Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-12-03

allied nv a ioint vote OF the two houses''-
meaning the two branches of the City Council.
COmplainants insist. that the provision OF the
city bylaw before quoted winch proSlass sna'
was never intended 20 include this mayor pro
fem or 70 extend TO such officer the power 20
countersign checks; but, however tn at may DC,
thew insist IT is clear that the lcglsl attve act
Of 1sSs must be held paramount TO the city
ordnance Of 1885, and that at least since the
MASSAGE Of said set of 1883, the chairman OF
the Street COMMITTEE, WIZ ~ s ~,
N the Functions Of Mayor-that said Old city
ordnance or any usage sbereunder, cannot
give him even color OF fignt 20 so sct .i het
-,i.5 h, eivruIatiun and in suit at the VarioTns
courts great numbers of checks drawn on the
Treasurer of their corporation, signed by w.
Mills As Recorder, and one w G. Kinney, as
Mayor 1,,,o tssa. such checks amount 70 many
itl,onssnds and c0mplainants think many tens
of thousands of dollars CemplaiDants insist
that all checks 50 signed are absolutely void
for this reason If they were otherwise good.
Complainants here further state that they find in
circulation-and in some cases judgments have
been obtained on them-chocks signed by the Re
corder alone, without the counter signature Of any
one whatever. These Of course void, If the cor
poration can fnd any protection whstever from
loose-reined pillage. - $1,000 .-ls. a-- 81 F..
I But the compliments further show unto your
Honor that there are other abuses of still graver
nature from the effects of which they crave the
protection of the court About the close Of the first
year Of the administration Of the pretenders-or,
perhaps ON investigation it may turn out that il
began earlier-and extending through the second
yesr until it stopped by legal proceedings, the
persons who managed the financial affairs of the
Alder administration adopted the practice Of issd
ing checks to sell for money, and to pledge as col
lateral security with money lenders The Recorder
issued checks TO any amount, made payable TO any
name, or bearer, called for by the chairman OF
the Finance Committee, and the Mayer (so-calledD
cOunteFsigned them In like manner without any
other authority. portion of the checks SO issued,
as compliments are Informed and believe, were d.
rectly sold by the chairman Of the Finance Com
nlittee or by others to whom he passed them for
that purpose; and very large portion were used
in the following manner: The Mayor and Recorder
would execute a note 20 the party of whom loan
was effected, payable at future time, and either
bearing interest from date, else the interest was
added as in some cases, or the discount deducted
from the consideration in others, and which in
terest and discount were often at higher rate than
six per cent per annuIn luxurious and illegal; and
thoR the Recorder and Mayor would sign and coun-
tersign checks TO amount considerably exceeding
the amount of the note. These checks were pledged
as collateral security with the person 20 whom the
note was executed, to secure the payment of the
note AZ maturity As cOmplainants are informed,
and believe, and charge these notes were all in the
form: