Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1857-11-19
no THE PIIRI,IC.

arc we'll aware Of the disadvantages under Which
a private corporation, having scarcely any Tela-
ton with the public, save that OF creditor, APP
pears before a tribunal excited against them
alike by the press and the weight of official po-
sition. both officially and unoficially exercised
This state of feeling, long sedulouSly tomented
by designing persons, has been recently, in no
small degree increased by the presentation to
! the Council of the city OF Wheeling, OF report
from the Committee on Accounts, signed by
James W. Paxton, and by its subsequent publ
cation by the press of the city, heralded by the
endorsement Of some Of the editors. What
LIGHTS these gentlemen had before them-what
they in reality kneD Of tie facts of the case, we
are at a loss to conjecture, and tins Company
NAV well complain of this inconsldeTate endorse
ment Of report which, on ITS lace, ana from
facts which were fully developed in Council
prior to its publication, the conductors OF the
press should have known were &c parte, and
only presented one side of the question, omit
ting all that had been done by the Company
ignoring the contract (Which is admitted to ex-
isD between the city and the company, and CIV
ing only the action of one party to the contract
Whether this be fair use of their position, we
leave to these gentlemen to determine. While
we do not question their motives nor those OF
Mr.. Paxton; while we doubt not he has, in his
Judgment, (howcver crroneous,l done ms duty
| to the Council, yet, however honest his pur-
pose, his report is so One-sIded IN detail,
so &c partc in arguments and arithmetic, SO un-
lust in its Deductions and so fagrantly unfair
/ towards this company, that silence OH our part
might well be construed into an acquiesence
| alike in the correctness of its statements ana
fairness of its deduction, especially since
| tic report recommended to the Council
violation OF its own contract, in which 1t was
| literally followed by the action OF that body
| We have no argument to make. A plain state
ment of facts will be all the argument needed,
| and to this statement your attention Is respect
fully solicited. o ~
This company was organized in 1850, with
the City of Wheeling the owner OF about
E1-3 of its capital stock. On the 18th of Fehru
airy, 1851, the following order was passed by
the Gas Company.
".Kiautcs Of the Proceedings et' The Gas Com
1any Of the city IF Wheeling, February 10,
| 1851.
0Ordcred that the the Secretary of the Com
pany, present to the council of the City of
| Wheeling, the following terms upon which
gas will he supplied for the use ofsaid city, viz:
"To supply gas for the public lamps at $50
per post, per annum; to light and e%tlnguish
said lamps at s. per post, per annum, and TO
supply the gas for the Market lamps, City Hall
and Council Chamber, at 80 per thousand GU
bic feetg The public lamps to be lighted during
the dark of the moon, with the additional al
lowance of 6 hours each month, when the light
/ of the moon shall be obscured. 8l}sL
| (signed) j. w. Gill, Pres't.
j. S. WHEAT, Sec'y.
On the 18th of February, 1857, the following
proceedings were had in council:
"Copies Of Proceedings IF tie Council Of the
City Of Wheeling, Monday Eee"ing, Fe1Fu-
arg II, 1857.
eat page l95, Of Record Book, No IA pro-
position was submitted from the Wheeling Gas
Company, in relation to q contract between the
city and said Company, for the supply OF gas
to the street lamps, &C., which was read, and on
motion of Mr.. Alexander, it was
"Ordered, that said proposition be referred
to a COMMITTEES consisting of one member from
each Ward.
"rhe Mayor appointed members Culbertson,
Alexander, Yarnall, Tanner and Wait to COM
pose said committee.
On Odd of February 1857, the following fur
therp proceedings were had: g
Februry 22d, I851.-Page 19T-Mr. Alexan-
der, from the Committee on Lights, made yer
bal report upon the proposition made by the
Wheeling Gas Company, for supplying gas to
the street lamps, Market Houses, City Hall and
! Council Chamber, which being heard 1t was or
Idercd that said committee be Instructed to con-
tract with said Company, upon the terms ct
their proposition, with the following alteration
and addition: The public street lamps to he
lighted during every cloudy night while the
| light of the moon is obscure6, and either party
having the right to terminate the contract upon
giving six months notice to the Other"
No actual written contract appears to have
been made prior to April, for on 9th of April,
1857, the following order was made in council
"April 9th, lS51.-Page 22O, Book No. 2
The Mayor having called the attention of the
Council to the subject of the public lamps, and
the contract made with the Wheeling Gas = ON
pany: the Committee on Gas were ius. uctcd to
report thereon as soon as possible"
1t thence appears, that the committee had not
closed the contract in writing, with liz; Com
pany and Mr.. Caldwell, then nov, the
Mayor of Wheeling, thought proper to jog
their memories. Accordingly, on the l4th of
June, 1851, the following record appears on the
books of the Gas Company, showing that the
Committee had taken the hint given by the
Mayor:
"June 14th, 1s5I-A proposition was sub
mitted from the Committee of the Council of
the City of Wheeling, as the basis of contract
between said city and this Company, for supply
ing gas to the public lamps, &c, which being
read and considered, it was ordered that said
proposition be accepted, and that the President
of the Company execute contract with said
city in conformity Herewith.
(signed.) j. w. GHI, Prest.
| j. S. WHEAT, Sec,y."
| Then II days AFTER this action of the Com
pany, this COMMITTEES made report to the COun
! At. of trhicb fla fOt-