Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-01-15
Knoxville, Tenn, January Is, 1868.
The Late Municipal Election.

The public mind in this community has
been intensely excited for the past week,
bv circumstances growing out Of the late
municipal election The old Board Of
Mayor and Aldermen, portion Of them
at least, have been persistent in their ef-
forts to retain possession Of the city gov
eminent, and run the machinery thereof,
Notwithstanding the fairly expressed will Of
majority Of the citizens Of the town,
while the recently elected Board have been
Just as determined TO carry out the wishes
Of the majority, and TO assume the duties
imposed on them.
The first act in tho programme Laid down
by those who opposed the new state Of af
fairs, was to apply to his Honor, Judge
Trigg, for an injunction restraining the new
Board from assuming the duties Of their
trusts aud from taking possession Of the
property Of tie corporation, which by law
they were entitled to by virtue Of their
election This we noticed last week. 1t is
true that the friends and inaugurators Of
the movement went through the farce of
including in the notice served on the re-
Gently elected officers, the names Of the late
incumbents, but this was too we'll under
stood by the public to need any comment
at our hands. As we stated last week, the
case came up for hearing on Wednesday Of
last week, before Judge Trigg and being
argued on both sides Of tho question, the
principle question raised by the parties in
favor Of the injunction being the constitu-
tionality Of the franchise law, and Of the
law amending our ciVy charter, and after
considering the matter until Thursday
Judge Trigg delivered his opinion, refusing
10 grant the injunction prayed for by the
disorganizers.
Having failed in this the old Board met
on Friday evening and resolved that their
successors were illegally elected, and again
enacted an extremely farcical ordinance
wherein the Recorder was ordered to re
fuse to turn over the books, papers, &C., Of
his Office to the new Board, and that if he
was compelled so to do, to do it under pro
test.
On Saturday the new Board was orga-
nized. the oath of Office being administered
by Judge E. T. Hall, and after electing a
Recorder, proceeded to demand the books,
&c. aforesaid, which being refused, the mat
ter was delayed until Monday morning,
when the new Board again met. The
Mayor, Capt Bearden, accompanied by Re
corder Swan, again demanded the books,
and informed the late Recorder that they
did not take them under protest, but OK
pocted them by virtue Of the position they
held under the law. The old Recorder then
agreed to turn over the property, and il
was accordingly received by the new Board.
Thus the matter ended for the present,
and we leave an enlightened public opinion
TO say if the proceedings have added to the
reputation Of any one who has thus tried
to stop the wheels of our city government,
either for sound Judgment or for a DISPOSE
ton to protect the public interests. We
leave the public to say what has been the
motive actuating this movement.
The new Board is now in peaceable pos
session Of the city government, and it be
hoovcs those who have the welfare Of the
city at heart TO cordially cooperate with
them in whatever is for the public good,
and we viii be the last one to defend any
actoommitted by them, which, in our jndg-
ment, detracts from the interests Of the city.
But we have much confidence in the new
Board, and, aside from their undoubted
loyalty, we believe them to be men Of bust
ness capacity, and mon actuated by de
sire TO further the interests Of our fast grow
ing city