The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1871-10-14
pI[,; !! M]|l!i1'| ,A4ls 81 G;
Saturday Morning, October Il. 1871.

The Omoiel Aoeion or ,.po City Caaaoii.
We invite the attention Of the citizens
OF Columbia to the official proceedings
Of the City Council. For some time
this comm, unity has been exeroieed in re-
gard to certain allegations that have been
made with respect to oar city affairs and
the action OF the City Council in refer.
epoe thereto. These allegations Of
oMoial neglect and misconduct have been
made, They have not been contradict
ed. In the abseno5. however. Of mest-
ing of the City Council. the public sen.
timent remained ihduIgent. and the pub
lio Judgment was somewhat suspended.
We desired to hear. from the PARTIES
charged with official dereliotion. At
least, we desired to find the line of de-
markation} drawn in, the City Council
between the innocent and the guilty.
Well, the City Council meets. AS will be
seen by reference to the official proceed
ings in another column, before going to
the regular business OF the evening, the
Mayor, Maj. Alexander, recognizing the
issue that had arisen between the public
OF Columbia and the City Council, rises
in his seat and presents for the conside-
ration of Council certain resolutions
which resolutions seem designed to meet
all the questions at issue between the
corporators Of Columbia and the City
Council !, Now, We would ask, what is the
SUM miknd snbstahceiof these resolutionsf
First, that the arrangements with respect
to the i5an to the City Council be modi-
Aed; and ssseessandly. thai the City Ooun-
eils wilrycarry on the improvements be
gun; arpyided,sthe. same can beadone
without me oily being awindled. + This
iswall. Only .thia tand nothing more:
Now tiMee.ask, dSes asstiopil likS ethia meet
sqaarelyl The issues before the public?
Most surely not. aS TIE CoaHeil., iti5 true,
virtually aok owledgev that Alderman,
Wigg's engagement With y: Neeele wac.
bad one. They also, seem to aoknow-
ledge tint fraud was :.to1 be apprehended'
in Connection with the new buildings.
Bpt.Hhere 'are the Investigation and the
explanation that an outraged community
have right to expect? What about the
secret Issue, upon very questionable au-
thority, Of those new bonds2 What
about the alleged colluaion and extrava-
CANT charges in connection with the City
Hall and the new market?. The public
had at least the right to expect the City
Council to look into the contracts,
charged to have been conceived
in fraud. But nothing of the kind
was, done. The main issues have
not been met. The resolutions
adopted, excepting that they provide
for the better safe-keepiDg Of the bonds
issued, amount to absolutely nothing ut
all. Something was expected of at least
majority of the Council. But the rs.
sult ia M nothing satisfactory. Ths noun
tain is sin labor. and lol little mouse
comes forth. The City Council Of Co.
lumbia meet to consider grave issues
ment some resolutionsl We turn, then.
from the City Council-one and all-for
they choose toIsail in the same boat. and
ask the community to look for protec-
tion elsewhere. Looking at these mat
ters at issue-from first to last the en-
tire Council have made themselves
responsible. and they stand, all of them,
arraigued before the bar of public
opinion, on the ground of having negli-
gently and oulpably sacrificed, or allowed
to be sacrificed. the important public
trusts that were committed to their
charge.
Let the Committee of Investigation on
the part Of the Board of Trade aud their
legal a., visers now go to work.
Gen. Grnnt---'rhe Ku Klux Proclu nm
tion.
Our readers have observed the procla-