The Portland daily press., 1867-07-09
k,..x fakaamttitt.sss.

10 TIE Editor o. tae Press
r., tb., a,f;e,e in Saturdays Press" s;gned
s;I,nnroyemept, the writer says that "the le-
eal;fv of the action of the committee lin max
inr this contract) is unquestioned." Let us
see what the city ordinances say in reference
to action by committees. Section 12 Of the
Joint rules and orders Of the City Council
reads thus:
In all contracts OF expenditures made un
der the authority of the City Council, when
ever the estimates shall erceed the dppf0prtd-
tions especially made therefor
1t shall be the duty of such committee or offi-
Ger having such matter in charge. to submit
the same to the City Council for instructions
before such contract is made or any expendl-
ture for the object is incurred.
An ordinance concerning contracts or ex-
penditures, reads:
Whenever any committee or board is au-
thorized to make any contract by the Cy
Council or TO expend any moneys approPliac
ed by the City Council for any purpose, a1u
the estimates for such CONTRACT VI eAp
| lures shall exceed in amount the uPpTvpfto-
| ton specifically made for the object hereQf or
| the sum specifically appropriated tor any pur-
| Lose. shall have been expended by them, and
| fer either reason further appropriation Is
| necessary, such committee or board shall re-
port to the City Council the fact of such defc-
| ency of the appropriation, a statement of the
| cause or causes thereof, and an estimate Of the
| amount necessary to be added to such appr0-
priation, and the committee or board shall not
conclude such contract or make further ex-
pendlture in the premises until they shall be
authorized SO to do by the City Council.
Section 2. No joint or special committee
OF the City Council, or either branch thereof,
or any board appointed ty them shall have
| power to make any expenditure from the APP
| preparation provided by the City Council to an
amount exceeding three hundred dollars, ex-
| cept when otherwise provided by the laws OF
| the State or ordinances of the city, unless au-
| thority for such expenditure be first had and
obtained from the City Council
| Notwithstanding these stringent ordinances
| intended to curtail the action of committees
| and others, in involving the city in expendi-
| lures over three hundred lollars, without the
| knowledge of the city council, the committee
on streets by the authority ofan order of the
| City Council authorizing them 80 contract for
the grading Of Congress street from Munjoy
street to East Commercial street or such por-
ton of the same as they may deem expedient,
(the intention and effect of which was not
knownby any member the City Council out
side of those interested) without any appropri-
alton either specific or general, or any provis
ion Tor the payment of the expenditure having
been made, made contract with certain in
terested parties to cut down Congress street
from Munjoy street to East Commercial street
at a cost to the city of at the outset Of 5000,
and an ultimate cost Of thousands more; and
now it is said that ''the legality of the same is
unquestioned." If this is the case, all the Or
dinances of the city had better be repealed,
for this committee had just as much authority
to make contract to expend 100000, as they
had to make the one in question. 1t may be
said that these ordinances have not been strict
ly carried out, that expenditures have hereto
fore been made involving somewhat depart
ure from the latter of these ordinances. That
may or may not be true, but that does not af-
f ct this question; the committee cannot plead
that they are no more guilty than others; they
should have been governed by the ordinances
of the city without reference to others.
~, ALIQUIs