, 1872-12-03
CHICAGO.
First Meeting' Of the New
Common Council.
Second Animal Message
Of Mayor Medil1.
A Year CT Settlement, Liquida-
t!on, Retrenchment, and
Restoration.
Public Affairs Conducted with
Care, Fidelity, and
Economy.
Financial Condition of
the City---Special
Assessments.
The New Water Works and
Tunnel-Safeguards
Against Fire.
Communication from Corpor-
alton Counsel Tu1ey.

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.oataxza oss ~. ~ .ue 11ae oouncu W., WAS heia
Yesterday evening, Inc Mayor III the chair
Present, Aldermen Bowen, Richardson, Dixon,
Warren, McGenniss, Coey, McAvoy, Sidwell,
R.;1aT poran , n,pr;an poad A', r1ar', ' esraot
1o"on, oa'en' o'n', S.aAA e"ee'
Aenoe, deatn, miner, oner"ooo, moore, CleSe-
land, QuirE, McGrath, Eckhardt, Stout, Mshr,
Lengacher, Carney, Cannon, Ogden, Brandt,
Woodman. Corcoran
"@u' o11eotA'
Inc mayor then read the 1oAo"1ng message:
THE MAYORS ANNUAL MESSAGE.
GENTLEMEN OF THE Co11NoS CoUScr1: 4 year
has intervened since met the Common Council
to deliver my first Message. It has been year
crowded with important municipal events. It's
commencement was gloomy in the extreme. Our
beloved city was in deplorable condition. Fiji
teen thousand families. swept from their COM
Portable homes by the billoNs of fame were sub
slsting On the charities OF the world, huddled
into school-houses, churches, halls or shiyering
in improyised shanties. or quartered on less
fortunate neighbors and friends. And almost
an equal number, not actually burnt out OF
house and home, found themselves suddenly de-
prlVed of business, employment, and means of
subsistence at the beginning Of q long and
dreary winter; Nearly 2oo,0o0 souls were thus
49, 81 0c0A . u 4i4GoAIGs
and half this multitude Of homes. furniture,
clothing, fuel, food. l look back to that dark
and DISMAL time with shudcec, and confess to
you, gentlemen, that I entered upon the dis
charge OF the Mayoralty With many misgivings
as to my strength Of body and mind to
meet the requirements of the Office and
the reasonable demands Of the people, and
would most gladly have foregono
the hono5s OF the position to have escaped the
perils and perplezities Of the situation. But
YVES most fortunate in having the assistance and
support OF an excellent Common Council. who
have 1abored throughout the year faithfully and
unselfshly with an eye single to the public vel
fare. To the members Of the outgoing Council
tender my siucerest thanks and acknowledge
ments for the cordial and invaluable support
they have given my Administration throughout
this trying year; And to the able Finance Com
mittee and it's clear-headed Chairman feel es-
pecially indebted for tireless aid in helping to
unravel and e1t1icate the fiscal affairs of the
city from the sore confusion in which the great
fire lett them part official relations with the
outgoing members Of the old Council with deep
regret, but trust shall find in their successors
elect gentlemen actuated by as high public
spirit, and possessing as much Legislative ability
and integrity:
The new Administration entered upon its du-
ties with depleted Treasury, with multitude
OF claims pressing for payment, q large floating
debt-the collection Of taxes being ont of the
question, surrounded By the wrecks and embers
OF destroyed public property, with its books and
in ashes. Appropriations based ON prosperous
times and unlimited resources, had been made,
in anticipation OF revenue not collected. These
appropriations had been expended for all kinds
Of works and purposes, and paid for in large
part, out of borrowed moneys and special funds
that must be replaced, and tho residue was left
in the shape Of unpaid vouchers, unsettled &C.
counts, cai1ns for drawbacks, certificates of in
contractors. And everybody who had claims
against the city wanted his money.
The previous Council had inconsiderately re-
scinded 81, ~, $50 Of, the next taxes; and the
General Assembly for the relief Of losers by fire,
had ordered rebates to be made Of municipal tag
es On destroyed property which together left the
new Administration hardly half enough means
with which to discharge the obligation incurred
by the previous one. To this legacy of debts
and abbreviated resources we're to be added the
cost of replacement of the burnt bridges and Vi
educts school houses, engine houses, and fire
apparatus, police stations, city hall, sidewalks,
fire hydrants, lamp posts furniture, stationery,
books, maps, ETC., and tie repairing Of the va.
ter works, service pipes catch basins. sewers.
and many other things too numerous to mem
ton and all this work to be done when labor
and materials had greatly advanced in conse-
quence Of the unusual demand caused by the
fire. To meet all these requirements, wo had
an empty Treasury on which to draw. and half 4
million Of semi-annual interest on the city bond
ed debt to provide for within three weeks and
the credit Of q city seemingly ruined on which
to negotiate temporary loans.
INAUGURATION or RETnEScHs1ESr.
The first thing that was done to meet
these strokes Of misfortune, i1nproyidence and
unwisdom, was to iraugurate system of Sc
we're retrenchment in every department and
branch of the municipal service. pressed the
obvious necessity Of this course upon the Com
mon Council in Iny inaugural message and upon
all the Boards and heads of departments at
every conference; and I nm glad to say that
they all appreciated the necessity therefor, and
have gone in that direction as far Us practicable
1t would be difficult to specify in what branch of
municipal service much greater economy could
have been practised without causing an injury
to the public greater than the value of the
money that might have been saved. for there is
such 3 thing as carrying economy to q degree