The Davenport daily gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1869, 1857-02-23

N aaaordsnce VITA The above call meet q ne Court
ksuss, on saturday The ash inst, 81 ose osk p
n !. 70 appoint Delegates 70 The County Convention,
ana ,ransses other susiless. A fsn attendance 10
requested. Ryordcr Of Township Con.
Der Dsmceeas piease copy. A. A, Aeloski. Il
Salary Ordinance.
We understand that last Saturday the
proper legal tribunal Of this county issued
an isiuastion against the Mayor. Clerk,
Treasurer and Aldermen Of this city, re-
straiaing and snjoiaing the Mayor. Clerk
and Treasurer from paying. and the Alder
nea from receiving any compensation or
salary for he services OF time Of said Alder.
men prior to The 10th day OfJebruary last,
that being The date Of The taking sffsst Of
the last ansaansnt Of the charter Of the
city.
All Of the Aldermen wsrs elected with
IN express undertaking on their part and
ON The part Of the citissns Of the city, that
they we're 10 reoesse no compesssfsos o. ssls-
~. Hence Il was gross breach Of faith in
these same Aldermen. just on the eve OF The
expiration Of their of6sial term, to pots tAsm-
sstpes an ezorbitant salary. to be paid out Of
the peoples noasy.
This unjust appropriation Of the large
sam Of O. 400 has justly inc ensed the con-
sttuency Of those Aldermen. who were 90
los, to all sense Of duty and right q 70 vote
tor The salary ordnance, One or two Re-
publicans voted for the ordinance, and the
German Republican Club OF this city have
held . meeting. which was largely attend
ed, and have protested in the most solemn
manner against the vote Of the Republican
Aldermen in this matter.
That this was dishonest disposition Of
the peoples money ell clssses of our Cit
izens. except the Aldermen who modsstly
voted in favor Of the passage Of the ordi-
nance. and a few Of their partisan hangers
Oh, agree. II is, neither more nor less, an
ordinance passed wiihou, shadow Of night
or justice. possns wsoaSs OFT OF QUIZ pockets
INTO THEIRs.
Bp, il is not less clearly unjust than lie
gal This ordinance was passed not only
without law but in dsfsaos Of law, as we
shall proceed, very briefly, to show.
Sec. IA OF the original charter Of this city
provides As follows:
SIC. IA. No Alderman shall receive any
compensation for his services a. such; for
serving on committees created by the City
Council, nor bold any oshee or station un-
der This charter, unless an ordnance pro-
yldine for such service and coupssation
and The amount Of such compensation shall
have been adopted by said City Council, and
submitted 10 the vs;ers Of said city, and q
majority Of the ve,es cast are in favor Of the
same,
This provision Of the charter remained in
full force until the taking effect Of the last
amendment of the charter on the 10th Of
February. 1857. Yet on the 9th Of Febru.
sry majority Of The City Council passed an
ordinance. making IL provisions rsuespee-
live and allowing councilnen salary ., the
rate Of s9Oo per annun Jro~ ~ lra dsy .,
April. 1855.
L., il b especially marked that during
the whole nms between the election oi
these AldMnsn and the passage OF this or.
dinancs, the tandansn,sl law Of The city
the charter issslf-providsd that no Alder.
man should receive compensation unless
sanctioned BY soit Of tie psepk, - will BE-
seen BY references 10 section IL above quo
ted
The smsndnsnt of the charter, sec. Is.
under which the salary ordnance was pass.
ed, 10 a. fellows:
SEC. Is. Said City Council 10 hereby
authorized TO grant and allow by ordinance
such compensation to the Aldermen Of said
Counei, for their services a. shall be ap.
proved By vote oftwo-shirds Of al the mem.
bers elected.
This took effect February 10Th. 1857, and
no, before. This does not allow tbs City
Council 70 pass retroactive Jaw. or law
giving the Aldermen salary back TO the
LIST Of April 1855. Withos tas approval Of a
soss Of tie people. Why was not the salary
ordnance submitted to the voters Of the city
for their sanction or rejectioni The answer
ia obvious; because the majority Of The
Council ssep TIE psopls soosid not rasyy asy
such mis-ep1vcpriaiin u tie J,I.ds q the
eay. They dared not then. and dare no, now
submit the ordinance to the people.
In view Of xhick We ask particular .tlsn-
ZION to Inc following extract from the FL
nance Report, published in oar issue Of Sat-
urdsy, in which the Finance Committee,
com posed of Aldermen Corbin, Forrest and
Smallfeld Gall Of whom voted salaries into
their own poekets,) say:
"A strict and rigid enforcement Of all
contracts with ali parties; q determination
10 buy nothing that We do not need; a de-
elded refusal TO aid with our funds any and
all enterprises without the erpre0 consen.
Of on. constituents through the bslos boa, and
s,ringen, ordinances and ample bonds COM
pelling every city officer to perform bis du-
lies TO the letter should be the especial aim
VI this body"
Why do you not obtain the express COZ
sent Of your constituents through the ballot
boz" to the passage ofthe salary ordinance,
az the charter expressly requirss1 We close
By adding that the injunction sgsiast The
C collection of the salary was obtained al the
instance of some Of our Oldest and best cit
zens, among whom we reeoIlsst the names
Of D. Burrows. John L. Davis, Joseph Lam
brite, p. H, McGhes. Robert Lowry, John
Drew, A, A. MeLoskey. John j. Burtis,
Strong Burnsll, &c. DC.
yenison saddles are se ling in New York
naarke, at IA cents per ID. and prairie
chickens at from 50 TO 10 cents per pair; go