The Cairo evening bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1868-1870, 1869-11-13
PETITIONss

Petition Of Eliza Collins, representing
that her lot No. 3, In block 40, in the city,
was over assessed, and praying that the
! council instruct the assessor to reduce
the assessment. Read at length, and on
motion OF Councilman Rearden the
petition was referred back to the petition.
ers with the explanation that in as
much as the appeal was not taken within
helegally specified time, the City Coun-
ell has no power in the matter, and the
assassin ent must stand.
The action OF the Board OF Aldermen,
granting the prayer Of certain property
owners for crossing on the north side
| OF Twelfth street, across Com mercial
avenue, was concurred In, andthe cross
Ing ordered built.
A motion to concur In the action. OF the
Board ofAdermen In granting the pray
er of petitioner JOS Lehmas was unani.
mously voted down. ..r ann
Communication from the Mayor.
To thc cry Council.
| The charter imposes upon the Mayor
! the duty of from time to tine giving to
the City Council Information relative to
the state Of the city, ant recommending
such measures rs he shall believe will
contribute to its welfare. 600 So
/ do not, at this time, propose to enter
! into either detailed or general state .
ment OF the city's condition. Ny inten-
ton Is TO urge upon you the necessity ex-
! isting for "A careful husbandry Of the rev.
euue, OF the corporation, aud to remind
you that our constituents have a right TO
! demand Of Us the practice OF economy
In the administration OF their public
affairs. ..f.. .I#.H
A review Of the action Of the Council
VIII, am sure, convince you that this
fact has not had a due impression on
our minds, or else has been either
thOughtlessiy or wantunly disregarded.
While / desire no controversy with the
Legislative department OF the city gov
eminent, and esteem IL more than use
lessto veto measures which have receiv.
ed an almost unanimous vote In both
branches OF the Council, / nevertheless
believe 1t 10 be my duty 10 ask you to act
with deliberation and only expend the
money Of the people when expenditure
Is absolutely necessary. t..
lam not forgetfuI % the fact, that the
great bulk OF the expenditure made by
you, since the commencement Of the
present year, has been made 10 lfquidate
debts Of the city contracted In the courts
| OF the state, aud for other purposes, I'M
der other administrations OF the city az
fairs; but the action Of this body In In.
creasing the salaries OF officers, 10, In my
opinion, q step In the wroug< direction,
along = path which leads TO extrava-
gance and inefficiency In the Offices Of
the city. f.. rn..r
II to be presumed. that all persons
who seek, or accept ONCE, are informed
N. IN ha n - ha la 10 Ia
. fair conclusion, that they should be sat
ished 10 receive what they were anxious
10 obtain. Therefore, that the salary Of
no public officer should be increased dur.
ing the term for which he was elected, Is |
q sound general rule; aud no exception
should be made 10 II, unless new duties
are imposed upon the officer, In which
event the additional compensation should
be paid only from the time at which the
additional labor was imposed But, when
no additional duties have been imposed,
and no extraordinary events have hap.
heued TO justify the application for add.
tional pay, 10 increase the salary of any
ofilcer during his term Is bad policy. II
il injurious TO the public welfare, because
IL is a precedent which will soon multiply
itself and In a short time become custom.
IL Is destructive OF the efficiency OF OH.
GERS, because IL makes them haunt the
lobby and labor far more industriously
TO obtain au Increase OF salary than 10
earn the wages were they anxious to
obtain when they accepted public posi-
ton
The question, then, which you should
first decide, when application for increase
Of wages has been made 10 you, T.: Does
the petitioner come under the exception
10 this rule-has new duties been impOs-
ed upon him since his assumption otthe
duties Of his oflice:n No new duties
have been imposed upon either the police
force, or the City Marshal, but their
wages have been increased-wages which
they consented 10 receive when they ac'
cepted place under the city government
The increase Of the duties oi the Market
Master was not remarkable, while the in.
crease Of his salary was considerabl
Know that the Comptroller is now re-
quired 20 perform la Dor from which Gus
tom had relieved him duties which, II
diligently performed, will consume much
of his time. Justice therefore required
that he should receive additional CONS
pensatiOn; but am OF opinion that you
were wrong 10 allow him the among nix,
ed by the ordinance which was acted
| upon during my late absence from the
! city, and which became law without my
| sgnature aud question the wisdom OF
allowing him to be paid at the rate of in
crease back to the beginning OF the pre-
sent fiscal year.
l have sail that the precedent OF III
| creasing the wages Of public officer dur
ing the term of their service, is impoli-
tic and injurious to the public local. The
Council need not look far for proof OF this
| fact.
The City Marshal knew, when he he