The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-13

some discussion, referred back without action
TO the committee on the Fire Department for
consultation with the officers of the depart
ment:
Whereas. the recent disastrous confagra-
t,ons at Chicago and Boston, where the sup
ply of water is abundant, admonlsnes us, Wnere
water is scarce and at times forceo from io9s
distance, to sea that our Fire DepareneIS snI vi
magnitude. Whether the several companies
nave expended their receipts economically oI
| az djrected by city ordinance, 10 mol q naCtei
for discussion now. One fact is patent, anu
| that is, they are all sadly dehcienG IN ons "
the most necessary requisites OF Mre ~ ~ boso
zatou, and that IS PIopet, .Sae ,hey are not in
necnniarv condition to supply themseivssi ahu h
in the event of o large conhaSratlon Ine
rsenits would be serious Indeed. therefore,
| be 1t .;o, oo,,n,,+too nm
the Fire Department be authorized 10 con
tract for ak thousand feet OF suitable nose
On the best possible terms; five hundred
feet for each steamer In the department, SAID
hose to be used for fire purposes only, the chlel
of the Fire Department to take receipt from
each company tor their quota; also, 10 receive
from the steam companies what hose may pe
untit for use OF steamers, and distribute tne
same amongst the hand engine companies.
Alderman O'Neil said that as no report had
been received from the committee on railroade,
to whom had been referred the communication
of City Attorney Corbin relative to the tax
csses of the Northeastern and South Carolina
Railroad Companies now pending In the Uni,
ted States Supreme Court, he would offer the
following resolution:
Resolued, That 1t be referred to the Mayor,
with power to act, TO employ counsel 10 prose-
cute to final Issue the cause of City Council Vs.
south Carolina and Northeastern Rallroads,
now bending In the United States Supreme
Court, provided the expense shall not exceed
TWO thousand dollars.
Alderman Gage urged the necessity OF lm-
mediate action, and hoped that the resolution
would be adopted.
Alderman simonds objected, and read the
following report:
The committee on railroads, to whom was
referred the communication OF the city attor-
ney. calling attention to cases now pending
before the Supreme Court OF the United States
at Washington, vs. the South Carolina Hall-
road and others, beg to recommend tnas no
further appropriation be made Dy the city for
the prosecution of these cases.
section 43 OF an act passed IN December,
1885, to incorporate the Cincinnati and
Charleston Railroad Company, says that, "lhe
capital stock OF said company, the dividends
thereon, and all the property and estates,
real and personal, belonging to said compa.
nv, shall be forever exempt from ta4atlOo III
each and every of the said States OF South Car.
ollna, North Carolina, Tennessee ana
filI for either OF the said States, or
any corporate, municipal, police or
other authority thereof, or any town,
city. county or district thereof, TO impose any
tax on such stock or dividends, property or
estates: Provided, That the SAID stock or
dividends, when the said dividends shall e1-
ceed the legal interest OF the estate, may be
subject to taxation by the State In common
with other money at interest and interest
thereon The a.t0rney-general OF this Slate
has given his written opinion that the com
oanV Ia not liable for taxation. An Injunction
was promptly granted by the District Court OF
the United STATES, and 1t is probable that the
whoie matter would have been settled long
ago by our own courts, but TOR the 1ntroduc-
lion into the tax act OF clause Proniolting any
Judge from Issuing an Injunction or other re-
strslnIng order, TO enable parties to resist the
payment of illegal or unjust taxes, and it ID
this which has driven the case before the
corrts In washington, thus entailiDg needless
and heavy expenses upon all the parties.
And lastly, the State having made case,
and appropriated money tor is prosecution,
the rights of the City will be as iully eslaD'
lIshed as If she were party to the suit.
Chairman, for himself
Alderman Voigt asked If Alderman O'Neill
Intended that City Attorney Coroin should be
one of the counsel employed in the case.
The latter alderman replied he had intended
that the matter should be LEFT to the discre-
tlon Of the Mayor.
The Mayor expressed a desire to have the
clause relating to the appointment OF counsel
stricken out of the resolution.
Alderman Gage said that, In the delibera'
tIons of the committee on railroads, 1t was
generally understood that his friend, Mr.. Cor
bin, was to be the counsel employed.
Alderman Volgt said he wanted 1t distinct
ly stated, before the resolution was passed,
the: mr. Corb.n should be employed. Mr..
CorbIn had served the city faithfully and sat-
isfactorily for number of years, and had
showed himself bold enough TO attack all
large moneyed associations. he then recount
ed Mr.. Corbln's services in securing the Taxa
tlon of the city stock and 10 pressing the suits
against the railroad companies, and wound up
by saving that Mr.. Corbin was the only lawyer
tn Charleston who had shown backbone
enough to fight these large moneyed corpora
tions In the interest of the city.
Alderman Bowen remarked that tbe gentle-
man seemed to be advocating Mr.. Corbin's In
terests more than elthS: those of the city or
the State. Mr.. Corbln did not have any more
claims upon the position than any other law
yer. He had certainly been we'll paid for all
the backbone he had ever shown. he, there
fore, moved that the whole matter be posi-
poned for the present.
This motion was adopted, after some lur-
ther and unimportant discussion, the vote
standing seven to FIVE.
Alderman sweegan's bill to amend the ordi-
nance regulating the pay of the police force
received its second reading.
Council then adjourned.
REAL ESTATE SALES.
Messrs. Lowndes & Grlmball sold at auction
yesterday, plantation on Edsto Island, con-