wants Of the current financial year.
and difficulty has ever arisen from that
course, and to that course, the present Com
mittee on accounts were limited, their order
of instructions. Yet the fremen always had
received their money the moment it became
due, undoubtedly, always would. The point
seems to be, that because we have employed
certain men to perform certain duties, we ought
to provide for their payment, the same as for
school-house or City Hail. but the cases are
not analogous; those are extraordinary expen-
ditures, requiring the amount to be expended
to be specified and made certain, that the work
may be adapted to the same. Mr.. Morse
again reverted to the fact that governments Of
the town and city heretofore had been ex-
tremely careful to close up all accounts at the
end of each year, and hoped the motion to
amend would prevail.
1t was not strange, he said, that gentlemen
could not understand the matter, which, he al
mitted, was little complicated and persons
without the least experience or practice, could
not be expected to comprehend all its details.
Mr.. Lincoln replied, and Mr.. Morse reioined.
both insisting, in substance, on their former DO
sitions.
Mr.. Haines had got little light on the sub
ject. It seemed the only reason for offering
this amendment was, that every cent of money
in the Treasury ought tn he snapt at TIA oloso