Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1863-05-13

Ac.
The Council me, last night. the newly elected
members taking their for the first time. May
or Gavin presiding The following members were
present. Messrs. Allen. Brown. Boar. Blake.
/ Collev. Cork, Coburn. Emerson, s. A. Fletcher
Jr. H. A. FLETCHER Haughey. Jameson, stephen
McNabb, Glazier. Iafevre Staub and thompson
| Mr.. Haughey novel that the rules Of order for
the government OF the last Council be adopted
which prevailed.
The bonds Of the Clerk Marshal. Civil En-
( gineer and Asse. sor we're filed aud approved
Mr. Gavin. the Mayor. then announced that
the Council was duly organized. and rose and de
livered his inaugural address
ADDRESS.
Gentlemen Of The Council:
In compliance with a provision Of the Charter.
which makes il the duty Of the Mayor TO rec
ommend 20 the Common Council such measures
rs he deems for the public good" | will suggest
for your consideration some matters which deem
worthy of your attention.
would recommend that you make provision
for an immediate revision of the City Ordinances.
No revision has been made since 1883. since
which time important amendments have been
made to the Charter. and also very great changes
I in the Ordinances: old Ordinances repealed and
new enacted, and contained as they are in the
written records of the Council scattered
through newspapers, but few Of which have been
preserved IL is difficult for city officers, and
impossible for the public 10 be informed. respect
| irg our municipal code. Many important deci-
sions have been made constituting the Charter and
Ordinances. and would recommend that il be
made part of the duties of the revisor to append
marginal notes aud references TO these decisions,
after the manner of our revised statutes.
| | would further recommend that the proceed
/ inrs of the Council be printed Immediately after
each meeting. in sheets in the form of leaves
Of book and regularly numbered so that each
successive sheet can be stitched TO its preGeces
sors, thus forming continuously complete. and
gradually accumulating journal Of all your pro-
| ceedings, and which. at the end OF each year, can
be indexed and bound.
A number of copies should be printed. and
each member of the Council can be furnished
with n record in readable form. and which he
can carry home with him. aud thus readily keep
| himself informed of what has been done; and
being valuable aid to consistency in what shall
he done in future, sufficient might be printed TO
further supply contractors and others. having
business with the city, and also answering a very
valuable and convenient purpose when transcripts
from our records required as testimony in
the Courts.
Should the Council deem this an unnecessary
expense. would. at least recommend that this
system be pursued in reference TO the ordinances
| passed. These are required to be published in
the newspapers. and while the type is up il would
cost but little more to have number of copies
| printed in pamphlet leaves, 40 as readily to be
connected in book form. and at periods, bound
and indexed after the manner of our annual stat
utes. also with the addition of marginal notes of
current decisions This would render revision
easv. and for long time unnecessary.
| Many of our ordinances are frequently violated
BY persons from the country, ignorantly and in
nocently. and often by poor persons and young
bows. Such violations, for instance. driving
over side walks. fastening to trees aud lamp
posts. These parties arrested and brought
before the Mayor, and being guilty the Mayor is
obliged to infct the penalty. The Council or
dain the ordinances. and il is made the Mayors
duty to enforce them, although it often seems a
hardship to do so. and irritating our customers
and those TO whom we desire to offer inducements
to visit cur city. | would recommend that sign
boards be posted just outside the city each
road leading into it. having painted on them a
statement OF such offences most liable 10
be committed. together with the penalty. These
violations are seldom committed wilfully by coun
try people, ana while these ordinances are neces-
sary, and violations cannot be permitted every
means should be employed to inform the public
and save them, as far as possible, from the ex
pense, ANNOYANCE. and often modification
bTOupui uiloh Nhftu VIC chSutcob evil I'LL
tent upon their part.
There are too points in the CITY nj which cross
ing the side walk has been so frequent as TO pre-
sent the appearance of thoroughfare, and per
sons installing it for such nnocently drive over
them and are fined 1t would be we'll 70 place
some kind of finger board at such points Unit
disuse would obliterate the appearance of street
and thus be the means of protecting persons from
; penalties for offences unwittiDgly committed.
speeding the cleanliness of our streets. This j.
important, not only to comfort. convenience and
good taste bat is absolutely essential TO health
aud life. Every community has its abundant
, quota of negligent and filthy persons who make
the public streets the receptacle of stores OF
purifying offal This should be closely lookeC
to. Nothing offensive to the senses should be
permitted To remain Our citizens willing tt
paw for this. although the expense my amount
to considerable item. Persons violating thes,
2 ordinances for preserving the decency Of III,
streets should be so dealt with as to discourage q
E repetition
Our city ~ being surrounded with additions no
laid out in accordance with the general plan q
the city. and in many respects very obectiona
E BILE; as, for instance, the narrowness of til,
streets. Such additions are being laid out. aut
have been. outside the city and beyond our con
troll; and We are beng hemmed in, with ingres.
or esress through mere alleys After a while
these will he incorporated with u: but the mis-
chief is done. and buildings erected and it is ex
ceedingly difficult. If not often impossible to re
form the map of city badly laid out | woulC
, recommend that the attorney be requested 10 re
port whether any legislation can be had To remed,
this evil
This city pays between $4,000 and 50 900 pc
annum Jail fees for simply locking up persons du
ring the night The Jail fee is charged agains
these persons by the Mayor part of the prose
cution, but only about one fourth is collected /
we had station houses the city would save thai
much money and be the gamer in another way
bv, instead of making the fine 81 Oh and taxing
up the Jail fee which is usually 81 40. the fill,
could be 81 90. The result would be. that IL
case of non payment the city would be out moth
ing. and in of payment be 81 90 better off
would recommend that three stations be estab
Hshed. one at each engine house proper addition,
being built therefore. and extra pay be given t.
those in the ire department. at those houses io
watching and guarding the prisoners during tn,
, night. This would be more economical thar
, renting houses and paying extra watchmen
Another consideration : that At present when ar
arrest Is made at night IL requires considerab',
time to 60 to the Jail with the prisoner thus leav
ing that portion of the city during that time with
out A Waterman lam indebted for this sugges
ton to our late City Attorney. who has given tn,
subject careful deliberstion in position in which
he has had opportunity To know.
! Cpon n devolves the appointment of mrg,
number of subordinate officers. having in the
control the fire departments and the preservation
of the peace OF the city. 1t is very importan