Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-01-16
vol. XXXTV.

with the city that are not, and all known 10
said Alden. Your orator charges, that said
Alden has combined, as il seems, with a
majority OF the members, or those who
claim 10 be members of the City Council.
to divide out the Offices among themselves
and special friends, without means or in =
terest in the corporation. They have pre-
tended 10 elect one Of their own body,
Allen, Adviser and City Attorney,
at heavy salary, who still claims
to represent the seventh ward as Alder
man, but without any real estate, only tenn.
porarily in said ward, also they elect other
members Of the Board to important
positions, 90 a member Few days since
became indignant and resigned, and gave
as a reason, all the important Offices had
been divided out and disposed Of, and moth
ing Of importance left for him, therefore
he resigned hisseat as Alderman. Your
orator charges, in consequence Of such IN
lawful frauds and powers, they have for+
feited all rights TO serve as City Council,
and should all be removed for the good
and safety Of the city.
Third. But if the relaior is mistaken,
either as to the Iawsor facts, he further ex-
pressly charges, that he and others Of
the corporation are in great danger Of
further loss in this; that there are but few
bonds from the said Alden as Mayor down,
such as is required by the charter and the
ordinances there under especially. That if
the said Sheridan remain Collector, it is
wholly insufficient. That not SO much as
$4,000, if that could be made out of any or
allof them by law This bond is wholly
inadequate. Sheridan is worth nothing
himself, and comparatively stranger. All
these facts were known TO said Alden, and
must have been al least to a number of the
Council who pretend to approve the bond.
There is large amount Of the last years
taxes unpaid, and a heavy amount will be
levied and collected for this year, prob
ably seven hundred thousand dollars, and
may go into the hands Of the said Sheri-
dan. In the present condition it would not
be safe. Therefore, the relator has the
right to have it secure and to call upon this
court for aid, as the same cannot be ex-
pected from said Alden and Board for the
causes before charged. Then this is
special ground of equitable relief, prayed
for to prevent, as before charged, "mal
versation, peculation and waste" Relator
desires all the bonds, under the circum-
stance, to be approved by your Honor, etc,
for the causes above shown, and no further
proceeding under them until this is done.
Fourth. Your relator charges, that the
said Stone, Davis and Spsling, are in
violation Of the law, and in the face of an
injunction Of this honorable court, they
have unlawfully organized what they call
a Metropolitan Police force and Court, at
heavy cost and expense to the citizens of
the corporation and State, and appropri-
ating large sums of money for uniforming
the policemen-thousand of dollars, prob
ably, at the rates Of from fifty to seventy.
five thousand per annum.
Your relator charges, that the acts of
the Legislature, under which they pretend
to organize and act, is unconstitutional,
null and void, as he verify believes, and
was 50 held by decree of this court; and
they, the said Commissioners, perpetually
enjoined from organizing and acting under
said laws, from which decision said Commits.
sioner appealed to the Supreme Court, the
cause there pending, The injunction in
full force. 49, .-..- --.-.. -.---
Your relator and the said Brown, Mayor,
and other citizens, are directly interested
in said suit But the said Alden, who, if
he is Mayor, should guard the interest Of
the corporation and have said cause prose-
cuted. But for the interest Of his special
friend, the Metropolitan Police force, the
said Stone and others, are endea7oring TO
have the said cause dismissed at the cost of
the corporation without a hearing. That
shortly after said Alden by force and fraud
assumed the duties as Mayor, he caused
said Metropolitan Commissioners and force
TO organize and equip at heavy expense;
this too in the face of said Injunction, and
in contempt of court; and has, as the re-
lator is informed, ordered the clerk Of the
Supreme Court to dismiss said cause at the
cost of the corporation. This is a great
wrong and unnecessary expense upon the
people Such expense and other waste,
and unlawful conduct, as before shown, with
a swarm ofhungry Office holders and adVen-
turers, in the opinion of the relator, will
bankrupt and ruin the credit and squander
the effects of the corporation. Its checks
are now at discount of from 80 to 40 per
cent The suit in the Supreme Court, how
ever, was not dismissed. These Commits
sioners assume to hold their courts daily,
what they term a Metropolitan Police
Court, at a heavy cost and expense to the
corporation and citizens of the State; this,
too, without the valid authority for such
proceedings. They have already received
considerable amounts for themselves, po-
licemen and attorney Cook, as he snp-
poses, and this in the face of the iniunc~
ton, all of which should be accounted for
and refunded, and they held TO answer for
such contempt. For this let each Com.
missioner and attorneys Cook and Allen
show how much received, when, ETC., and
specially they be enjoined from receiving
anything further, and from any further
acting by themselves, policemen, officers or
agents, until the further orders of this
court And that said Henry, as such
Treasurer, be enjoined from paying out
anything for them, or on account of them
or TO said Alden, Allen or Cook, and that
they, and each of them be enjOined from
using or disposing of'any species of proper
~ belonging to said corporation, as before
set forth; and if the same cannot be turned
over TO the proper authorities, that
suitable receiver be appointed to take
charge, care and manage the same, and to
this end the same be attached and handed
over to said receiver, etc, and that all said
officers be enjoined from any further acs
ton until each Of their body are approved
by this court Especially let the said Alo
den be enioined from dismissing the in.
junction suit now in the Supreme Court,
by the said w. Matt. Brown, Mayor, and
ef al. against the said Stone and others, and
that the same be heard and tried upon the
merits and Justice done the corporation
and this relstor, and others.
The proper assessment of the city taxes
is Of great importance to the citizens,
relator and others; that said Gunkers
bond is totally insufficient; that said Cock
rell, the Water Tax Collector, is also of
great importance, as we'll as the said Sheri.
dan, az Revenue Collector, and that neither
should be permitted, for the safety and good
Of the city, 20 proceed without good and
safe bonds Certainly this should be so,
and no one should object.
Your relator charges that a large num-
her Of hands, at heavy expense, are ems
ployed for various purposes, ostensibly for
the good Of the corporation, but in many
instances they are used for eleetioneering
purposes, TO keep such men in power; this,
too, 10 some extent, at the cost Of the corr
poration, as the relator believes and
charges. This TO the knowledge Of said
Alden, and encouraged by him.
rnNa II al.