The Van Buren press., 1871-06-27
[4dpertisemeat.1
Fort SMf,n; ARK, Jrre a5th. lszl


Mr.. EDuoR:-
desire, in your paper. ia correct an i'm
preston that seemed to haze been intended to
DC conveyed by the report of the committee,
appointed by Common Council ot Van Buren,,
10 suPertntend the publication of the By
Laws etc. of the town. | shah in as few
words as possible state the origin of the duties
OF TINS committee, and then speak of the du-
ties themselves.
Some time since the Common Council in
structed me to revise the Bylaws OF the
Town, ana prepare Digest OF the lncorpora.
ton Act. did 50 by writing out all of the
amendments necessary to be made In the By
Laws; in which, | directed all OF those ordin-
anceS, or parts of ordinances. in conflict with
the State and Constitutional laws to be strick-
en- out ana such other changes as could be
made, to comply, as near rs possible, with the
wishes of the Council. The same was done in
regard to the Digest. In my amendments to
the Incorporation Act | separated all the
powers OF Incorporated Towns from those
granted to Cities changed it so az to suit the
particular Town Of Van Buren, and then di-
rected the sections to be so altered that the
powers would be arranged logically as pos
Slble. After had thus prepared these amend
ments, l advised the Council of the fact
lhere was then committee appointed to cX-
amize these Bylaws and Digest. They did
so,-gohg over every section as it would read
with the changes directed TO be made by my
notes. They then recommended them to the
Council for their approval; 4; after which, they
were taken up by the Council and they in
yestxated them in the same way as was done
before the committee. and az all amendments
are acted upon by Legislative bodies. The
Council adopted both the revision of the By
Laws and the Digest after they had spent
several nights In examining them, without
suggesting any changS whatever in the D-
gest. Before they were ordered to be printed,
one of the members ofthe Council mentioned
that it would probably be better to write out
the Bylaws as they would read when pub
lished. did SO /; though. | had never been di-
rected to do so by the Council. | afterwards
got up in open Council and asked if it were
necessary that the Incorporation Act should
be written out IN the same way. Their an
swer was, that the printer would find it more
convenient to take the act and printit under
the direction of my notes, as there was SO
much Of II that would have 10 be republished.
The Council then appointed committee
Consisting of the same members that COM
posed the former one with the exception of
Capt Churchill, who was relieved and another
member put on in his place. to superintend
til { publication of these Bylaws and Digest.
We saw no more of these Laws until they
came out in pamphlet form, with my notes
published, instead of the Incorporation Act.
with tie changes directed to be made by the
notes, and as it passed the Council, When
they discovered this fact. they then calbe into
the Council and reported the Digest imper-
feet; committee with no other authority
than to surerintend the publication OF these
laws report that the first committee and the
Common Council had both failed in doing
their duty, and that their ractions were imper-
feet. The committee in the first place had no
to make such report, as no powers
were ever given them to approve or reject
these laws, or recommend their approval or
rejection. In the second place. it was unwar-
ranted by the facts. They failed in having
published the Digest as it passed the Council
and reported upon something that they were
never authorized to have published They
have in this report stultiied themselves, de-
clared that the Common Council had grossly
neglected their duty, and arrogated to them
selves powers that were never given, for the
simple purpose of finding an apology for my
notes being published, instead of the lnccr-
pOration With the amendments directed to be
made by the notes.
Belore.concluding, | will state, that no part
of this letter refers to DR.. Pernot, as | am in
formed he left the whole matter in the hands
Of the other members and had nothing what.
ever to do with either the report or the publ
cation Of these laws, and he has further stated
that done my whole duty In the matter
am very respectfully your obt. serv't,
ARCHIBALD YOUNG.