The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-05-21
ANOTHER MEETING OF COUNCIL.
"A Stale, Fiat and Unproatable AR.tr.

Tho meeting OF City Council hold last night
was inefflbly stupid, and tho t,oket-hclaers,
as we'll as the patient souls who had waited
many weary minutes TT tho doors to obtain nd
mittanoe to the hall. have right to oom plain
that they did not get their mope!'s worth. H.
deed, the public, who look to the present parti-
oolored Council for nothing better than the
amusement to be derived from tho antics OF a
clown, or the quoer moving and jibing of q
monkey on pole. may we'll feel sore that even
this grim JOY has for onc, been denied them.
There was the usual crowd at the foot OF the
stops. Thele were the customary policemen
to admit but two citzens at time. There
were the selectfow in the interior of tho oaam.
Der. But PROBABLY the knowing ores were
aware that there would be oaange of pro-
eralnme for this evening only and there
was no spark of aLxiety or excitement
Whom tho aayor called the Council to order
the following were present: Aldermen Ged-
dings, Potter, Cunningham, Collins, r.. J.
Mackey, Barrow, e. w. NJ. Mackey and Greene,
and these colored Aldermen: Holloway, Hamp-
ton, Brown, E. P. Wall, L. F. Wall. Small aud
Thorne.
The Mayor said that the bill to declare va
can't certain Offices, for the ratification Of
which Council had met, was in a peculiar con-.
dition, as it was not in the form Of an ordi-
nance as was required by the rules. No motion
had been made to have the title Of the bill
changed to AL ordinance, and it came before
Council simply as a bill. He would only state
the facts and leave the decision of what should
be done in the hands Of Council.
E. P. Wall {colored) asked whether the title
Of the bill could not be changed to an ordi.
nance.
Fhe Mayor said that this would be regular,
and Wall -"sweet Wall"-moved to change the
title to an ordinance.
This brought to his feet Alderman Geddings.
who said that the bill might be ratified, but the
ratification when done would amount to no.
thing. 1t was too late now to 20 through tho
form prescribed by the rules, and he there
fore moved to lay the bill on the table. He
would then move an adjournment of Council.
The motion to lay. on the table was lost
ayes S, noes 9. o:e ft-
Alderman e. w. M. MacAcy said it was evil
IDENTIFY the intention in reading the bill q third
time, ordering it's engrossment and calling q
meeting for it's ratification, that the form OF
changing the title should have been complied
with, whether motion for that purpose had
been made or not. The vote by which it was
engrossed might be 1econsidered and the
necessary order given.
The Mayor said it had not been done, he
supposed, through inadvertence, and he only
wanted TO see whether the dilemma could be
got over in parliamentary way.
A scattering discussion followed. during
which it became question whether Alderman
Geddines had risen before q motion to change
the title had been seconded. Alderman Greene
said, with much vehemence, ssIt was not
seconded when the Alderman arose." HoIlo-
way, colored jumped up and said with eauaI
emphasis, 81 say that it was."
Alderman Geddings took the floor. and con-
tended that the title must be regularly chang
ed according to the rules. The meeting was
held to ratify ''a BILL and not Gan ordinance"
and he hoped the Mayor would hold Council to
that point. He said that the Council had made
itself the laughing sto OK of the community.
and he did not wish to see the exhibitions of
the previous evenings repeated. Let us ratify
the bill, he said, and go home.
The motion n,v
III v1uIuuuye was carried, and Alderman Ged.
dings said he hoped that the clerk would be
ordered to have the bill printed and laid be-
fore Council at the next meeting. a
Alderman E. w. NJ. Mackey moved that the
ordinance be ratified.
The Mayor said there was another dilemma,
as it was customary that all bills should go to
the Committee on Engrossed Bills for examine
tion and report.
E. p. Wall (colored.) That is not the GUS
tom Eere.
Alderman Geddings. It has always been the
custom, and there is o committee on ensross-
ed bills appointed by the Mayor for that very
purpose. .0a .t%
The Mayor. There is such a'committee, ,'T
Alderman Geddings. They have not report
ed on this bill. }-e !,
Alderman E. w. n. Mackey.. All the stand
ing committees have been discharged by
Council. We are without any committees.
Amotion that the bill be ratified was adopt
ed, and the Clerk OF Council said that he
would now, in accordance with his duty, sub
init the bill to Aldermen T. J. Mackey and
barrow, the Committee on Engrossed Bills.
Alderman Geddings. They have all been
discharged.
Alderman E. w. NJ. Mackey. I think so. i
The Mayor. To avoid any nisunderstand-
ing I will appoint Aldermen T. J. Mackey and
Barrow as the Committee on Epgrossed Bills.
Alderman T. J. Mackey. I will serve with
! pleasure.
The committee examined the bill, report
| ed fayorably, and the ordinance to declare
vacant certain offices was ratified and signed
by the Mayor and Clerk OF Council.
Alderman Cunningham moved that Council
adjourn. subject to the call Of the Mayor.
This motion was temporarily withdrawn, and
Alderman E. w. M. Mackey introduced the fol-
lowing, which was adopted: -
| Resolved, That the jury list prepared by
Council, having been posted, ia conformity
with the law, for ten days, be and the same is
hereby accepted as final, and that the Clerk Of
| OF the same to the Clerk of the Court OF Gene
| raj Sessions and Common Pleas. sai,
| Alderman Cunningham renewed his motion
to adjourn subject to the call Of the Mayor. \
| Alderman T. J. Mackey moved that Council