East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1866-04-11


the election of Mr.. Sheldon, Demo.
cratic candidate for City Treasurer.
at is further charged agains,
Michael Jeffers, Esq, Comptroller OF
East Saginaw, that he was guilty OF
official misconduct in this, to wit: In
receiving without authority from the
City Treasurer, over twelve hundred
dollars of city orders, which have
claimed to have been paid by said
Treasurer.
And also in this, to-wit: In using
or carelessly losing said orders, SO that
they cannot be produced, to enable the
\ Finance Committee to settle with said
Treasurer; and in the absence of any
record of said orders, kept by said
Treasurer or said comptroller, and for
the want Of a sufficient cancellation
thereof subjecting the city to liabil-
ity of twice paying the same.
And it is also further charged. he,
said Jefiers, as city comptroller, was
guilty of unfaithful and insufficient
performance Of the duties of his office,
in this, to-wit
That he did not, until after delay
of more than six months, open the
proper books, showing the condition
of the city affairs and fnances-nor
has he to this time made up balance
sheet, whereas one should be made
up monthly or quarterly"
In regard to this order business,
there is hardly doubt that the cam
celled orders were stolen from the
office Of the Controller-for the ex-
press purpose of influencing prejudice
against him, and also to work against
the election of the Treasurer facts
have since transpired which leave
scarcely doubt that such is the fact
The forenoon session, like that of
previous evening" was almost exclu-
sively occupied by the honestly alder
man from the Sd. Previous to the
adjournment Aid. Doughty asked that
inasmuch as the question as to wheth-
err the Common Council had jurisdio-
ton in the case had been raised and
other proceedings in connection with
the case had been denied, the mat
ter be referred to the City Attorney
for his legal opinion thereon, and
that the council adjourn until I o'clock
in the evening, for the purpose of CIV
ing the Attorney time to prepare said
opinion. This was denied, but so
modified as to allow the City Attor-
ney to render his opinion at o'clock
AT 12k o'clock the Council adjourned
to meet at 2 o'clock. On the re-as-
sembling of the Council a communica-
ton was received from the City Attor-
ney stating that it was impossible for
him to give an opinion on the case
within the time allowed him. Aid.
Collins moved that the Council ad-
journ until Z o'clock to give the City
Attorney time to report his opinion.
This was refused. Amer exhausting
all efforts to obtain this opinion the
Controller submitted the following
TO tie Honorable, the Xayor and Com
mon Council of the city Of East Sag
mae.
GENTLEMEN:-Charges having been
preferred against me, and all being
denied by me, respectfully ask that
a time and place may be fixed when
and where evidence may be taken in
the usual manner under the sanction
of an oath as to said charges. /
claim as right that the evidence Of
fered in support of the charges be
under oath, and i am willing and
anxious to have the opportunity to
meet the same with evidence i'll de-
fense This claim / make, not waiv-
ing the jurisdictional question hereto
fore raised by me.
MICHAEL JEFFERS.
Which was promptly laid on the ia
bic by Q strict party vote. After oil
efforts on the part of the attorney of
the Controller to have both parties in
troduce evidence or to proceed with
the investigation had failed, Mr.. Dill
bingham, counsel for the CONTROLLER,
commenced an argument showing the
unwarranted manner in which the
proceedings had been conducted, and
as the printed proceedings of the
Common Councilstate "transgressing
in his remarks the bounds of parlia-
mentary decorum, was preemptorily
seated by his Honor. the Mayor. y
The gag law was strictly enforced,
and the time had come when the last
act in the farce was about to take
place, viz The reading of the reso-
luton expelling the Controller-which
resolution had been prepared before
the investigation commenced. During
the progress of the affair the Con-
troller introduced evidence entirely
exhonerating himself from the charges
preferred, and Mr.. Weber asked that
all the testimony or statements be re-
duced to writing, and stated that if
this was refused it would be charged
that they dare not hear the testimo-
ny on which they acted, appear,