Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-10-09
rHE CRY COUNCIL,
I1ARD OF ALDERMAN.

t-tr@ B3ARD OF ALDERMAN.
Eight members answered to their names,
Messrs. Smith and Cabler absent The
following message from the Mayor was
read:
Gentlemen OF tho Aldermen and Common
Come of Nashyill: have thought 1t best 20
call you together on this occasion in iextra ses3
siod, for the purpose of considering the biIl
prepa, ed by yeur Committee on Offices and BAL
faithfully. and with a. determination to reduce
the PUBLIC expenditures. have examined the
bill which, they have prepared. and recon-
That feature Of the committees bin which
provides for the reduction of the compensation
Of tho May0r, meets with my entire concur
renee tslnkng it best that 10 our sGRe@e nS
touched. The appointee Of the Mayor, known
as Mayors Secretary, is continued by Prov
sion Of the committees bill, at reduced com
pensation; but shall not make any appoint.
ment to that place until Ind that the lnterest
of the public service requires 1t. .,L = Il
vdeS f 6Gf in tbe bill Sf the coR@ttse i
| timated. will amount to about SS9.UVui anu luI
| ther reforms may still be adopted at an early |
| The committee. on my own suggestion, have
i incorporated into their bill q section wnlcn
Il provides for change in the law regulating the
/ appointment duties and compensation OF tne
city attorneys. My suggestion to the committees
| was made after consultation with several mem
| bers ef your bodies. who approved the amend
Il DTODQSeu. L
| that this feature of the bill meets with oppose
| ton of an extraordinary character from persons
/ not members of the Board; and tins makes II
reasons fully which have led me to make the
| recommendation. 80.
The legal business of the corporation has cost
| the tax payers of Nashville some i've or SIX
| thousand dollars per aunum every year since
| the war, over and above the compensation OF
| thecity attorneys. except the year commencing
| December Is, 1866. During that year no expense
L o,,1 oh ha m nen regular
| attorneys was incurred up to the time when the
| Conservative administration was removed IN
October, 1867. need hardly say that this large
extra expenditure ought to be saved TO the city
if possible, without suffering its interests to be
neglected. 1t is believed that the Provisions OF
the bill regulating the duties Of the City Attor-
neys WILL if faithfully enforced, protect the cor
poration from the necessity of paying ont large
fees for extra legal services Its the duty OF the
Mayor ito take care that all the ordinances are
( duly respected and observed and 50 long as L
have the honor to fill that responsible position;
| l shall take care that this ordinance If passed
4 | shall be obey ed; and if sustained by you we
shall be successful, n only IN saving the large
D unnecessary outlay referred to. which is justly
| complained of, but we shall secure greater
| efficiency in the prosecution OF the legal pqsl-
| ness of the city. 1t is significant fact thai
; | during the time before referred tt, during
which the city employed no extra legal busl-
| ness more business was dispatched in that de-
and with more success. 1t is probable that the
same principles will apply to the other branches
' | of the service. Tho committee's bill makes
rigid provision to secure the faithful service Oh
= | ion that they as other officers should be re
Quired to perform in person faithful ana cor
e slant service to the CORPORATION, Inc pP ba
= | evidently been at times neglected. and there
4 | ought to be lodged somewhere the power, 70
| compel attention or discharge the officers. 1hts
the bill provides for. 1t is for this, as well as
| other reasons, that recommend that one Of the
g Attorneys shall be appointed by the Mayor. On
, | that Attorney. the bill provides, shall be n
| posed the constant duties of attending on every
, | regular meeting of both your u ards, and when
called for, at the called meetings, and NEE ing;
> Of the numerous committees, to render his iega
| advice and assistance. when called lot
, | to draft or revise bills. to draft al
"a | legal instrument desired, and 70 attend at the
: | call of the Mayor upon himself or any 9thel
II officer of the corporation, at the City Hall
| when legal advice or assistance is necessary
These duties being those 10 which the Mayor
| so much concerned, should be performed BY
| an attorney of his selection, that he may b'
able to secure the necessary service promptly
| as required. The duties of the Mayor in tbs
. ! immediate future will be extremely response
r bic; and | feel that it is not an unreasonable
| request that make of your honorable bOdie
8 | when ask to be entrusted with tho selection
~ of that one of the corporations legal advisers
IL on whom shall be compelled so much TO rely
g | for advice and assistance.
On the other attorney is imposed special du
!" ties of far less laborious character; namely
. | To see that the corporation be properly de
e Tended and represented in the class of cases
q ! which require but little attention, before JUS
| tees of the peace. and to give advice wheI
called for to the officer holding the police court
To have an attorney to attend that court to PR S
ecute offenders is believed TO be unnecessary. Tn
n | cases which come up in Justices courts involy
| ing important questions, are as rule taken by
e | appeal to a court of records. Hence the attor
pey is permitted by the bill to attend to thes
eases himself or by another attorney provided
BY him and approved by the Mayor. The
n amount of all this service is very small, givinI
him time to devote to our heavy cases in thu
highest courts which will be his principal duty
Both the attorneys are required by the bill
| and in case of absence, not caused by sickness
# the business Of the corporation, to provide
proved by the Mayor Their pay and relatiy'
| POSITIONS to be equal. have carefully consld
| cred all the provisions of the Dill, and. recon
q | mend its adoption. The compensation allow
ed by the bill is l am satisfied, quite as reason
: able as will secure competent and constant ser
| vice. 1t HIS been suggested that The law be s.
changed as TO provide for the appointment o
| only one attorney, and he to appoint his as
| sistants. / have carefully considered tina
< proposition, and do not believe it will secure Z
US as faithful officers as the other plan. or as eff
fcient service; nor do think 1t will be so salts
!, | fac DRY to yourselves.
= ton, from Mayor down, l will say what thu
corporation wants are faithful anu c0mpe
= tent officers, whose object will be to serve thu
| corporation rather than to control it. 1t is fO
e US to act discreetly and firmly; and though W,
n l are surrounded with difficulties we may hop
to be able, by firmly resisting all corrupt anC
l5 | imDrOyident influences, TO surmOunt them.
l further recommend that you take immedi
ate steps, as provided by law. Tor the dismissal
by the two-thirds vote, of all officers and pre-
tended officers of the corporation, whom yoI
feel in duty bound to dismiss, and whose office
are not abolished, or whose terms have not ex
b | pired. X. j. MORRIS.
d The Mayor was allowed to make thu
. following statement as TO the amounts
paid for extra legal services.