The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1859-07-23

CRY ArroRyEY.-Some allusion has been
made by us to the double pay given this
year to the City Attorney. We suppose
and such seems to have been the general
impression of the citizens--that il was an
arbitrary increase of salary with a CORES
ponding increase of duties. TWAS supposed
that the fixed salary of tue City Attorney
was only for such varied and miscellaneous
services as the council and Mayor might re-
quire of him in way of legal advice and aid
in drafting ordinances, which could not be
embraced in fee bill of charges; that for
attendance upon cases in court, nc received
the ordinary fees Of the best members Of the
profession. 1t however appears that the
salary was raised to $500, with special
contract that it should include pay for all
Judge Bakers professional services for the
city in his Office and before the courts.
Under this arrangement, the salary fixed
was material reduction of compensation,
instead of doubling it, For attending to
the important causes already pending, he
would have properly charged twice as much
as the entire salary. So far, then, as Judge
Baker is concerned, the economical policy
of reduction has been pretty forcibly applied.
Every one will admit the amount he will
receive viii be an inadequate compensation
for defending the interests of the city in the
following list of important cases, to say
nothing of his daily services to the Council,
and his attention to inferior matters:
Willard Carpenter VS.. City of Evansville;
Henry s. Stark VS.. same b. b. Evans VS..
same; John Deacon vs.. same Peter Schi-
mer VS.. same; Armstrong L Greek vs. same !;
Frederick Reihes VS.. same; John Enrich
vs.. same.
In THE SUPREME CoURr-The EcdnspiiLe,
Indianapolis, and Cleveland Straight Lane
Railroad rs. The City.
Last year, Judge Baker charged for at
tending to the Straight Line Railroad case,
for two terms, only twenty dollars, which
did not pay his personal expenses in attend
ing the Court
The following is the contract of Messrs.
Baker and Foster with the City:
EVANSVILLE, April %, 1859.
We will act as City Attorneys for the
year just commenced, for $500. This will
include our compensation for all services be-
fore all Courts during the year, and for all
advice which the City or her officers may
require. Ii, however, We should be CON-
| PEELED To 90 fron Lomc to attend to any
case TO which r.,. c:ry IL or may be party,
! the city mus. pay um :tctaal expenses
This compensation viii also include services
as may be required. Under the direction OF
the last Council, we revised the Charter and
annotated the same, and were proceeding to
revise the Ordinances, when the work was
directed to be stopped by the Council. II
we should be required to finish this work,
we will expect the Council to make rea-
sonable allowance therefor.
! BAKER & FOSTER.
1--WE, the committee, recommend the
Council to concur in the above.
JOHN ). GAvITT,
SAMUEL ORR
If the Mayor viii be as patriotic for this
year as the Judge was the last there will
be no need of urging his claims upon his
fellow citizens through the newspapers foI
a just compensation for his labor. Wait till
the rub in this years accounts of the city j:
passed, and the people will insist that the
Council shall do him justice.