The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-11-08

day next, when an opportunity to judge of the
workings of the innovation will be afforded
We hope it will occasion no disorder
What the stCity Fathers'' Did Yesterday.
THE regular Thursday meeting of the Coun-
ellis of Philadelphia took place yesterday, and
the usual business was transacted. By the
usual business, we mean three hours Of use
less discussion, and the voting of number
of bills which the property holders will next
year have to pay. In addition to the standard
order of business, the question of the Presi-
denoy of Girard College came up. Select Coun-
oil, by vote of II to 10, adopted a resOlu-
tion directing the Directors of the Institution
to suspend all action in regard TO the expul-
sion of the President until after the Commit
tee of Councils had reported. In Common
Council an adjournment prevented vote being
reached; but Mr.. r. NJ. Evans delivered
characteristic speech. He said that "Coun-
ellis gave the Directors the power to
govern the institution, and after the Board
has acted it is improper for the Chamber to
interfere. The difficulty now is a partisan one
and the gentlemen who complain of the re-
moval of Mr. Smith forget that the Democrats
made clean sweep there, and by partisan
means secured the election of Mr.. Smith"
Ia the first place, the speaker makes re-
markable assertion. The Councils have lost
all power over the Di eotors. The Chambers
cannot interfere, whatever the Directors do.
Suppose that they should see fit to destroy the
College, or to close it for six months without
cause, or to charge board for all the boys ad-
mitted, could not Councils interfere? 1t is
absurd to claim that the power to
direct the Directors does not ultimately
reside in Councils. They could not empower
the Board to do an illegal act, and the moment
the Board attempts such, they exceed their
delegated power, and it is not only the right,
but also the duty of Councils to interfere.
So far as the statement that the election of Mr..
Smith was a partisan one is concerned, it is
simply false. The old Board, knowing that
it had no power to remove President
Allen for political reasons, adopted the
expedient of reducing his salary. The
end was the same, although in one case the
way was a legal and in the other an Illegal
one. Mr.. Allen resigned, and there was
vacancy for months, and finally Major Smith,
without having anything to do with the crea-
tion of the vacancy, accepted the Office. His
retention at present is not on political grounds
in the least. The five Republican dailies all
oppose his removal as strongly as the two
Democratic ones. We are demanding justice,
and not political favor; and as Major Smith
is not Democrat, there can be no sense in the
cly of politics. But even if he was, and he
did his duty in his Office, we would be opposed
to the rude expulsion which has been coarsely
ordered by bare majority of the Board. The
speech of Mr.. Evans, if it was not convincing
was sufficiently long to send the question over
until next week.
Among the appropriations made was one
of "$30O for analyzing child's stomach" 1t
seems to us that this is a rather dear price for
such an investigation. If physician could
get few children's stomachs year to analyze,
| he would have quite comfortable income
| Also, $3250 for the expenses of the special
committee to receive Generals Sheridan and
Hancock, " which, upon investigation, turned
out to be only for General Sheridan, as General
Hancock paid all his own expenses. We would
like to have the items for such an exorbitant
charge. Three thousand two hundred dollars
is really enormous for the bills Of three men
for two days and half.
The triiing sum of $l4, 500 was appropriated
FOR the fees of the District Attorney for one
year, and $lO,5OO for those of the Clerk OF
Quarter Sessions. These sums really ''oertop
the infinite"
Mr.. Evans submitted an ordinance requiring
passenger railroad cars to have guards on the
front platform, to prevent persons getting on
or off at that end of the car. This movement
is good one. The recent case in court, in
which boy was killed by standing on
the front platform and being dragged of
by a brick-pile, is fearful evidence
/ of how necessary such q reform