The Cairo daily bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1870-1872, 1872-03-12

hctcall, Pnilis. II arden, R,blnsun, SAT-
ord. Schulz, Sense, Stan ii, Stratum, Tay- |
or, Walder Wool and Woodward Ia
MAYORS INAUGURAL
The Mayor arose and delivered his in
,ugural address us follows
Gentlemen Of the City Council; -
In entering upon the municipal year
now before US, 1t becomes necessary H. III
form or ucqiaint ourselves with the wants
and requirements of the city, aud to Under
stand iuliy the means IN our hands, or
within our reach or control, in the pro 'er
use of which the best interests Of our city
may be adv need and subsefved.
These wants and requirements, tspeci.
ally those pertaining to what is usually
denominated public improvements, are
open aud patent to US all but when we go
step further and venture to suggest, or
make the inquiry, how these wants may be
supplied or requirements met, those
who are most ignorant Of the real situa-
ton Of affairs are frequently the most
ready TO hazard what reputation they have
in suggesting plans and schemes which, Ia
them, appear emineatly practicable and
efficient.
1t is always easy, especially for those
who never look for anything else, To lind
and point out objections and defects in
what others do or propose. They are what
we may call chrome fuult-hnders, and
when, in the course Of events, something
happens to be done or take place TO which
they can state no sensible objection, they
dispose of the whole matter by saying tha
the plausibili,v, or good looks Of the thin
no It's face, lays a strong foundation IA
the suspicion that there u something rad
cnllv wrong in the background. q
SUCH there is no hope ;afd whsle ali thing
are supposed ~ subserye some wise pur
pose ana fiji some necessary place or posi-
tion in the world, yet the place or ppslLi u
for such per.ons has, hitherto, never bee
discovered, or at least never dehnitel
pointed out. ..
IYuny of us have entered here, laying I
our souls the hattering uEc
ton that by our ability or b
any system of trimming, or By any mast
erly nactivety, we can please everyb bod
and avoid abuse an all hands, short an
unprotracted term of service here wi
soon etfectuslly dislel the delusion, an
teach US that after all about the only ru
we can adopt with safety to the publ
and preservative of our own self respect,
that of Davy Crockett. I" BE sure you'l
right and go ahead"
desire 10 call yonr attention first TO II
financial condition Of the city. W
must fully understand this before. we ca
be prepared to understand properly any
thing else connected with the admInistr,
ton of its affairs.
Especially must we knew our ability b'
fore we can undertake anything that wi
become draft or tax upon the same. 1
business matters, no man is regarded {
wise or discreet who does not keep well b,
fore himself his exact situation and caps
hilities. and losing sight or these, lie flour
ders in the mire and sinks out Of sight.
The bonded debt of the city is, at th
! time, $20O,2sl.39. The scrip outstandin
IN the 4th of last January was s25, 76l.l
which has since been reduced to S2O,026
80, making $50, 3O7.7i the entire indeb
edness of the city at the present time
This Indebtedness is abo,
thirteen per cent. Of Il
tho assessed valuation of the real and pc
sonal property in the city last summe
showing US that we are far beyond u
limit Of imdebtodness sn.d by tho new Co
stItution in article nine, section twelve.
While this provision of the Constitt
ton may not be held to apply to the '.sl
ance of scrip in payment of the currel
and necessary expenses of the city, and I
redeem which taxes and license money
are collected, yet it certainly applies to ii
4 contracting of Indebtedness for improv
ments and other purposes, where speech
assessments are not in contemplation an
even in that case, there may be an uit
mate liability on the part OF the city !
cases Of failure TO collect such assessment
to pay for Improvements.
From this statmert of our Indebtedness
it will be seen that at least since the ado,
ton of the new Constitution, we have n,
been, and are not now, in n condition
borrow money or issue bonds, with whic
improvements could be made, aIthoug
we may continue, rs heretofore, 10 max
the necessary repairs upon the Sidewalk
and streets out vi the general funds of th
city.
According 10 recent decision of on
supreme court, webster rs the city G
Chcag") constituting section four, articl
nine, of the constitution, it seems that ur
der our city charter we can do nothing i
the way of building sidewalks, fllin
streets, or making other like improve
msnts, by Ineans of special assessment
until the passage of some act by the legis
lature remedying defects in existing law;
Inquiries have been made why improve
ments have not been undertaken and car
ried through by means of these special a:
sessments, but il will be found that IL ha
not been from any opposition Of the cit
authorities to the making Of the improve
ments required by the wants of the city
but solely because of the uncertainty /
existing laws rs to our right or power I
carry forward and carry out such under
mkings. Before the decision above re
ferred to, the city might, notwthstsndin,
the uncertainty of the matter hav
| plunged headlong into the making of i'm
provements by such assessments; and hat
she done Sc, she would now be struggling
to get out of the difficulty, with no it'll
cost for her temerity.
The experience of tho cities, Il
least of this state, has proven thai
in making Improvements by mean,
Of special assessments, they have been
put 10 more cost and expense than they
have incurred, perhaps, from all Other
sources, and no one of them is, perhaps, Il
stronger example Of this than our own
city.
The assessed value OF the real and per.
sonal estate in the city for 1871 was So
339,8I9 90 which Is believed 10 have been
" fair and reasonable valuation and IL is
not supposed tnat the assessment for this
year VIII vary materially from that Of
lat year. Under the city charter, the levy
OF one half Of one per cent. for the pener-