The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-02-29
The Council and Tho city Hall oon-
frROf.

The Council and tho City Hall O0n-
| traot.
The proceedings OF the City Council,
published this morning, will be fonnd of
considerable interest. The efforts of the
citizens to have the iniquitous City Hall
contract annulled. promise now to be
crowned with success, without further
useless aud expensive litigation. Mr.
Allen comes up smiling, aDd offers to
relieve the Council from very embar-
rassing and uncomfortable situation. by
surrendering his contract What the
citizens were aiming at, was to defeat
tho oonsummution Of the fraudulent
scheme which would, it is believed, rob
the city of fully $4,000. This, we pre-
sumo, will be as fully effected. by the
cancellation of Mr.. Aliens agreement
with his own consent, as by m order of
court. 1t would be gratifying. in some
respects, to secure the judgment of q
legal tribunal upon the action Of the
Council, in making the contract with
Mr.. Allen in the first instance. Tho
Judgment OF court, however. could not
probably go further than nnnulling the
contract; and while the city fathers may
be saved some additional modification,
the practical benefits to the people will
not be leasened.
That part of the resolutions reHocting
upon Mr.. Clark Waring is simply gratu-
itous. That gentleman, doubtless, acted
wrong in allowing his name and charac-
ter to be used. in rendering an iniqui-
tous scheme successful, without first ex-
amining the matter; but he made noble
amends for it afterwards, and the people
of Columbia will feel Justly indebted to
him for the great assistance he has given
in bringing this City Hall matter to e
successful issue. AS to awarding him
the contract, as Mr.. Allen recommends,
for $50, 500, the Council may do go, if
they like. All that the Taxpayers will
ask, is that they will award it to some
person not less reliable than he-at o
price not greater than that which he
proposes, and that the bondsmen be as
unexoeptionable as those endorsing Mr..
Waring.
There is ono point which it might not
be amiss for the Council to clear up, be-
fore balancing accounts finally with Mr..
Allen. It has been charged not
denied. that we are aware of-that
Sl2. 500 was paid some time since by DR..
Neagle. on account Of tho City Hall con-
tract, to the City Council. OF this
amount, it is fnrther ,sAid, that only
S5,0 0C0 was applied to the work on the
Hall. The, tax-payers would be glad to
know, and> most undoubtedly have n
right to inquire OF the. City Council,
who, theoretically. at least, represent
them and are their public servants, what
has become of that balance-S7, 5OO-in
the frat place; and in the second place,
whether the $1,000 proposed to be paid
now to Mr.. Allen, is in addition to the
So, 600 already said to have been received
by him; and If SO, whether tho little
work that hns been 80 far dono ON the
Hall-or, more properly, on the founda-
tions of it's claimed to be worth the
S12. 900 thus paid?
The awarding tho contract to Mr..
Waring, which the Council express their
deter mination to refuse, wo trust will
not be- held by Mr.. Allen rs an essential
condition Of the surrender of his con-
tract. There is 10 reason that We can
SEQ why lie should hold it essential, if
he is making bona fde proposition.
We are led to hope. therefore, that tho
surrender Will be effected. Ii it should
not, the case Of the tax payers will, at
any rate, DO greatly strengthened in
court by the action of Mr.. Allen.
We extract the following from long
editorial in tho New York Jomnm Of
Commerce, Of the 25th-which still
fnrthnr cnrrohOrotas tho rfotpn, an r.,