The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-11-27
TEE CITY COUNCIL.
An Important meeting-Electfon ofoity
Officers.

Officers.
A regular meeting If the City Counell Was
held Yesterday afternoon With the folloWlng
members present: The Mayor, Aldermen
O'Neill, Bowen, Voigt, Gage, Garrett, AennS'
swsegan, Glover, Johnston, Moran, bro"n'
sImonds and Pelzer. number OF canui'
dates for the vacant offices were also present.
The following petitions were presented:
OH. TIencken to be allowed to move q
building through Meeting street, IN tne ''o'n'-
| ty of Spring street. Granted.
OF ssventy-lve prominent merchants ol
Mes,inp. Hayne and East Bay streets asking
for an amendment of the ordinance reguiat'
inp the licensing of travelling statesmen 30 as
to exempt the agents of manufacturers, iI,
porters and commission merchants VINO sell
on,v by package. Referred to the committee
| on ways and means.
| OfE. =. Moody, agent Of the estate OF d. u.
strohecker, for remission OF certain taAee
levied upon the estate through an error maae
in the assessors office during the fllsoury
administration. Referred to the commi''ee
On retrenchment and relief.
OfE. ). Motto for remission of taxes. Re-
fered 10 the same committee.
ofB.F F. whilden, agent of Mrs. Magwood,
for remission Of penalties. Likewise dis
posed Of.
of. F. Taylor & Co. to have q street lamp
lit in Pritchard street, opposite the Phoenix
Iron Works. Granted.
OF W. ]. England for reduction OF assess"
meps. Referred to the committee on ASSESS
ments
OF residents Of Line street to have an ad-
dltionsl lamp lit In that street. Granted.
A communication from the board OF Fire
Masters submitting the resolutions passed at
their recent meeting was read ey the Mayor
and received as Information. Another COM
municatlon from the same calling attention 10
the dangerous condition OF the north wall oi
the Eagle Engine-House was referred to City
Engineer Barbot for report at the next meet
Ing.
Alderman O'Neill, chairman Of the commit
tee on streets, which was authorized at the
last meeting of Council to confer with the
officers of the Enterprise Railroad Company
relative TO the iron to be used for the railroad
track, reported that he had repeatedly called
at the company's office and made appoint
meptg to meet the officers, but the latter had
avoided him on every occasion. The commit
tee haG therefore instructed the city attorney
TO institute proceedings against the company.
The report was adopted.
Alderman sweegan gave notice Of hls In
tention to Introduce bill at the next meet
Ing to regulate the pay Of the Fire Depart
mspr, to define the duties OF the chief, and
for other purposes. His bill regulating the
nav Of The police was passed to Its third read
inc. and was ordered to be engrossed among
the clty ordinances.
Alderman O'Neill introduced the following
resolution, which had been postponed at the
last meeting, and amended 1t slightly BY
striking out the word "Mayor," and Inserting
instead the words Committee Of Ways and
Means:
Resol,,ed. That It be referred to the Mayor,
with power to act, TO employ counsel 70 pros,
cnte 10 dnsl issue tha cause Of City Council
va. South Carolina and Northeastern Railroads,
now pending In the United States Supreme
Court, provided the expense shall not exceed
two thousand dollars.
Alderman voigt moved as an amendment
that City Attorney Cerbln be appointed coun-
sel. and that the Mayor be authorized to desig.
nate some other lawyer who should be re-
tsIned ss associate counsel, with the same
compensation that Ar. Corbln would receive.
Alderman O'Neil said tina > had found on
examination that there were about iorty thou
sand dollars due the city for taxes from the
South Carolina Railroad Company, and about
ten thousand dollars from the Northeastern
Railroad Company. Mr.. sImonds, the chsr-
mar1pf the committee on railroads, was OF
the opinion that the case against the oompa-
niles WIS hopeless, but he, as member Of
that committee, disagreed with Mr.. slmonds.
As the only question left was who should be
the attorney, he would have to side with the
amendment.
Alderman slmonds said the question was
not whether the railroad companies owed the
city money for taxes, but whether the peoples
money should be wasted In hopeless cause.
II there was any chance Of gaining the cases
mo ono would be more heartily In favor OF
pushing the suits than he. he then cited
similar case where the State Of North Carolina
had endesvored to tax railroad within her
boundaries, which had been decided against
the State. Instead Of costing $4,000 to push
the suits to successful issue 1t would cost
$4,000.
Alderman O'Neln said he was assured the
suit could be prosecuted for s700.
Alderman slmends said that If the alderman
would guarantee that It should not cost more
than $7OO be would advocate pushing 1t.
Aldermad sweegau thought 1t would pay
the city 10 expend twenty thousand dollars
in the case, and hoped that Mr.. Corbln would
be appointed.
Alderman voigt followed and endeavored to
demonstrate how it would pay the city to e1-
pend ten or even twenty thousand dollars in
gaining the suit
The question on Alderman Volgt's amend
ment was called for, and the amendment was
adopted by large majority.
Alderman UNeill offered resolution to the
effect that the scayenger work Of the city be
done in the future by the street department.
under the supervision of the Mayor, the latter
being empowered to employ additional carts
whenever necessary. The resolution was
adontpd